Crystal Rae
Content moderation is the process of verifying content for websites. Let’s say a bunch of people submitted their works to be uploaded on a website. Now the owner can’t just put up anything, as he has full responsibility for the website. So what does the owner do? He monitors or scrutinizes the content available before putting it up and decides if it needs be rectified of any typo or writing issues. This act of close examination or verifying of content is known as content moderation. There are certain rules and guidelines set for content moderation, failing which any content gets discarded.
Importance of content moderation:
As the outreach of the internet among the masses has skyrocketed in the last decade, so it has become equally important for content on the internet to be appropriate. Presence of any hate speech, illegal games, objectionable media, or any such thing which incites people is very lethal. To put an end to all such malicious content, content moderation is vital. To avoid such content being uploaded in the first place websites should have strict guidelines breaching which upload of content could not be possible. Parameters such as not being illegal, fomenting, etc. should be set. This can also prevent the good name of a brand from being tarnished.
Services provided by content moderators:
1) Image categorization: Content moderators sort through tens of thousands of images submitted. Scanning for the desired images and grouping them separately. Exclusive technologies such as Machine learning and Artificial Intelligence are employed in these tasks to eliminate even the iota of occurrence of error. Features like Google lenses are used to search for results using an image.
2) Image modification: Image modification and editing is something that content moderators specialize in. Any editing activity be it cropping, resizing, or a change in brightness, sharpness, contrast, RGB balanced. Formats can also be changed of images from one to another. Moderators can do anything to make look the website more tempting with these images.
3) Image Tags: Images can also be used for promotional purposes. Let’s suppose someone downloads an image from a website. Takes it into his system, sees it if and when they see it they can also notice the description and tags which ultimately leads them to the original website. This is a brilliant marketing technique that content moderators use to attract potential customers without spending a nickel on the advertisement.
4) Adherence to guidelines: Moderators though committed to their work. But never breach any set rule or guideline set by the client. Ethics is something that is given special attention and importance in cases like these.
Outsourcing:
Content moderation outsourcing is the practice of appointing a third-party agency to overlook the works of content moderation. These agencies solely are responsible for undertaking all scrutiny works. They lookout for any malicious or fomenting words. It is their work to make sure the content lies within the guidelines adhered to the website. Agencies that undertake these works are known as content moderation companies.
Advantages of content moderation:
- Prevents tarnishing of brand value: Content moderators doing their usual work scrutinize articles closely. This practice does not let any religiously provoking, fomenting, or hate speech go on a website which prevents any mishap such as hurt of the sentimental value of an individual or a riot breaking out. Anyone cannot control what anyone thinks, but these practices can most certainly prevent these things from going on the internet. These actions prevent the reputation of a brand from being tainted.
- Knows customers: While moderating and going through users and customer-generated content, moderators find certain patterns and similarities. These things are picked and are later analyzed to develop quality content. As these patterns and similarities are found in many reviews and ratings so they are used to generate content that is more relatable to the masses. This way quality and more relatable content is generated without much effort.
- Better activity status: According to the statistics more than 25 percent of the search results obtained are from content explicitly generated by customers. This data is of golden use to websites. But the reputation of the brand and its popularity are also the factors to be accounted for. These contents need to be moderated before being uploaded to the website. So as any impurity or tarnishing material could not be able to get up there.
- Enhancing buying experience: Luring customers through ads on TV, radio is not so effective these days, neither are methods such as website pop-ups, promotion videos, or any such medium does not do any better, as ad blockers and pop up blockers in browsers are quite prevalent these days. Customers are mainly attracted by witnessing erstwhile and previous customer’s experiences and reviews. These reviews are in turn sorted and uploaded by moderators.
- Improve consumer relations: Websites are bound to experience pleasant customer flow if user-specific reviews are present. This helps build consumer trust. Tip to toe moderated content is required for uploading on the website. Realistic and approachable content serves as the browny points. A brand worthy of being chatted among peers is the one that has the potential of attracting customers on its own in the future.
- Enhances site traffic: Content up on the website serves more than one purpose. It also promotes the organic growth of the brand. Improvement in search engine ranking is also observed. With quality content in hand and erstwhile and previous customer’s reviews also in hand which includes testimonials and text reviews, the user interface enhances leap and bond. This also increases the presence of business online thereby steering more customers towards it.
To sum up
Introspecting every aspect that there is, we come to know that content moderation is truly the need of the hour. Not only it is our need but also our moral responsibility towards society since we cannot go on badgering and recklessly promoting our brand just for the sake of promotion. Content moderation can also be seen as a career option since most of the websites employ content moderators. So chances of employment in this sector are also quite high.
