With the constantly increasing number of user-generated content uploaded online daily, it should. Despite the fact that user-generated content may appear to be a useful and cost-effective tool for boosting your brand’s online visibility, if it is not properly monitored, it can damage your online credibility.
This is where content moderation comes into play.
While no longer a new frontier, the term “content moderation” remains a buzzword to most people. So, for starters’ sake, what does content moderation mean, anyway?
What is content moderation?
The screening processes of all sorts of user-generated content published on a given website or online platform are at the heart of content moderation. The moderating process comprises the implementation of predetermined norms and procedures. If a piece of content violates the company’s moderation policies, it is flagged or removed entirely. Some of the reasons why a piece of content is deleted by a moderation system may be unrelated to its original purpose. It could be due to explicitness, violence, extremism, pornographic content, hate speech, profanity, copyright infringements, and other inappropriate, irrelevant, or outright illegal content.
The primary goal of online content moderation is to keep online platforms and websites free of user toxicity, as well as scammers and other forms of fraud. When we say a content is moderated, meaning a specific post has undergone a series of evaluation before it becomes live for public viewing. Ensuring that your online platforms are safe to use boosts the integrity of your online reputation. Among other similar platforms, content moderation is highly facilitated by social media, dating websites and apps, marketplaces, and online communities.
Why is content moderation important?
It is obvious, now that we understand how content moderation works, that it is an important component in the process of keeping the internet safe for all users who access it. It is paramount to make sure that your platform serves its intended purpose and is not just a common hotspot for users with malicious agendas.
Here are some of the notable benefits of outsourcing content moderation:
1. Safeguard Brand Credibility
User-generated content can be very harmful when not addressed correctly. This is especially true for online communities where people with diverse viewpoints and beliefs flock under one roof. As such, content moderation is the best way to stop users with bad intentions from using your brand’s reputation to further their own goals and keep them away for good.
2. Scam Protection
This is especially true for online dating sites and forums, which appear to be frequented by a variety of scams. Forum and community moderation is a type of content moderation that allows administrators of communities and apps to verify the authenticity of users. This helps to ensure that all members of the community are genuine users and not just pseudo personas hiding in plain sight, waiting for unsuspecting people to fall for the bait that they are offering.
3. Boost Visibility
When you have a reliable content monitoring system operating in the background, it is much simpler to provide the impression that your brand is trustworthy to potential viewers of your material. It is much simpler to attract quality visitors to your online platforms if users have a great experience when interacting with your brand-dedicated online platform, which is free from the dangers posed by fraud and toxicity.
4. Better SEO Ranking
User-generated content can draw in new visitors and add to the website’s social media presence and product reviews. Customers will not only talk to other users, but they will also try to find out more about the brand’s products, which will drive more traffic to the website.
What is the role of a content moderator?
What is moderating content without the right experts to execute it, right? A content moderator is someone who is in charge of checking all of the user-generated content uploaded to a certain platform at once. This includes both text-based and visual user-generated content. They ensure that each piece of content does not violate the standards and guidelines that have been established for the firm. In the absence of any automation, a content moderator is required to manually go through each piece of content in order to determine whether or not it is appropriate to be viewed by the general public.
Content Moderation Makes the Internet Safe
There’s no denying it. With an almost infinite amount of user-generated information shared online, keeping track of the aim of each piece of content may be a difficult task. Fortunately, with the help of a content moderation system, businesses can simply respond to the changing motivations of user-generated content. Employing a team of dependable content moderators is beneficial in removing any content that clearly depicts abuse, hate speech, pornographic material, discriminatory remarks, and other irrelevant, improper, and unlawful information.
If you aren’t already using content moderation in your business, it’s time to start. It not only makes your online platforms safe for the public to use, but it also lets you easily improve your brand’s reputation and raise brand recognition. If your company focuses on social media marketing, content moderation is an excellent tool for keeping your audience engaged with your brand. The key takeaway here is that content moderation is not a new frontier, but rather a tool with fool-proof functionalities. Step up your game, start moderating content today.
