Having your own Wikipedia page isn't easy to achieve but if you’re climbing the professional ladder and hadn’t considered it before, here are 3 reasons why you should:
1. Credibility
An important part of creating your own Wikipedia page is having enough reliable sources referencing your brand; that can be used as citations. Without these it is hard to get a page passed but if you can overcome these hurdles, a Wiki page will give you a boost of credibility. Wikipedia is run by online users who can create and edit pages; however, these changes are all overseen by a board of editors to ensure accuracy. Although anyone can become an editor, Wikipedia prides itself on authenticity and has a strict and required process to be able to create a page. Getting past this process speaks highly of your personal brand and redirects some of that Wiki credibility towards you and your organisation. Furthermore, this is not seen as you talking up your brand and selling yourself because it's a trusted source from an unbiased, third party providing factual information about you.
2. Discoverability
Wikipedia pages and social media profiles are always one of the first things to appear with online search results. Wikipedia dominates search engines, due to it being the most used online encyclopaedia with massive amounts of user generated content. The good news is that Wikipedia’s dominance is expected to continue for the foreseeable future.
3. Brand Awareness
Being at the top of search engine results will increase the traffic on your page, grow brand awareness and ultimately, increase opportunities. Wikipedia pages are more than just a glimpse of you, you are able to go in depth and share what you feel describes you best, as long as it’s backed up by online sources. Furthermore, you can add pictures and other relevant information, allowing you to further control your online image and provide the world with an aligned first impression of how you want to be seen.
If you're taking a more strategic approach to increasing your online credibility and personal brand presence, you may want to consider adding Wikipedia to yours or your marketing department's to-do list!