Ways to use wikis everywhere

What is a wiki and what does it do?

A wiki is a database or website where users collaboratively build and edit content. Probably the widely known wiki is Wikipedia, an online Wikipedia that is free to access and maintained by volunteers. Wikis serve as a way to share information online—whether they take the form of encyclopedia, like Wikipedia, fan site, or something else. Wikis are community-driven and supported, making them a great site for collaboration.

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Wikis run on wiki software, also called wiki engines or wiki applications. They are a type of web content management system and often support multiple pages that focus on different sets of information or topics. Primarily, a wiki is a way to share information and collaborate.

Why use a wiki?

There are many reasons to use a wiki in your business or for personal projects. Compared to other collaboration methods and software, wikis come out on top for the following reasons:

• Wikis are simple to use—even though they involve using a website, you don’t have to be a coder or tech expert to add or remove content from a wiki.
• Wikis provide a centralized location for information. Whether you’re sharing team knowledge or pooling notes for a class, centralizing information in a wiki is a great way to stay organized.
• Most wiki software is free or inexpensive to use—no extensive and expensive software packages required.
• Wikis eliminate version issues. Because wikis are edited collaboratively and in real time, there’s less of a change that those accessing the wiki are viewing incorrect or outdated versions of documents and information.
• Wikis are highly customizable and can be personalized to fit a number of purposes.

How to create a wiki

As mentioned, creating your own wiki is very simple and doesn’t require costly software or extensive coding knowledge.

Step 1: Choose a wiki software. The software you select will depend on the content and application of the wiki. When choosing a wiki software, keep the following features in mind:

• Quick and reliable search function
• Ability to integrate software with other content and organizational tools
• Editability by users in real time
• Easy-to-use navigation and content organization
• Ability to link pages easily

Step 2: Designate wiki contributors. Because wikis are user run and supported, the second step is identifying your user base. If you’re creating a wiki for internal communications at an organization, make sure all members have access. If you’re using a wiki at a larger organization, it’s not a bad idea to designate specific people to add content and oversee content to keep things organized.

Step 3: Set up organizational structure. Make a plan for how the information in your wiki will be organized before you start adding content. Think about categories, content hierarchies, and how to best organize information so that the wiki is easily navigable. You may also want to set up an editorial calendar or other management system, so that all users understand expectations and how they will individually be contributing to the collective wiki.

Step 4: Add content. With your software, team members, and content strategy in place, it’s time to populate your wiki with information. Create or import the content to your wiki using your wiki software. Link pages as needed and edit categories to create a frictionless browsing experience for your users.

Whether you’re setting up a fan site or creating a centralized information depository for your team at work, wikis are a flexible and collaborative way to knowledge share and archive content.