Maintaining Quality Control by Outsourcing Content Moderation 

Social media platforms and online groups thrive on user-generated content (UGC), but ensuring a positive user experience requires vigilance against harmful content. According to Statista, nearly 30% of respondents believe social media should have stricter moderation policies, and over 40% support removing edited content featuring public officials and celebrities.

Outsourcing content moderation is essential to meeting these demands. Business process outsourcing (BPO) firms provide specialized expertise and technology to streamline moderation processes effectively and consistently implement quality standards.

Keep reading to learn how to maintain quality control through outsourced content moderation services.

Best practices when outsourcing content moderation

The following section discusses the best practices for maintaining quality control throughout an outsourcing partnership:

Choosing the right service provider

Let’s start the discussion by answering the question: “What is BPO for content moderation?” It is the practice of hiring a third-party company to manage processes related to content moderation, such as implementing quality control protocols on UGC to maintain a safe space for your users.

The effectiveness of this strategy depends on the BPO firm’s capabilities. Here are vital criteria to consider when choosing an outsourcing partner for content moderation: 

• Industry expertise. Look for a BPO provider with experience in your specific industry. It should understand the nuances of your content and potential pain points. For example, an e-commerce platform must partner with a third-party expert that can identify fake reviews.
• Scalability. Select a provider with the expertise to handle large volumes of content and accommodate future growth. As your platform expands, the type of content requiring moderation will increase.
• Global coverage. If your platform operates across time zones, consider a provider with moderation teams worldwide for 24/7 coverage. They ensure real-time intervention on flagged content regardless of origin or posting time.
• Technological integration. Determine whether the BPO provider’s technology stack integrates with your existing systems. Look for tools such as machine learning (ML) algorithms to detect harmful content and automated workflows for efficient moderation. They streamline the process, reduce manual work, and increase cost savings.

Defining clear content moderation guidelines

Once you’ve chosen a qualified partner, the next crucial step is to establish clear content moderation guidelines. Outline unacceptable content, including hate speech, bullying, harassment, misinformation, and anything that promotes illegal activities. These policies maintain quality control and ensure alignment with your online community management. 

The guidelines must also prescribe a process for moderators to follow when making decisions, such as procedures for regulating user reviews. The guide fosters consistency while safeguarding your platform from legal issues.

Implementing advanced moderation tools and technologies

Facebook’s content moderation team addressed 18 million hate speeches and 1.8 million violent or graphic posts. With over 3 billion Meta users, advanced tools can empower human moderators to monitor and manage UGC effectively.

BPO providers also train algorithms to recognize toxic content, enabling human moderators to focus on more complex cases. They integrate these tools to create an efficient strategy to moderate content:

• Automated content recognition. Tools such as PhotoDNA utilize image and video hashing to identify and flag copyright violations or illegal content, such as child sexual abuse material (CSAM).
• Natural language processing (NLP). This technology analyzes text to detect harmful language. NLP tools such as IBM Watson Natural Language Understanding leverage context and sentiment to more accurately detect hate speech and bullying.
• Behavioral analysis. Tools such as Babel X help monitor user behavior patterns and identify suspicious activities, such as a sudden surge in flagged comments, for further investigation.

Utilizing these tools can maximize the benefits of outsourcing content moderation.

Ensuring compliance with legal and ethical standards

Legal and ethical compliance in content moderation is vital in protecting platforms and users, safeguarding brand reputation, and building trust. Work with your legal advisers and BPO provider to align your practices with industry regulations. 

For instance, the U.S. Communications Decency Act (CDA) protects internet companies from liability for user-posted content while allowing them to moderate. However, some states enact laws and regulations holding platforms accountable for specific content.

Understanding and adhering to these regulations fosters safer, more inclusive online communities and prevents legal complications.

Training and onboarding the third-party moderation teams

Investing in comprehensive training for your third-party moderation team is crucial to ensuring alignment with your core values and policies. BPO training should cover various aspects of your outsourcing initiative. Examples include content moderation guidelines, quality standards, platform specifics, cultural sensitivities, and best practices for handling sensitive content. 

Regular updates are also necessary to inform the team about evolving trends and threats to keep moderation decisions consistent and accurate.

Monitoring and evaluating outsourcing services

Clear key performance indicators (KPIs) help gauge the effectiveness of outsourced content moderation. They determine whether the services meet quality standards, align with your goals, and provide investment value. Accurate measurement identifies improvement areas and maintains accountability.

Schedule regular meetings with your BPO provider to review the KPIs below. Then, analyze performance trends and discuss optimization strategies.

• Moderation time per piece. Track the average time to review and decide on content, aiming for consistency based on complexity.
• Accuracy of decisions. Monitor how often the BPO provider’s decisions align with your internal reviews, highlighting areas for hiring and training or guideline adjustments.
• User satisfaction. Gather feedback to assess user perceptions of platform safety and respect, including appeal resolution rates.
• First contact resolution rate. Measure the percentage of issues resolved on the first attempt by the BPO provider.
• Turnaround time for escalations. Track how quickly the BPO team addresses escalated issues.

Maintaining open communication when outsourcing content moderation

Maintaining open and transparent communication with your outsourced content moderation services provider is crucial. It sets clear expectations, addresses issues promptly, and helps you meet quality standards. Additionally, it fosters a strong partnership and promotes effective, consistent moderation outcomes.

Schedule regular progress meetings and establish transparent communication protocols. Provide your BPO partner with feedback to continuously refine its approach to meeting your specific needs. 

Open communication allows both parties to promptly address issues and work toward the same goals.

Adapting to the evolving landscape and updating guidelines

Online platforms are constantly evolving, as should your outsourced content moderation guidelines. Review and update your policies regularly to reflect changes in user behavior, emerging online threats, and evolving legal and ethical frameworks. Keeping your guidelines up-to-date maintains a safe and secure platform.

Integrating moderation services into workflows

Optimizing your content moderation strategy involves more than just technology; it also requires seamless integration into your workflows. Use application programming interfaces (APIs) to enable automated content flagging and artificial intelligence (AI) to streamline pre-moderation and review processes. 

Use a centralized content moderation platform such as Cloudinary or Brandwatch to improve transparency and collaboration. These tools centralize content, assignments, and communication management.

Case study: Gaming platform boosts user safety with outsourced moderation

Many platforms have successfully leveraged content moderation teams, and their success stories offer invaluable insights you can use to adapt your strategies. Read the case study below and identify best practices that contributed to the company’s success:

Roblox faced challenges with the growing volume of user-generated content, leading to difficulties moderating hate speech, cyberbullying, and inappropriate content. This situation overwhelmed the in-house team and raised safety concerns.

Roblox partnered with a BPO firm specializing in gaming content moderation to combat these toxic behaviors. The firm implemented the following strategies:

• Human moderation. Trained moderators familiar with gaming culture reviewed flagged content and took action.
• Technology integration. ML algorithms identified harmful content patterns, allowing human moderators to handle complex cases.

This partnership has improved user satisfaction and fostered a safer, more enjoyable gaming environment for players. It also enhanced the brand’s image and freed the internal team to develop new features, boosting engagement and growth.

The bottom line

Leveraging BPO is beneficial in maintaining quality control. But to ultimately maximize the advantages of outsourcing content moderation, you must partner with a qualified provider, implement robust processes, maintain open communication, and integrate advanced technologies.

If you’re considering outsourcing, we can help you get started. Let’s connect and ensure your platform’s success.