How to get on Wikipedia as a Social Media Influencer

The 7th most visited website in the world is Wikipedia which is viewed by at least 400 million people monthly. Wikipedia is a worldwide open-source encyclopedia that establishes the fame of notable people, places, and events. Having a page on Wikipedia establishes you as world-renowned and relevant to history. Google assigns it as a high authority domain which for social media influencer means ranking higher in search engine results. It may seem easy to start a Wikipedia page, but it actually involves a lot of rules, guidelines, and basic coding to be included in this encyclopedia. There are companies that offer to get you on Wikipedia, however, many times these pages do not stick and are promptly deleted. If you decide to hire a Wikipedia expert, make sure to check their LinkedIn, social media and portfolio before investing your hard-earned money.

How do I get a Wikipedia page?

While any Wikipedia user can create an article on any topic, the Wikipedia community prefers that the topic not be authored by the subject. In order words, avoid writing articles about yourself. Below are the first steps to get you started in the process of getting your own Wikipedia page.

1. Check to see if there is already an article about you on Wikipedia.

The first step is to check that there is not already an article about you or your projects on Wikipedia. Make sure to check spelling variations. Make sure to check relevant articles that are specific to your niche. For example, if you are a famous Vine star, you should check the article for “Vine celebrities”. Or if you are one of the top content creators on TikTok, you should check “List of most-followed TikTok accounts”. Here are a couple links to get you started:

If you see your name in red, you’re in luck! Have a writer or followers create a couple of paragraphs about your involvement in the project or topic. Make sure it goes with the general narrative and that it adds value to the page.

2. Gauge your notability and gather social proof

Assuming you didn’t find your name in Step 1, the next step is to figure out if you met the criteria for inclusion in Wikipedia.

Have you

Written a best-seller?
Starred in TV show or movie?
Been paid to play sports?
Produced a viral music video?
Gone viral on YouTube, Facebook or other social media platform?
Been immortalized in a meme?
Hiring to promote a big brand?
Lead a cultural movement that changed the fabric of society?

Write down all the notable shows, movies, appearances, and collaborations you have done. Then, collect all the links you can find to reputable sources including media coverage, scholarships, vendor projects, etc.

3. Check to see if anyone has requested an article about you on Wikipedia

If you cannot find your name (or projects) and you met the inclusion criteria, your next step is to request an article be written. Search Wikipedia’s requested articles and check to see if someone has requested an article about you.

If no one has requested you, find the appropriate category for your page (ie. arts & entertainment, music, etc). Then add your name to the list with a short description of your claim to fame along with links to reputable sources. Please be aware that you will need to basics coding skills to add yourself to the list.

4. Contact reputable news outlets to write about your notable events and contributions

Has enough been written about you in reputable sources? Wikipedia requires citations and links to reputable third-party sources that have a reputation for fact-checking and accuracy. Reputable sources include, but are not limited to, the following: BBC News, Reuters, Interfax, United Press International or the Associated Press. News from less notable agencies is generally considered less reliable. Other unacceptable sources include self-published websites and sponsored content since these are usually not fact-checked. Oftentimes, you can pitch an idea for an article to news agencies on their website. For example, here is a link to the BBC’s news investigation submission page.

5. Patience.

Keep working hard at your craft and building your reputation and experience. Over time, as you will get more news exposure which increases your notoriety, the #1 most important factor to get on Wikipedia. Many good things come with time and a Wikipedia page definitely falls under this category. If you keep doing notable things, one day, you will be on Wikipedia.

Getting on Wikipedia takes time. Make sure you follow steps 1 through 5 to get started on the process. If you’re lucky, you’ll already have an article or sub written about you or projects you’ve worked on. If not, you can request a Wikipedia article to be written about you as a social media influencer. Build up your claims to fame. The more newsworthy things you do, the higher the chances of getting your page to stick. Remember, there’s no fast way to get on Wikipedia. Contacting reputable news outlets is a good way of getting the right kind of press to be accepted into Wikipedia permanently. Often, companies claim they can get your page up, but they don’t guarantee that it will not get deleted by Wikipedia editors. Getting on Wikipedia is free, so save your hard-earned money.

What do you think? Are you going to try to get a Wikipedia page started? Share your achievements and goals with us below and keep reaching for the stars!