Working with BINK
Learn how Beutler Ink can support your Wikipedia goals via strategic expertise, ethical practices, and a collaborative process. From crafting content to guiding on-wiki discussions, we provide clear answers about working within community guidelines and managing expectations for an effective engagement.
Why should I hire Beutler Ink?
Beutler Ink stands out in the Wikipedia consulting space by delivering high-quality work backed by an experienced team and a strong track record of success. Our approach is rooted in strategic expertise, professionalism, and a deep understanding of the Wikipedia community. Founded in 2010 as the first ethical Wikipedia consultancy, our team brings over 50 years of combined experience and is trusted by leading brands across a wide range of industries.
We pride ourselves on producing thoroughly researched, carefully crafted content that aligns your messaging with Wikipedia’s mission, and have a 90%+ success rate for edit requests and new article creation. Our client-focused approach ensures responsive service tailored to your needs, while always making Wikipedia a better resource for its global readership.
Not only do we follow Wikipedia’s rules of engagement for paid editors, we’ve also played a role in bringing them to wider awareness. Our founder, William Beutler, has been a Wikipedia editor since 2006 and led the 2014 pledge from top PR firms to follow Wikipedia’s rules. His insights on COI editing were published by MIT Press in 2020.
Beutler Ink’s combination of industry leadership, ethical practices, and deep expertise makes us the ideal partner for companies looking to strengthen their presence on Wikipedia. We’re the best choice for established brands seeking guidance through Wikipedia’s complex rules, ensuring both effective and ethical outcomes.
Last updated 10.23.24
What is your process like?
At Beutler Ink, our process is designed to be collaborative and flexible, tailored to meet your specific needs. Whether you want to stay involved at every step or prefer a more hands-off approach, we can adapt our services to suit your requirements. Each Wikipedia project is led by a dedicated account manager and an experienced strategist who will guide you through the process, while our team leaders follow progress closely to ensure the highest standard of care.
For improving existing articles, we begin by learning about your goals, conducting thorough research, and drafting content that adheres to Wikipedia’s guidelines. We work transparently with the Wikipedia community, submitting new content for review and approval. This process includes goal-setting, research, drafting, outreach, and ongoing support until the project is complete.
When creating new articles, the process is similar but focused on building the page from scratch. After setting clear goals and conducting research, we draft the article for your review. Once approved, we submit it through Wikipedia’s Articles for Creation process, where it is reviewed by volunteer editors for final approval.
Both services emphasize collaboration, ethical standards, and research-driven content. Our aim is to deliver high-quality work that meet your needs while enhancing Wikipedia's value.
Last updated 10.23.24
Can you use a draft I wrote?
We understand that clients sometimes want to provide a draft, but in most cases, working from a pre-written draft is more challenging than it may seem. While it might feel like this would save time, the reality is that Wikipedia requires content to follow a very specific style and structure, with strict adherence to sourcing guidelines—factors that can be difficult to navigate without in-depth knowledge of the platform.
Writing for Wikipedia is a form of technical writing that goes beyond just adopting an encyclopedic tone. It requires understanding which sources are deemed reliable, what information is appropriate for Wikipedia, and ensuring that content is neutral and fully compliant with the site’s policies. Even seemingly small details—like following complex citation templates—demand expertise. Often, fixing issues in an existing draft takes more time than starting from scratch.
Our team has developed a repeatable process that eliminates guesswork and ensures content aligns with Wikipedia's standards from the outset, leading to more efficient and successful outcomes. While we’re happy to review any materials you have, we recommend letting us handle the writing to ensure the highest quality and compliance with Wikipedia’s guidelines.
Last updated 10.23.24
How do you work with Wikipedia editors?
Because paid editors are strongly discouraged from directly editing articles on Wikipedia, we must work through the community to propose changes in line with Wikipedia’s conflict of interest (COI) guidelines. This process involves submitting requests to volunteer editors, who review our proposals and, if they agree the content improves Wikipedia based on its standards of neutrality and verifiability, implement the updates. It’s important not to waste editors’ time with lengthy messages or unrealistic requests. We also save you time, by taking the guesswork out of this process, ensuring each proposal is likely to be well-received.
Once we’ve finished drafting content that meets your messaging goals and satisfies Wikipedia’s standards, we then post it on the related talk page for community review. We explain the rationale behind each change, provide reliable sources, and reference relevant Wikipedia guidelines. Since Wikipedia is community-driven, it can take time to receive an initial response, and making a significant impact on an article often takes several months. For this reason, we generally recommend a six-month effort to write, submit, and place all content.
This collaborative approach emphasizes transparency and respect for Wikipedia’s volunteer editors, who are more willing to work with us when they see that we respect their platform's aims. By maintaining open dialogue with the editor community and adhering to Wikipedia’s guidelines, we help ensure that changes are reviewed fairly and have the best chance of being accepted.
Last updated 10.23.24
Do you employ Wikipedia administrators?
No, we do not employ Wikipedia administrators—doing so would be highly unethical. Some shady operations may claim to have administrators on staff, but this is extremely unlikely. While it’s possible that a small number of the hundreds of administrators abuse their position, the vast majority are scrupulous and care greatly about upholding Wikipedia’s rules. Our effectiveness doesn’t come from insider status but from a deep understanding of how Wikipedia works and our ability to help it fulfill its principles of neutrality and verifiability.
Last updated 10.23.24
Do you offer guarantees?
No, we do not offer guarantees of success, and any service that claims they can is misleading you. Wikipedia is a collaborative platform with a strong community of volunteer editors who are dedicated to upholding its rules. No one can guarantee changes will be made, especially if those changes don’t align with Wikipedia’s guidelines. Our approach is built on transparency and adherence to these rules, which is the only ethical way to work with Wikipedia.
Last updated 10.23.24
Need help with your Wikipedia strategy?
Have additional questions? Contact us using this form to learn how we can help you navigate Wikipedia with confidence.