One of the many Web 2.0 buzz words thrown around today is Wiki. But what exactly is a Wiki and what purpose does it serve? This is the official definition taken from the Wiki site:

The simplest online database that could possibly work. Wiki is a piece of server software that allows users to freely create and edit Web page content using any Web browser. Wiki supports hyperlinks and has a simple text syntax for creating new pages and crosslinks between internal pages on the fly. Wiki is unusual among group communication mechanisms in that it allows the organization of contributions to be edited in addition to the content itself. Like many simple concepts, open editing has some profound and subtle effects on Wiki usage. Allowing everyday users to create and edit any page in a Web site is exciting in that it encourages democratic use of the Web and promotes content composition by nontechnical users.

If you check out the Wikipedia web site, youll find slightly more than 1 million articles (a page that has encyclopedic information on it) also known as a wiki. Wikis cover a wide range of topics, people, events, animals- you name it, theres probably a wiki about it somewhere.

So how can you use a Wiki for your project, business, or book promotion? One possible way would be from a marketing perspective.

You could create a Wiki on the Wikipedia site which would serve the same function as an ABOUT page would on a web site. You could use your Wiki to inform your audience or customers about your project or product including its background, the people involved, and any other important information you feel would be relevant. Your Wiki page can easily be updated with any new developments, articles related to the Wikis subject, and more.

The main drawback to using Wikipedia is anyone can edit your Wikipedia page which isnt exactly the best way to approach creating a Wiki page to be used for marketing. So what are your Wiki-creating options, you may be wondering. Here are some options:

pbWiki: pbWiki offers users the capability to create a free password-protected wiki which allows project members with access the ability to add updates in addition to editing the content of the wiki. Besides using it as a marketing tool, it could also be used as a collaboration tool very much like Backpack which I covered here.

Here are some of the features offered by pbWiki:

5000MB (5 gigabytes)

Able to create an unlimited number of wiki pages

Choice: Make it public or private

Fully encrypted SSL access

Custom domains

Gorgeous pre-made designs

Customizable CSS

Unlimited comments on every page

Lockable pages

RSS feeds

Advanced permissions

Data is backed-up hourly

Ability to add pictures

Wikispaces: Similar to pbWiki, Wikispaces offers pretty much the same options with a few exceptions.

Wikispaces offers different versions of their wikis, each with their own pluses and minuses. Their free version allows you to create only one wiki page, you are allowed up to 2 GB of free storage, you can edit your wiki with a WYSIWYG editor, your wiki page can be password protected, and contains advertising controlled by Wikispaces.

If you sign-up for their $5.00 a month Plus plan, youll get pretty much the same options as a free wiki with the exceptions being you can make your wiki accessible and viewable only by members with access, and no advertisements on your wiki.

JotSpot: Another wiki option that is sandwiched between pbWiki and Wikispaces is JotSpot.

Like the other two, JotSpot offers a free wiki option with some of the following features:

5 MB attachment size limit

100 MB storage limit

5 user limit

20 free pages for your wiki

JotSpot also offers different payment plans ranging from $9.95 a month to $199.95 a month. Obviously, the more you pay, the more features you get.

If you are considering using a wiki as a promotional tool, then it would be worth your time to research these three wiki sites in addition to some other online sites offering wiki-creating capabilities.

If youre looking to create a free wiki with the most features, pbWiki would be your best option. Its hard to beat with its free wiki-hosting service AND features not offered by the other two wiki sites covered in this article unless you pay for them.

Web Sites To Visit:
pbWiki
Wikispaces
JotSpots