On the Value of Wikis

Constantin Basturea covers the value of wikis for PR and marketing teams as well as how to implement them for clients (both small and large companies).

He starts by referencing another a variation of "email is dead." Email is the place where knowledge goes to die.

My other world (early adopter bloggers and technologists) have been using wikis within companies and at conferences for a couple of years now, but this is clearly a new tool for PR agencies and some of the clients they represent; many of these among this audience include Fortune 500 companies. (Ketchum and Edelman reps are in the room for example).

A few things that wikis can bring: (old world versus new world)

1. Passive reader vs active reader.
2. Dependence on webmaster's updates vs update pages on the fly.
3. Information consumption vs information creation and sharing.
4. No ownership verus stakeholders.
5. Formal versus informal, human voice.

On how to implement a wiki:
According to Constantin, you need to first decide whether its a good fit for the organizational culture. It's obviously best when a wiki is used by a team since its collaborative in nature and doesn't set social rules. Think about wikis as a room where people come to collaborate and share information in real time.

There are various wiki engines out there so its important to evaluate which engine works for your particular corporate culture and decide which one will best meet your needs.

Once you decide on a wiki, next steps involve customizing and preparing your wiki, which includes design, features, and personal pages. Then, you prepare documentation (help, how it works), discover, encourage and support wiki gardeners, highlight functionality and then encourage participation and show management support.

ProfNet's President Dan Forbush talks about a relationship they have with Ross Mayfield's SocialText.

Dan runs through a demo of EditMe, which he suggests wiki beginners try out for $5 a month. He refers to EditMe as wikis on training wheels.