Low-Cost and No-Cost Public Relations Idea Bank

November 2, 11:15 AMNY Marketing and PR ExaminerAnna De Souza

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Create buzz for free with Wikipedia.
wikipedia.com

Small and big businesses alike can be budget-strapped for publicity stunts and powerful ideas that will maximize sales and awareness. In this series, we will explore low-cost and no-cost ideas that you can do yourself utilizing a little creativity and an internet connection.

FIRST UP: Creating a Wikipedia page.

Google is placing an increased weight on links from “authority” websites. Wikipedia is certainly one of the top authority websites in the eyes of Google and it boasts over 67 million unique visitors per month!

Nearly any key word you Google has an accompanying Wiki entry, and it can usually be found on the first page of results. Being included in this online encyclopedia adds a whole new depth to marketing and visibility. But creating a Wikipedia entry isn’t as easy as visiting the site and writing a few lines. You want to meet Wikipedia’s standards, and you want to create an entry that will fit in with the general theme and tone of the site. If you don’t, your entry will get red flagged and removed faster than you can blink.

After logging in (or signing up), type in the subject on which you want to create an entry in the search field. If you want to create an entry about yourself, type in your name. The same goes for your business’s name. This page shouldn't exist -- you can then click on "create the page." You're now ready to create your entry.

Spend some time looking around Wikipedia at different entries (competitor companies are a good way to go) before you try to write one of your own. Note that entries do not directly address the audience (words like “you” are not included), and that nothing is written in the first person (entries do not contain “I” or “me” unless there is a direct quote involved).

You definitely want to include sources for your entry at the very bottom. Find and use two or three reputable web sites as sources. This is very important! Wikipedia also likes to see entries which feature internal links, so comb Wiki looking for entries you can link to within the entry you’ve written. Simply type words that appear in your entry (any cities or dates are likely to have existing Wikipedia entries, as well as some businesses) into the site’s search tool.

Make your article a reasonable length: aim for more than 200 words, but less than 5000. It's also important to remain unbiased.  Statistics and facts are allowed, so long as they are proven and truthful. Wikipedia does not allow for example: "XXX is terrible," however you may, for example, state: "XXX has not sold more than 10,000 copies during 2008" or something along these lines. You must cite your sources and double check that these sources are reputable and trustworthy.

Word of Caution: People will edit your page, sometimes in ways you might object to. That´s how the Wikipedia community works. If you disagree with their change, the opportunity exists to discuss it with another Wikipedian. If you can´t resolve the dispute, you can have it moderated by an administrator.

Have you hit any snags in creating your entry? Comment below and we're happy to help with a solution.

SOURCES: Play in the Wiki Sandbox, Experiment Before Clicking Enter; Wiki Formatting, Learn How to Bold, Create External Links, etc.