Wiki Marketing
Experts tout it. Many have tried it. Yet users have scorned it for polluting and "spamming" the online communities. It seems everyone is talking about it, but nobody has a clear definition of how it is done and done successfully. What is IT you ask? Well, depending on who you ask, it's Web 2.0, online PR, wiki marketing, community marketing, and some just call it divisive. But is it? Let's explore...
If you explore the guidelines that the oligarchy at large has set in place for Wikipedia and other Wiki Media resources, you will quickly find that to "Wiki Market" is a big no-no. For any who have tried it, you may have received the dreaded proposal for deletion, or simply had your edits reverted. Outside of Wikipedia, there are numerous discussion forums and chats where the same opportunity is presented, yet if they are monitored closely at all, hyped postings quickly find their way to the trash bin.
So what is it that these online communities DO want? They want knowledge. They want plain, unbiased, verifiable knowledge. Citing a brochure or adding links to a forum is not only subject to censorship, but also can have an adverse affect by fostering resentment and skepticism towards your company. So if the user's have ruled that their user-generated sites will not tolerate anything but pure knowledge sharing, how can that benefit you?
Well, in many ways actually. First, there's no sin in attributing the authorship of a whitepaper or other objective resource to your staff, so long as it is indeed objective. Second, the realization that a company is in fact providing free, pure, unbiased support to the community does not go unnoticed. And I'm not just talking about the ambiguously immeasurable "Good Will" that we are often sold in PR. WikiMarketing can lead to measurable metrics, not the least of which is website traffic.
Move beyond the lead-generation mindset. Could a robust wiki presence speed the adoption of new technologies that you introduce? Could it actually reduce the load on your already over-extended tech support mechanisms? Could it even lead to a reduced skepticism of your company, rendering your traditional marketing even more effective?
Exploit the community and it may cost you. Serve the community and it will pay off. "...whosoever will be chief among you, let him be your servant..." (Matt. 20:27 KJV)
If you explore the guidelines that the oligarchy at large has set in place for Wikipedia and other Wiki Media resources, you will quickly find that to "Wiki Market" is a big no-no. For any who have tried it, you may have received the dreaded proposal for deletion, or simply had your edits reverted. Outside of Wikipedia, there are numerous discussion forums and chats where the same opportunity is presented, yet if they are monitored closely at all, hyped postings quickly find their way to the trash bin.
So what is it that these online communities DO want? They want knowledge. They want plain, unbiased, verifiable knowledge. Citing a brochure or adding links to a forum is not only subject to censorship, but also can have an adverse affect by fostering resentment and skepticism towards your company. So if the user's have ruled that their user-generated sites will not tolerate anything but pure knowledge sharing, how can that benefit you?
Well, in many ways actually. First, there's no sin in attributing the authorship of a whitepaper or other objective resource to your staff, so long as it is indeed objective. Second, the realization that a company is in fact providing free, pure, unbiased support to the community does not go unnoticed. And I'm not just talking about the ambiguously immeasurable "Good Will" that we are often sold in PR. WikiMarketing can lead to measurable metrics, not the least of which is website traffic.
Move beyond the lead-generation mindset. Could a robust wiki presence speed the adoption of new technologies that you introduce? Could it actually reduce the load on your already over-extended tech support mechanisms? Could it even lead to a reduced skepticism of your company, rendering your traditional marketing even more effective?
Exploit the community and it may cost you. Serve the community and it will pay off. "...whosoever will be chief among you, let him be your servant..." (Matt. 20:27 KJV)
Labels: Community Marketing, marketing communication, public relations, Social Media, Web 2.0, Wiki Marketing, Wikipedia
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