Social media/Strategy for Wikipedia

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The big idea

The big idea is connected to our goals, but it is not the same thing. It shapes our content and choices. It defines the type of content our followers should expect from us when they follow us on social media. And it is our overarching concept that is reflected in every piece of content we publish.

The big idea for Wikipedia

We expand people's understanding of the world by bringing free knowledge to life.

Let's break down the big idea and clarify each part of it:

expand understanding

We strive to illuminate, provide context, offer layers of information and understanding. We share information that may not be found elsewhere.

Wikipedia's social media channels help develop connections between knowledge and people, cultivate audiences that will act as promoters of the brand, and elevate the brand's online presence.

Our followers are exposed to new ideas, cultures, peoples.
We are eager to add new perspectives to our content and surprise our audiences.

Our overall goal is to expand people's understanding of free knowledge, including its construction and dissemination.

bring to life

We are trying to build a world where knowledge is free and accessible to all. In this world, all knowledge exists – serious, quirky, brief, extensive, scientific, cultural, historic, contemporary.

On social media, Wikipedia is “free knowledge land”.

Our content is neutral, reliable, based on sources. What we present is fact based, reliable information, in an online world of increasing misinformation and disinformation.
How we share our information matters; Wikipedia must be a reflection of the movement's values.

free knowledge

When we say “free knowledge”, we mean two different aspects of a similar subject:

The philosophy, which comprises our free knowledge model, open-source environment, and related values.
The content, including the articles, files, pages, and any piece of information hosted on each Wikimedia project.

Target audience

Who is our audience?

Social learners: Our readers and followers that may not be part of the movement yet but are looking to learn and be entertained.
Social searchers: New audiences using social media to search for information and content. They may be casual visitors that we can convert to followers. They find us through search or algorithms, but have very basic familiarity that Wikipedia exists.
Wikimedians: Contributors are an important audience for both collaboration and potential sources of content. We need to make them feel appreciated and acknowledged in our social content, as well as supported to contribute to positive discussions.

How do we engage with them?

Social learners
- We do want to engage with questions and comments and use that as an opportunity to share additional content or links from Wikimedia projects.
- We do not want to engage with them in political or opinion debates of any kind.
Social searchers
- We do want to delight and inform them, to encourage their learning and positive comments.
- We do not want to offer opinions on a topic or a question.
Wikimedians
- We do want to be thankful and appreciative of their contributions and commitment. We can be casual and fun.
- We do not want to get into debates over the policies and practices of Wikipedia.

Who else do we want to reach?

Young audiences: Our audiences belong to different age groups, depending on the social platform. But it is important to captivate younger audiences and Gen Z, in order to make sure we remain relevant for years to come.
Women: Less than 20% of all biographies on Wikipedia are about women. To change that and reflect the world's diversity, our audiences have to feel motivated to contribute. More women need to see themselves in our content and platforms. Social media can help promote the work that is happening to close the gender gaps on Wikimedia projects, and help attract more women as audiences.
Global South: Content on Wikipedia has to reflect the global nature of the free knowledge movement and projects. Our followers live all around the world. But we are eager to tell the stories of communities and people that are often overlooked by history and the media.

Tone of voice

Wikipedia's tone of voice

A curious and adventurous spirit who seeks freedom and access to the unknown.

This never ending quest is in our nature and drives us to see more, learn more, and collect our discoveries to share with everyone, everywhere.

It is not a mountain we climb or a distant shore we seek to chart; it is instead the endless horizon of human knowledge and experience.

What we stand for

Wikipedia has an energetic, action-oriented role, which is about discovery as much as it is about the curation and sharing of those discoveries with everyone, everywhere.

We feel this approach is more akin to the spirit of the free knowledge movement.

It also allows for a flexible tone, and is capable of building strong connections with social media audiences.

Our tone

We are inspired by the truth that we learn and approach it with clear-eyed enthusiasm.

We are:

Casual & friendly
Brave
Curious
Enthusiastic
Impartial

Our path to success


FROM	TO	BY
A beloved, community-fed, but passive, web-based educational resource offering knowledge as a service.	A thriving, knowledge-driven, edutainment social presence, championed by the people who nurture knowledge as a life-force for a better humanity.	Expanding storytelling across multiple platforms, channels, and media types – including through social media.

Content pillars

Basic principles for Wikipedia

Edutainment: Our content has to be informative and entertaining. We relish the chance to share something we have learned with our audience and have fun in the process, all while opening up creative avenues for building a relationship with them.
Real time: Sharing content in real time and responding to trends is a key way to engage with and stay relevant for audiences while remaining true to who we are.
Global voices: Being a global brand and highlighting our diversity is a critical aspect of showing who we are. As the lead brand channel, we should curate and create content that reflects the global reach of Wikipedia.

About our content pillars

Our content pillars enable us to focus on areas of storytelling. While there is a baseline mix of content, they are meant to fluctuate each month.

By “turning the volume up and down”, based on the yearly calendar, communication priorities, and current events, there is a flexible structure to keep our audience engaged and grow new audiences organically.

Our insights tools will help determine the balance of content under each pillar. It will also help us ensure that we are applying a DEI (diversity, equity, and inclusion) lens to the balance of content, so that it is appealing to our global audiences.

Content pillars overview


Topical and timely learning			Novel and new learning		Why support
1. Calendar-based content	2. Current events and trends	3. Curated content	4. Discovery	5. Connections	6. Our impact
Seasonal, cultural, and event-driven content. This could be something we own, like “On this day,” or a day or culture moment we explore like Sanja Matsuri.	Interacting with trends or current events that we can authentically play a role in, while keeping aligned to our tone of voice and mission. Example: the Barbie movie and shades of pink	Content made within our Wikipedia channels or content that involves Wikipedia that we can share on our own channels – to add value for our audience or show our global reach. Examples: Scottish wildcat and shrug.	Content that is built around the discovery of new and “unknown” information contained within our platform. Example: Buffalo buffalo Buffalo buffalo buffalo buffalo Buffalo buffalo.	Wikipedia can help make connections that bring us all together, whether tracing the global roots of a problem or how a style of music evolved. Example: Stone of Scone.	Sharing the real and tangible scale of our impact and what it means for our audience will be important validation of the value of the platform and its importance. Example: A Wiki Minute.
Baseline
20%	15%	5%	30%	20%	10%

This distribution breakdown allows for a combination of many factors, such as alignment to our brand values and content that can be easily prepared or anticipated. We will monitor this distribution regularly to achieve balance on a yearly-basis, while also having flexibility about making posts that serve our communications needs and are relevant to the current trends and events going on around the world.

Look & feel

The visual system (i.e. branding, look and feel, graphic elements, fonts) used on Wikipedia social media channels were redesigned in May 2024. Our objective is to strengthen brand consistency and recognizability, so that content can be clearly understood by audiences as coming from our brand.

This reimagined look & feel respects the social media strategy presented in this page. It is also translated into templates that are applied when producing both static and video content.

Base templates

Square images for feed

Vertical images for Stories

Article of the Week posts

On this day posts

Imagery

Images play a key role in Wikipedia's social media channels. With an extensive community library, it is important to choose the right images that best suit the suggested article post. Below are a few key considerations when selecting imagery.

Ensure the image can quickly and simply represent the featured article. If the image is too abstract or deviates from the post copy, consider choosing a different image or a layout that is less dependent on imagery.
Use images that fit well within the template's image ratio. For example, avoid using extremely vertical images for base template #3, as much of the image will be cropped. In this case, square or horizontal images work better.
Make sure the image is of high enough resolution to look good on all platforms. Aim for images that are at least 1000px wide or higher.
When selecting multiple images for a carousel or story, ensure they complement each other and highlight the main aspects of the article. Avoid repeating similar images in subject matter.
In a carousel or story setting, if there are images with people, try to use them at the beginning of the experience.

Type

The Wikipedia social design system currently consists of 8 different type styles from 2 font families. All posts should adhere to these specified styles. If it is necessary to scale the type due to size constraints, it should be only slightly scaled to maintain the same look and feel.

A few things to note about font usage:

The Linux headlines are set in Linux Libertine O Regular.
Lato body styles are set in Lato Regular.
Lato headlines are set in Lato ExtraBold.

Color

Only the brand colors specified for the various templates should be used. Most templates have been designed to use white, black, and blue – with the addition of light blue exclusively for the “Article of the Week” template.

When selecting background colors for posts, we have to be mindful. For posts that rely on the three main colors, it is important to choose colors that enhance the storytelling or complement the selected images. For example, the “Goth subculture” article works well with black, a key color for this cultural movement.

Additionally, we must always alternate color usage, ensuring the posts remain fresh for our audiences.

Margins

All social content should adhere to a 50 pixels margin grid. These margins have been carefully designed to be the perfect size, ensuring layouts remain clean and consistent while providing ample space for the content to breathe.

All text and important information must be kept within these margins to maintain structural consistency across posts.

Template selection

Single image post

Choosing the right template is more of an art than a science. For recurring content pillars, such as “Article of the Week” and “On this day”, templates are more specific. For freeform content, we start with the parameters set when first imagining that particular post.

Here's an example on how to narrow down the template options based on the content.

Carousel and Story

These formats are a great way to provide more context to the mentioned Wikipedia article. There are a few different ways to approach these variations.

See the examples below for the two most commonly used approaches.

How we work with creators - Frequently Asked Questions

How does the Wikimedia Foundation define “content creators”?

While there isn’t an industry-wide definition, we see creators as creative individuals who excel at making content that people actually want to watch. They can have social media followings of any size, and their main strength is knowing how to tell a story, explain something clearly, and make content that feels worth the viewer’s time. A creator’s focus is on the content and the connection they’ve built with their audience.

This approach is different from what is commonly understood as “influencers”. They’re known for having larger followings, and their primary goal is to influence how their audience thinks or acts—most often around buying something. While they also create social media content, it’s typically designed to drive a specific action or purchase.

While there may be some overlap, for the most part, content creators lead with creativity and engagement, while influencers are focused on driving purchase intent and clicks. Because of that, we prioritize partnerships with content creators.

Why does the Wikimedia Foundation need to partner with content creators?

There is a large and growing share of young people globally who are not aware of or interested in getting information from Wikimedia projects.
Short-form video platforms continue to grow as a popular destination not just for entertainment, but for news and educational content.
As mis/disinformation proliferates online, people increasingly rely on popular personalities on social platforms to help them evaluate the veracity of information, trusting them more than brands or websites.
We also know that creators are the most impactful way that brands and non-profits can connect younger audiences today. According to PR Newswire, 41% of Gen Z audiences prefer a product or service posted by a content creator vs. an ad from a business.

Content creators will help the Foundation and Wikipedia reach people where they already are—on the social platforms they use every day. Ultimately, content creators are great at making compelling and accessible content that feels both relevant and uniquely human. In the past, the Wikimedia Foundation has worked with content agencies to help populate our social channels with content. By pivoting to a creator-based model, we will significantly increase the reach and range of our content, helping us better engage a global community. By working with creators to help tell stories on behalf of Wikipedia, it allows our mission to show up in culture, create more engaging content for the community, and reach younger audiences online.

How does WMF source and recruit creators?

We partner with creators whose content, values, and mindset align with the Foundation’s mission and priorities. The top values we look for when sourcing creators are credibility, curiosity, and strong audience engagement. Across the board, we also prioritize creators who show professionalism, reliability, and a track record of producing original work.

WMF sourcing and recruiting guidelines:

Start with clear goals - Define the campaign objective, target audience, content needs, and platforms before sourcing creators.
Value alignment - Find creators whose tone, interests, and communities naturally align with the Wikimedia Foundation’s mission and values.
Use data to guide decisions - Evaluate audience demographics, engagement quality, content performance trends, and past brand partnerships.
Creativity over follower count - Select creators who show strong storytelling, consistent quality, and original ideas that fit the brand’s style.
Risk assessment – Assess for potential risks, including past controversies, political or religious content, or conflicting partnerships.
Professionalism and reliability – Prioritize creators with a clear track record of professionalism, responsiveness, and high-quality work.
Prioritize global diversity - Bring in creators from different regions, cultures, and backgrounds that reflect the diversity of Wikipedia and the movement.
Document and track sourcing - Use a clear tracking workflow for outreach status, costs, performance notes, and long-term partnership potential.

Are all creator partnerships paid?

No. The Wikimedia Foundation works with creators across a range of partnership models, including both paid and unpaid collaborations. We take an equitable approach, evaluating each partnership individually based on scope, effort, and impact. Some creators are compensated monetarily for their work, while others participate because they believe in the mission or are excited to collaborate in a non-monetary way. Our approach is flexible and designed to meet creators where they are.

Why do some creators say Wikipedia “sponsored” their video, even if no money was exchanged?

In the United States, Federal Trade Commission guidelines require creators to disclose a partnership or sponsorship when posting content to their own channels whenever they receive anything of value in connection with content—this includes, but isn’t limited to, monetary payment.

That means if a creator receives access, resources, early information, support, or any other benefit tied to a collaboration, the content must be disclosed as a partnership or sponsorship. This ensures transparency and helps viewers understand the context of the content they’re consuming.

What’s in it for the creators?

Through these partnerships, creators are able to tell meaningful stories and share knowledge with the wider Wikipedia audience. Many creators are motivated by the opportunity to create knowledge content and enjoy creating mission-driven work. These partnerships allow them to create content that aligns with their existing values.

How do you ensure creator content is accurate and on-brand for Wikipedia?

We provide creators with reliable resources, context, and fact-checking support while still respecting their creative independence. The goal is to maintain accuracy and integrity while also giving creators the freedom to get creative.

Is this just about going viral?

No. While reach is important, our content strategy prioritizes long-term impact over short-term virality.

This work is part of a broader strategy tied to addressing the global trends outlined in the Annual Plan. The high-level objectives for our work with creators are to build awareness and reach new audiences. By partnering with creators who can expertly speak to these new audiences, we increase our odds of converting these new audiences into Wikipedia readers, advocates, and eventually, future editors and donors.

How does this fit into the Foundation’s overall communications strategy?

Creator partnerships are just one small part of a broader communications ecosystem that includes owned social channels, community engagement, community management, media relations, integrated marketing, brand partnerships, and more. Creators play a key role in extending Wikipedia’s reach on social media with younger audiences and humanizing our content.

How does the Wikimedia Foundation measure success for creator partnerships?

We look at both quantitative and qualitative signals, including:

Reach and views
Audience sentiment and feedback
Follower growth
Watch time and retention
Engagement such as likes, comments, saves, and shares