What Businesses Should Know Before Trying to Get Featured on Wikipedia
The establishment of a profile on one of the largest worldwide encyclopedias seems to be the best way to show that one’s company is a credible organization. Wikipedia may be useful in increasing the visibility of a firm among investors and customers. Such recognition is especially important for startups since establishing the reputation of an enterprise is crucial for their further success. Nevertheless, it should be noted that the creation of the relevant page is far from simple, which is why a thorough study of the platform is essential.
Wikipedia Notability Policy
It should be mentioned that the existence of your firm or a good profit margin is not sufficient for a page being approved by platform administrators. The community insists that a notable page requires proving its importance by means of showing that an enterprise is known beyond its niche or achieved some sort of unique accomplishment. Otherwise, any application to create an article is likely to be declined.
The Evidence of Significant Coverage
One of the main preconditions of having a notable page on Wikipedia is getting significant coverage by reliable independent sources such as mass media, reputable journals of a certain niche, or books that discuss a firm. Passing references will not be considered enough. Any information found in press-releases, interviews with the owner of a company, advertisements, or corporate websites should also be ignored. The more relevant evidence of coverage is presented, the higher chances of success are.
Conflict of Interest Rules
The policy regarding conflicts of interest is especially strict as Wikipedia editors insist that only independent people who have nothing to do with an enterprise should write articles concerning a business. People connected to the enterprise, including its owners, should leave the work on creating a page to independent editors. Otherwise, such articles are more likely to contain marketing materials which are forbidden according to the rules of the community. This is why people tend to seek the services of a professional Wikipedia consultant for advice in creating and managing a page.
Understanding of the Community Editing Process
It should be understood that once created, the page belongs to the community. That is why everybody is able to make changes and even delete pages at their discretion. As long as the new information is verified by independent sources, there is no way of deleting facts about your enterprise. You should be ready for the total transparency of information about an enterprise.
The Need for Consulting an Evaluation Expert
Since the submission process is quite complex, people often waste plenty of time without getting any result. It is strongly recommended to use services of professionals before starting writing an article. A consulting firm will help you determine whether a page on Wikipedia is suitable for your company or not and advise you how to make an application properly.
Deciding Whether Your Enterprise Can Get a Page on Wikipedia
Establishing a place in this enormous virtual library proves the historical significance of a firm, but such an achievement cannot be attained easily. In order to get a relevant page, one should prove that the company has already become famous in the niche and does not mind becoming even more transparent for the whole audience!
