Are you familiar with user-generated content? If not, it’s important to understand how beneficial it can be for businesses and companies.
User-generated content (UGC) refers to reviews, photos, or videos featuring a brand that customers share. Companies leverage UGC for one main reason—better customer reach. With 70% of users relying on UGC before making a purchase, it’s clear why this type of content is crucial for businesses.
However, UGC can also present a major risk to brands when users post obscene comments, fake reviews, explicit videos, or harmful material that could damage the brand’s reputation. This highlights the need for content moderation services.
Curious about how it all works? Wondering how to choose the right moderation services for your UGC platform? Keep reading to learn more!
What Are UGC Platforms?
UGC is all over the internet. You’ll find it in text posts, comments, stories, and shared media on social media platforms, as well as in online reviews and ratings on business websites. Online communities and forums also feature discussions that qualify as UGC.
So, how can brands fully harness the potential of UGC? The key is UGC platforms—tools that help businesses effectively manage user-generated content.
A UGC platform allows brands to collect, curate, and share relevant content that aligns with customer demands and experiences. It provides real-time updates from various sources, including social media apps like TikTok, Instagram, or YouTube.
The platform is customizable to fit your brand’s digital marketing needs and goals. It also features advanced analytics to track brand performance and identify which types of UGC resonate most with your audience.
Popular UGC platforms such as Tagshop, Tagbox, Trend, Tint, and Stackla by Nosto each offer unique features for managing UGC, especially for UGC campaigns.
Why is Content Moderation Important For UGC Platforms?
One crucial feature UGC platforms must have is content moderation. But what exactly is content moderation, and why is it important?
Content moderation identifies, filters, and removes inappropriate content from a platform. Effective moderation is essential for UGC platforms to ensure all collected UGC is relevant.
UGC moderation involves reviewing posts, including photos, videos, comments, reviews, and text, to identify and remove inappropriate material such as hate speech, profanity, sarcasm, nudity, violence, spam, and phishing attempts.
Proper moderation prevents UGC platforms from being overrun by trolls and offensive or illegal content. Exposure to harmful content can lead customers to think that the brand isn’t taking steps to maintain a safe environment, damaging customer experience and potentially resulting in losses.
When UGC platforms prioritize moderation, they can carefully curate the content customers see, boosting engagement, interactions, and transactions. This approach also shows that your brand values and respects its customers’ voices, opinions, creativity, and, most importantly, safety.
Investing in content moderation services is an investment in your brand’s online visibility and overall success.
How To Select The Right UGC Moderation Services
Choosing the right content moderation services for your UGC platform is crucial to maintaining a safe and engaging online community. To make the best decision, consider your platform’s specific needs and evaluate factors such as scalability, compliance, the role of AI, and pricing.
Let’s explore the key factors that can help you pick the best service for your platform.
- Evaluate Your Content Moderation Needs
Start by evaluating the types and volume of content generated on your platform. Are you mainly moderating text, or do you also need to handle images, videos, and live streams?
Remember that different content types require various moderation tools and techniques. By understanding the nature of your UGC, you can choose a service that can efficiently manage your platform’s content while ensuring quality control.
- Assess the Scalability and Flexibility of Moderation Solutions
As your platform grows, so will the volume of content. The moderation service you choose must scale seamlessly with it.
Choose a service provider that can handle varying UGC volumes—whether during peak times or following major campaigns. Look for a provider that offers flexibility, integrates new moderation tools smoothly, and adapts to your platform’s evolving needs, especially when introducing new features or entering new markets.
- Research About Compliance with Legal and Regulatory Standards
Legal compliance is crucial in content moderation, especially for platforms with a global audience. Ensure the service you choose complies with regulations like the GDPR, COPPA, or local laws governing data protection, hate speech, or online abuse. Adhering to these regulations can protect your platform from legal risks and build user trust.
- Check AI Moderation Capabilities
Artificial intelligence (AI) is becoming a popular moderation tool due to its speed and efficiency. However, it’s important to understand both its capabilities and limitations.
While AI can quickly detect inappropriate content and reduce the workload of human moderators, it’s not infallible. Seek AI tools that improve over time through machine learning and manage nuanced content while ensuring human oversight to handle false positives and complex situations that AI might miss.
- Choose a Provider with Both Human and AI Moderation Approaches
The best content moderation services typically combine AI and human moderators. AI excels at managing high volumes of content quickly, while human moderators provide content understanding and expertise needed for complex issues. A provider that offers both options strikes the ideal balance of speed, accuracy, and flexibility.
- Look for Cost-Effective Pricing Models
Lastly, pricing matters. Some moderation companies provide affordable options without sacrificing quality. Look for providers with flexible pricing that adjusts based on content volume or specific features so you only pay for what you need. Aim to balance cost and service level to get the best value for your budget.
Selecting the Best Fit for Your UGC Platform
UGC is a valuable asset for companies and online businesses. When choosing the right content moderation services for your UGC platform, it is essential to assess your specific needs, consider scalability, ensure compliance, and utilize a combination of AI and human moderators.
By balancing these factors and choosing a cost-effective pricing model, you’ll find a UGC moderation partner that enhances platform safety, builds user trust, and supports business growth.
