Why Is Content Moderation Important for User-Generated Campaigns

The 2023 report from Statista reveals that there are 240,000 images uploaded on Facebook every minute, 65,000 photos posted on Instagram, and 575,000 tweets shared on X (formerly Twitter). This only means that the increasing volume of user-generated content (UGC) makes managing and assessing their relevance more challenging. 

Also, the diversity of these online materials can either empower or harm a brand, community, or individual. No one wants to experience the latter, right? So, to avoid such harm and ensure a positive reputation, the intervention of content moderation makes the difference.

Before you learn all there is to know about content moderation services, what exactly is UGC, and how does it differ from user-generated campaigns?

User-generated content  refers to the content individuals create and share across digital platforms. It can take on various forms, such as images, videos, blogs, product reviews, social media posts, and so on. UGC is produced by users and enthusiasts who voluntarily share their experiences, perspectives, and creativity. 

Meanwhile, user-generated campaigns refer to the strategic plans companies carry out to encourage and leverage the power of UGC for promotional purposes. In these campaigns, businesses actively invite their audience to participate by creating, posting, and sharing online content related to the brand and its offerings.

Since UGC campaigns mirror people's real-life interactions with products and services, businesses may only be able to manage some parts of the narrative. Many individuals speak about their experiences; everything they say can make or break the business' image. Therefore, this emphasizes the importance of content moderation. 

Content Moderation and its Different Types

Content moderation involves monitoring, managing, filtering, and evaluating UGC across online platforms to guarantee compliance with community rules and regulations. It can be a combination of human moderators and artificial intelligence or AI moderation, both of which help keep a safe and enjoyable online environment.

Without effective content moderation, the risk of encountering inappropriate, offensive, or irrelevant content increases. 

So, to know better how content moderation works, you have to understand its types:

• Pre-Moderation: A type of content moderation service that reviews UGC before being published.
• Post-Moderation: UGC is published immediately but reviewed afterward to remove and flag content against established rules.
• Reactive Moderation: Content is moderated based on user reports or complaints to address the issues brought to the digital platform's attention.
• Distributed Moderation: Users within an online community actively engage in moderation tasks and employ voting systems to decide which content is within community rules and guidelines collectively.
• Automated Moderation: This uses advanced tools and algorithms to detect and filter out unwanted content before it goes public. An automated tool helps moderate content effectively and efficiently, addressing issues quickly.

Now, why is content moderation important for user-generated campaigns? Let’s find out. 

Significance of User-Generated Campaigns in Marketing Strategies

Considering the prevalence of UGC campaigns, businesses have realized how they can amplify their reach by maximizing the content that customers share online. Product posts, reviews, and recommendations help brands go beyond traditional communication channels and reach diverse audiences through social media and other digital platforms. 

Because 70% of consumers find UGC reviews and ratings significant in making a purchasing decision, companies strive to enhance customer engagement to foster a positive online environment. They encourage users to create and curate more content so they can reshare or feature it on their social media accounts or websites. This way, they promote positive and remarkable content to spark viewers' interest and bring more customers. 

When UGC campaigns are effectively moderated, businesses and customers can look forward to experiencing the following:

• Brand Advocacy

UGC campaigns transform customers into brand advocates, as they share positive experiences and endorse products or services. Advocacy carries a greater impact when it comes directly from satisfied and happy customers.

• Authenticity and Trust

Businesses create a sense of authenticity and build trust by encouraging customers to share their experiences, especially those seeking stronger, closer, and more genuine connections.

• Community Influence

Since customers share insights and recommendations that impact other people's purchasing decisions, they become influencers within their communities. These shared experiences contribute to a positive brand image, which inspires others to join the community.

• Adaptability

Brands can quickly adapt to changing preferences and trends by leveraging the real-time nature of UGC. This adaptability helps them stay relevant and responsive to customers' ever-changing needs.

• Loyalty

Active participation builds a lasting relationship between the brand and its customers. Such a relationship fosters loyalty, advocacy, and support in the long run.

Risks and Challenges of Unmoderated User-Generated Campaigns

While digital platforms allow individuals to express themselves and share anything under the sun, they also introduce risks and challenges that come with unmoderated UGC campaigns. 

Let’s take customer reviews, for example. The positive reviews become a brand’s asset, helping them earn customer trust and eventually grow a solid, loyal customer base. The negative ones serve as their legs to withstand any challenges. Such feedback drives them to take a step back, see the bigger picture, and identify areas for improvement. This boils down to the importance of content moderation. 

Besides reviews and ratings, some potential threats and risks associated with unmoderated UGC campaigns are:

• Spread of Misinformation

Unmoderated campaigns may spread false, manipulated, and inaccurate information that confuses and harms readers. The ease of sharing information leads to a ripple effect of misinformation. 

• Privacy Concerns

Participants in unmoderated UGC may accidentally share private and sensitive information. This causes a privacy breach that violates data protection rules, putting individuals at risk.

• Cyberbullying and Harassment

Without moderation, cyberbullying and online harassment become more rampant, affecting the mental well-being of many individuals.

• Damaged Brand Reputation

Negative and offensive content can tarnish a brand's image. If these inappropriate posts go viral, it would be difficult for brands to contain the damage and regain customer trust.

• Legal Implications

Of course, unmoderated content opens the door to legal issues, such as defamation, copyright infringement, and terms of service violations.

• Undermining Credibility

The presence of spam and irrelevant content weakens the credibility of businesses. Users may question the legitimacy of the content and start being skeptical about the brand's values and intentions.

Content Moderation Services as a Protective Shield

So, to address the risks and challenges posed by bad actors in UGC campaigns, content moderation acts as a protective shield for businesses to ensure credibility, positive reputation, and integrity. 

Amazon and Airbnb are some of the many brands that overcame reputation challenges, expanded market reach, and increased overall sales because of effective content moderation. Here are the main reasons why content moderation is important:

• It protects brand reputation by filtering inappropriate content and preserving a positive, favorable image.
• It ensures authenticity by removing spam and irrelevant content.
• It mitigates legal issues since content moderation identifies and sorts out content that may violate intellectual property rights and data privacy.
• It prevents the spread of misinformation, ensuring the campaign's message remains accurate and corresponds to the brand’s values.
• It creates positive user experiences by minimizing the negative impact of irrelevant content and encouraging users’ active participation.

Fostering a Safe and Inclusive Online Environment

Effective content moderation fosters a safe and inclusive environment for audiences participating in campaigns. Otherwise, risks and adversities persist, harming the entire digital ecosystem. 

With content moderation, businesses can optimize marketing efforts, achieve campaign goals, and maintain long-term positive brand reputation. After all, a good reputation equates to increased customer trust. 

Customers seeing other individuals satisfied with a particular product are influenced to trust the brand, which, in turn, forms the foundation for meaningful and loyal customer relationships. This shows precisely how powerful UGC campaigns are. Therefore, content moderation is a proactive strategy for building and leveraging a positive brand image in the eyes of many users. 

This positive cycle enables businesses to adapt and refine their marketing strategies based on the authentic customer feedback shared via UGC campaigns. It’s the kind of domino effect everyone wants—promoting positivity in every corner of online platforms. 

Consistent Quality in User-Generated Content

Content moderation helps maintain a consistent brand image by ensuring that UGC aligns with its mission and vision. It checks the clarity, relevance, and creativity UGC brings to businesses.

Moderation contributes to a more engaging and valuable user experience by filtering out low-quality and irrelevant content. This consistency is crucial for building and reinforcing a positive perception between and among users.

Additionally, content moderation helps prevent plagiarism and copyright infringement by addressing content that may violate intellectual property rights. 

A consistent flow of original content goes a long way in engaging users. They are likelier to participate and share content when they perceive UGC as unique, authentic, and relevant.

Build a Positive Brand Reputation with Content Moderation!

Overall, user-generated campaigns are a strategy businesses use to market their products and services, increase their visibility, and enhance their overall brand identity. With effective content moderation, UGC campaigns are monitored and regulated, ensuring that these materials give value to both businesses and users. 

So, let the benefits of content moderation become the pillar that supports you in attaining and maintaining integrity. This way, more and more users will consider your business credible and reliable.

While many people trust your brand, you may also put your faith in outsourcing content moderation services from New Media Services. 

New Media Services maximizes the power of human and AI content moderation in managing vast amounts of UGC. What a way to scale up your marketing campaigns and boost your online presence!

We offer a wide range of content moderation solutions tailored and relevant to your business needs. Besides content moderation, we provide flexible business processing outsourcing services for emerging companies and global industries. 

Drive your brand to sustained growth and success. Contact us today and experience the transformative effects only our top-notch content moderation services can offer.