Wondering how to create a Wikipedia page?
We’ve got answers!
Everyday we get emails, LinkedIn messages, and even random texts asking some variation of "Is my brand (or CEO) eligible for a Wikipedia article and if so how do we get an article created?"
Let's stick to the first half of the question for now. The simple response is that for an entity (person, place, thing, etc.) to be eligible for a Wikipedia article, Wikipedia editors need to see clear proof that it's notable—or "worthy of notice" to use the parlance of the site—and more specifically, that it meets Wikipedia's specific Notability guidelines.
How is notability determined?
Primarily through the use of reliable sources. Editors want to see that said entity has received detailed coverage in newspapers, books, journals, and other established publications and outlets. (For more info, read our post about what makes a good source for Wikipedia.)
Or here's another way to put it: Imagine you're back in fourth grade and you've got a book report due on Eurasian collared doves. Every source on the subject you can find in the school library—think National Geographic magazine, the Audubon Society's Guide to North American Birds, the Wall Street Journal's "Eurasian collared doves" special insert, etc.—can probably be considered a reliable source.
What about internet content? Well, if you can imagine this type of content ending up in print form in the school library (or the country library or a nearby university library), it probably counts. If not, it probably doesn’t (AKA no blogs, social content, or anything non-journalistic or seriously vetted).
Other sources that definitely wouldn’t be accepted as citations by your science teacher include things like: “something my cousin swears is true,” “something I heard once on the radio,” or “something a Eurasian collared dove announced via press release.”
(Eurasian collared doves are natural self-promoters.)
By Charles J. Sharp - Own work, from Sharp Photography, sharpphotography.co.uk, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=64746482
What counts as “detailed coverage”?
Wikipedia editors want to see at least five pieces (and ideally more than that) that focus on the entity in question as the subject of the reporting. Mentions in passing don’t count for purposes of notability. Neither do articles about stock performance, funding or investment. The pieces have to specifically be a profile of the subject in question.
How can we help?
So, the paragraphs above offer a simple summary of the Notability guidelines, but if you’re taking the time and effort to get a new article created, you probably want a more detailed assessment of your chances—and that’s exactly where we come in.
We can review your press coverage, web mentions, and digital footprint more broadly to see whether or not you’re eligible for an article. And if you are indeed eligible, we can discuss next steps toward article creation. But even if you’re not, Lumino can help you by identifying the specific areas where you’re falling short and even help recommend earned media strategies to address these gaps.