Manage my business

8 tips for creating a wiki everyone will use

When you hear the word “wiki,” Wikipedia is probably first thing that comes to mind. Founded in 2001, the famous online encyclopedia now has 27 million registered users and an estimated 18 billion monthly page views. Wikipedia, which is technically a collection of hundreds of wikis, is one of the world’s most visited websites.

Outside of Wikipedia, there are thousands of other wikis—both public and private—that were created by an array of individuals, educational institutions, and enterprises.

What’s a wiki?

It means quick in Hawaiian, but the word has taken on new meaning in the digital age. A wiki is a collaborative webpage with an open-editing system. Users can create and link pages and easily share, organize, and edit content.

Ward Cunningham, the computer programmer who created the wiki in 1994, described his invention like this:                          

“The idea of a ‘Wiki’ may seem odd at first, but dive in, explore its links and it will soon seem familiar. ‘Wiki’ is a composition system; it’s a discussion medium; it’s a repository; it’s a mail system; it’s a tool for collaboration. We don’t know quite what it is, but we do know it’s a fun way to communicate asynchronously across the network.”

While Cunningham wasn’t sure how it would be used at the time, the wiki has proven to be a powerful collaboration tool for groups, schools, and organizations. A successful corporate wiki serves as a central knowledge base for the company’s workforce.

Here are just a few reasons you should consider creating a wiki for business:

  • Build it and they will come. A wiki allows you to compile all essential organizational information—including company processes, procedures, contact info, best practices, and tools—into one easily accessible place. Your team will consult this information hub multiple times a day to find answers and guidance.
  • Boost employee productivity and autonomy. Because wikis are searchable, your people can quickly find the info they need. They won’t waste time digging through emails, files, and chat messages, and they’ll never again have to reach out to coworkers or managers with simple questions.
  • Streamline the onboarding process. A wiki can be an extremely effective onboarding tool. Share your company wiki with new hires to get them up to speed quickly on all the resources they need to hit the ground running.

Keep reading to learn how to make your own wiki, from kick-off to distribution.  

How to make a wiki

To create a wiki that your people will actually use, follow these eight steps:

1. Decide what info to include based on your audience.

Are you building a wiki for your entire company, your team, or a specific project? The answer will impact the type of content you include.

A company wiki should include important organizational resources, such as:

    • Onboarding info for new employees.
    • Company policies and procedures.
    • Workplace safety and security information.
    • Organizational charts for all departments.
    • Contact info for all employees.
    • Professional development resources.

If you’re creating a team wiki, provide information that’s relevant to your specific department, including:

    • Team processes and procedures.
    • Passwords and access information.
    • Strategic marketing plans and style guides.
    • Notes from team meetings.
    • Step-by-step guidance on how to request, submit, approve, and deliver projects.
    • Details on who to contact for specific questions, requests, projects, and approvals.
    • Quick links to templates, tools, calendars, style guides, websites, and other information.

If you’re creating a project wiki, consider including:

    • A project calendar with deadlines and other important dates.
    • Creative briefs and project parameters.
    • A list of project deliverables.
    • Contact info for stakeholders, collaborators, and other point people.
    • Notes from all project meetings.
    • Any other resources that will contribute to the success of the project.

2. Choose the right software.

There’s a wide range of wiki software on the market, and some options are easier to use than others. Do your research and find a solution that meets your team’s needs. Look for helpful features like:

    • Intuitive navigation.
    • A quick and reliable search function.
    • User-friendly content creation and editing.
    • Easy linking between pages.
    • Ability to categorize pages with tagging.
    • Integration with current collaboration tools.
    • Strong privacy and security.

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3. Select your contributors.

Determine who will create pages and provide content for each section. If you’re creating a company wiki, choose a point person from each team to make sure all critical information is covered. As you recruit contributors, explain the benefits of a company wiki to increase project buy-in.

4. Schedule a kick-off.

Invite all stakeholders and contributors to a wiki kick-off meeting. This is your opportunity to build enthusiasm around the project and make sure contributors understand their role. It’s also a good time to teach contributors how to use the wiki software, discuss what content and resources should be included, and set clear expectations and deadlines.

5. Build the wiki.

As contributors create the wiki pages, encourage them to:

    • Write in simple, concise language.
    • Follow a consistent format and use the same font across all pages.
    • Break up sections with headlines, subheads, and text boxes.
    • Enrich pages with images, videos, and links.
    • Include a list of FAQs in each section.

6. Review the content.

After all the content has been added, designate one or two reviewers with strong editing skills to:  

    • Carefully proofread all the content in the wiki.
    • Ensure consistency in text font and formatting.
    • Correct punctuation, spelling, and grammatical errors.
    • Simplify overly complex or confusing language.
    • Make sure that links click through to the right places.
    • Test the search function.
    • Check that pages are tagged correctly.

After a thorough review, share the wiki with a small focus group of employees and ask for their feedback. That way, you can resolve any glitches before launching the wiki company-wide.

7. Distribute to the team or company.

When you share it with the organization, emphasize that this wiki is now the central knowledge base for the company. Explain that all the answers they need—including policies, processes, contact information, best practices, and other essential information—can be found in the wiki. Give clear instructions on how to use the wiki, including the search feature, so they can quickly and easily find the info they need.

Once the wiki has been published, empower your employees to use it. When people ask questions or request info, don’t send them the answers via email or chat. Instead, direct them to the section of the wiki where they can find the info. This will get everyone in the habit of searching the wiki for anything they need.

8. Update regularly.

Your employees are more likely to use the company wiki if the content is accurate and current. Ask contributors to review and update their pages regularly with any changes to contact info, processes, and other important info.

It takes time, patience, and teamwork to create a wiki—but your efforts will pay off in the long run. A corporate or team wiki not only increases the productivity of your current employees, but it also simplifies the onboarding process for new hires.

Some collaboration tools can simplify the process of creating a wiki. If you’re looking for user-friendly collaboration software that allows you to easily create a Wiki tab, try Microsoft Teams for free.  

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