Don't let fear keep you from achieving the marketing potential of wikis. Here are responses to five common wiki worries from Wetpaint's CEO.

There has been quite a stir recently about wikis and how they fit into the online marketing arsenal. When done right, wikis can drive key metrics that online marketers labor to achieve, including increased page views, a higher level of consumer engagement and higher rates of user contribution.

Despite the positive hubbub, the promise of those results often cannot overcome fears corporations have about "going wiki." Concerns ranging from big issues like content veering off-message, to smaller worries about potentially rude user behavior, have prevented wikis from being developed at a variety of companies. 

If you're considering launching a wiki as part of your marketing mix, you'll likely encounter a number of roadblocks within your company. Here are the five wiki worries we hear most often in our work with companies both large and small, and the responses that have worked best to mitigate them. 

Worry # 1: We will lose control of our brand.
This is the most likely concern you'll hear -- and rightly so. Inviting users to your brand party is a big step. When given a platform, your consumers will quickly tell you what they really think of you. While that proposition may be exciting to some, to many companies it feels downright frightening. 

Suggested response: Considering that your brand is defined by your consumers, getting the honest feedback and reactions of your most passionate customers is a good thing. In the long run, your brand will be stronger for it.

Besides, the conversation around your brand is already taking place, whether you want it to or not. Search Google and you'll easily find multiple sites where consumers are engaged in discussing your brand. The question is really whether or not you want to participate in the conversation, guide it -- even monetize it. A wiki is a great way to sponsor the conversation, but for it to work you have to get over your fear of losing control.

Worry #2: We will unleash the haters.
Every brand and every business has unhappy customers. Detractors are a natural part of doing business.

Suggested response: Don't let the haters prevent you from providing a valuable service that will be greatly appreciated by your most loyal fans. Giving your consumers a voice in the dialogue conveys a tremendous sense of trust and respect. And your loyalists will reward you for it by providing honest feedback, fantastic product ideas and peer help to your newer customers. And those same brand fans will prove to be your staunchest defenders if and when the detractors do show up.

Worry #3: We can't justify the legal liability.
Fears that users will upload copy-protected material or make potentially libelous statements have prevented many a wiki from being born.

Suggested response: You will not be walking down an uncharted path because there are clear legal protections for companies operating websites that enable user contribution. Besides, the liabilities you encounter in all other aspects of the business are far more likely to cause you legal woes. The risk is absolutely worth the wealth of potential benefits.

Worry # 4: We can't make it a meaningful part of the business.
Some say that a wiki will never generate significant enterprise value. Combined with the effort to get the site and community off the ground, where is the value?

Suggested response: How does your company measure value? If providing ways for your most loyal consumers to engage more deeply with your brand is a meaningful part of your business, then a wiki will pay for itself many times over.

When selling the wiki inside your organization, make sure you clearly identify the objectives for the site. If revenue is the number one objective, you're going to have a tough sell on your hands. However, if you structure the value proposition around the opportunity for increasing page views and fueling user engagement, you're far more likely to gain internal support for the project.

Worry # 5: We can't take a risk on unproven technology.
Or, why should our company be a wiki guinea pig?

Suggested response: Leading companies like CBS, HTC, T-Mobile and The Travel Channel use wikis to engage their customers, and more companies are launching wiki sites every day. From a technology perspective, wikis have been around for years, so there's nothing to worry about there.

Web collaboration is still in its relatively early stages. Each company must decide if it wants to put its brand at the center of an online community: Is it time to be an innovator or wait to make the investment later on when customers will demand it? As the saying goes, the best time to plant a tree is 20 years ago. 

There you have it: You're now armed with five arguments to fend off the most common wiki worries. Once you overcome these internal objections, you'll be at the outset of a beautiful new friendship with your customers. 

Ben Elowitz is the CEO of Wetpaint, developer of consumer-friendly wiki technology for collaborating and publishing online. Read full bio.