For brands, this isn’t just background noise. It affects how you protect your reputation, how you engage with customers, and how you keep your communities safe and growing. The choices you make now about policies, partnerships, and the systems you rely on will determine whether you stay ahead of the curve or spend the year putting out fires.

Here’s what’s reshaping the landscape and how your brand can prepare.

1. AI-Generated Content Creates New Moderation Challenges

Sophisticated AI-generated content is flooding social platforms and review sites. Deepfakes, synthetic reviews, and AI-written comments are becoming harder to distinguish from authentic user content. Bad actors can now create convincing fake controversies, generate hundreds of seemingly legitimate negative reviews, or impersonate customers at scale.

Automated detection tools can flag obvious AI content, but sophisticated attacks require human judgment to identify. Context matters. Is this a coordinated campaign or organic criticism? Is the language pattern suspicious or just coincidental? Understanding brand history, product issues, and community dynamics becomes essential to separating real concerns from manufactured crises.

The prediction for 2026: AI-generated content will become a standard threat vector that brands must actively defend against. The volume and sophistication of synthetic content will increase, but the solution won’t be more AI detection alone. Success will require experienced moderators who understand both the technology and the subtle patterns that indicate coordinated inauthentic behavior.

2. Regulatory Compliance: The New Reality

Major regulations like the EU’s Digital Services Act and the UK Online Safety Act are transforming content moderation from a “nice to have” into a legal requirement. These aren’t suggestions, they’re mandates with serious financial penalties for non-compliance. Similar regulations are emerging in other jurisdictions, and child safety laws are becoming increasingly strict with severe consequences for violations.

Compliance isn’t just a platform problem anymore. Brands are responsible for content in their owned communities, comments on their posts, and how they moderate customer interactions. Financial services and healthcare companies already understand this reality, but it’s expanding to all consumer-facing brands. The cost of non-compliance includes both financial penalties and reputation damage.

The prediction for 2026: Regulatory compliance will drive moderation budgets as legal and risk management teams get involved in social media decisions. Companies will need documented processes, audit trails, and demonstrable monitoring coverage. The informal approach many brands have taken to social media moderation won’t meet the coming regulatory standards, and the companies that treat moderation as risk management rather than a marketing function will be better positioned. 

3. Reddit: The Opportunity Everyone’s Talking About

Reddit experienced a staggering 1,348% increase in Google visibility throughout 2025. Reddit’s prominence in Google search results has fundamentally changed how consumers research brands and products. What was once a niche community platform now appears in the top results for product reviews, service complaints, and brand discussions. This shift coincided with major search engines prioritizing authentic user conversations over traditional SEO-optimized content.

The platform’s influence extends beyond direct visibility. Reddit threads are currently the #2 source of training data for large language models, meaning conversations happening on the platform shape how AI tools respond to brand-related queries. Unlike managed social channels, Reddit’s culture demands authenticity as users quickly identify and reject obvious corporate messaging, making it a unique challenge for brand reputation management. Brands like Spotify, Xbox, and Nissan succeed by embedding themselves into communities first, contributing value before promoting products. 

The prediction for 2026: Brands will treat Reddit monitoring with the same priority as traditional review sites like Yelp or Trustpilot. The platform’s dual role as both a search result driver and LLM training data source makes it impossible to ignore and companies without dedicated Reddit moderation strategies will face reputation risks they can’t see coming. 

4. Social Search Changes Discovery and Risk

Younger consumers increasingly bypass Google entirely, using TikTok, Instagram, and Reddit as their primary search engines. They’re looking for product recommendations, service reviews, and brand information directly within social platforms. This behavioral shift means brands must optimize content for social discovery, not just traditional search engines.

This change multiplies the touchpoints where reputation can be damaged. A negative comment on TikTok, a critical Reddit thread, or complaint on Instagram can now serve as a prospect’s first introduction to a brand. The “always-on” nature of social search means there’s no downtime. Conversations happen 24/7 across time zones, and responses need to be timely and appropriate.

The prediction for 2026: Social search will drive increased demand for comprehensive, cross-platform monitoring services. Brands that treat social media as purely a marketing channel, rather than a search and reputation environment, will struggle to control their narrative. The companies that understand this shift will invest in continuous monitoring across all platforms where their audience searches.

5. Human-AI Collaboration Models Mature

The question isn’t whether to use AI in content moderation, but how to combine it effectively with human judgment. AI excels at processing volume, from scanning thousands of posts, flagging potential issues, to identifying patterns. Humans excel at context and are great at understanding brand voice, assessing nuanced situations, and making judgment calls during crises.

Forward-thinking companies are deploying hybrid models where AI handles the scale and humans handle the decisions. This approach acknowledges that AI can’t replace the institutional knowledge of experienced moderators who understand a brand’s history, values, and customer base. The most effective moderation teams use AI as a tool to enhance human capabilities, not as a replacement for them.

The prediction for 2026: The market will split between low-cost, AI-only services that fail to catch sophisticated issues and premium human-AI hybrid services that deliver actual results. Brands with significant reputation risk like financial services, healthcare, and consumer products, will increasingly demand proof that humans are making final decisions, especially during crises when nuanced judgment matters most.

6. Video Content Demands New Approaches

Video content has surged over the past few years, and moderating it has become increasingly complex. Unlike static posts, video blends visuals, sound, and movement, all of which need to be interpreted together and often in real time.

TikTok, Instagram Reels, YouTube Shorts, and similar formats generate massive volumes of brand mentions, product reviews, and customer complaints in video form. This shift presents unique challenges. Video requires more time to review than text, context can be harder to assess, and the volume continues to accelerate.

Live streaming adds real-time complexity. Live commerce, product launches, and interactive events require immediate moderation decisions without the buffer of recorded content review. The technical and operational requirements for effective video moderation are significantly different from text-based social media management.

The prediction for 2026: Looking ahead, video moderation will keep evolving to handle rising challenges, from spotting deepfakes to navigating cultural nuances and newly emerging harmful trends. Brands will face difficult decisions about video moderation capabilities and priorities. While monitoring posted video content is manageable, real-time livestream moderation requires different infrastructure and staffing models. Companies will need to honestly assess which video platforms and formats are essential to their business and allocate resources accordingly, rather than trying to cover everything inadequately. 

7. The Migration to Private Communities

Users are abandoning public social feeds for more intimate digital spaces like WhatsApp Channels, Discord servers, and Instagram broadcast channels. Smart brands are building exclusive communities that generate higher engagement and stronger loyalty than traditional social media. But intimacy creates new challenges. Moderation failures have outsized impact in smaller spaces where a single toxic member can poison community culture.

Traditional moderation approaches designed for high-volume public feeds don’t translate well to private communities. These spaces require moderators who understand community dynamics and can balance safety with authentic discussion. The operational complexity increases as private communities often lack the built-in moderation tools that major platforms provide. And, these communities often benefit from active moderators who contribute to conversations.

The prediction for 2026: The migration to private communities will accelerate, and brands without proper moderation infrastructure will learn expensive lessons. The winners will treat community moderation as a strategic investment, understanding that in private spaces, moderation quality directly determines member experiences and brand loyalty. 

The Bottom Line

The social media landscape of 2026 presents brands with a paradox: more opportunities for genuine connection, but also more ways for things to go wrong. AI-generated content, regulatory compliance, social search, video moderation, and private communities all demand sophisticated approaches that most internal teams aren’t equipped to handle alone. Volume and complexity are increasing while tolerance for mistakes is decreasing. A moderation failure can trigger regulatory penalties, viral backlash, or permanent community damage.

The brands that will thrive recognize content moderation as a strategic function rather than a cost center. This isn’t something you figure out as you go. The learning curve is steep, the consequences of mistakes are significant, and the landscape changes faster than most teams can keep pace with.

If you’re navigating any of these challenges, from AI-generated content attacks, regulatory compliance, cross-platform monitoring, video moderation, to private community management, reach out to us at Online Moderation. We specialize in helping brands build moderation strategies that actually work, combining experienced human judgment with the right technology to protect your reputation and grow your communities safely. Let’s talk about what effective moderation looks like for your specific situation.

The post 2026 Social Media & Content Moderation Outlook: What’s Changing and What It Means for Your Brand appeared first on Online Moderation.

When businesses first come to us about managing their Reddit presence, we often hear the same request: “We just want to post about our product.” It’s understandable—you’ve built something great, and you want people to know about it. But unfortunately Reddit doesn’t work that way.

Unlike other social platforms where promotional content is expected, Reddit operates on a completely different set of rules. The community values authentic conversation, helpfulness, and transparency above all else. Jump in with a sales pitch, and you won’t just be ignored, you’ll face downvotes, harsh criticism, and in many cases, an outright ban from the subreddits you’re trying to reach.

Over time, we’ve learned that success on this platform isn’t about promotion, it’s about participation. It’s about earning trust before you ever mention what you’re selling. When you approach Reddit the right way however, it can become one of your most valuable marketing channels.

In this guide, we’ll walk you through the essential do’s and don’ts of Reddit engagement, so you can build genuine connections with communities instead of burning bridges before you even get started.

Find Your Niche

Before you post anything, you need to find where your potential customers hang out. Reddit’s power lies in its highly specific subreddits. Think beyond broad categories. If you sell sustainable running shoes, you won’t just look at r/running. You’ll explore communities like r/BarefootRunning, r/trailrunning, and r/sustainability.

Use Reddit’s search function to find subreddits related to your industry, product, or customer interests. Once you find a few promising communities, take the time to observe.

• Read the rules: Every subreddit has a sidebar with specific posting guidelines. Some explicitly forbid self-promotion, while others have designated threads for it. Ignoring these rules is the fastest way to get banned.
• Understand the culture: What kind of content gets upvoted? What topics spark the most discussion? Is the tone humorous, serious, or highly technical? Lurking before you leap helps you understand the unwritten rules of engagement.

Become a Redditor First, a Marketer Second

The golden rule of Reddit marketing is simple: provide value before you ask for anything. Redditors appreciate users who contribute to the community, not those who just drop a link and leave. This is where the 9-to-1 rule comes in. Aim for at least 90% of your activity to be genuine, non-promotional engagement. The remaining 10% can be reserved for thoughtful self-promotion.

What does genuine engagement look like?

• Answer questions: Share the knowledge you’ve gained building your business. Answer questions thoroughly in your area of expertise. Create content that would be valuable even if it never mentioned your company. For example, if you’re a coffee expert, weigh in on debates about the best brewing methods in r/coffee.
• Share interesting content: Post articles, videos, or images that are relevant to the community, even (or especially) if they aren’t from your own brand.
• Participate in discussions: Upvote good content, leave thoughtful comments, and become a familiar, helpful presence. When you post something, stick around to answer questions and engage with comments. This shows you’re there to contribute to the conversation, not just drop a link and disappear.
• Do be transparent about your affiliation: Redditors respect honesty. If you’re sharing something related to your business, say so upfront. A simple disclosure like “I work for X company” or “Full disclosure: this is my startup” goes a long way toward building trust.

Building this foundation is not an overnight process. Being successful on Reddit is a long-term strategy. Think of it like making friends in a new city. You wouldn’t walk up to a group of strangers and immediately start selling them something. You’d get to know them, share common interests, and build trust over time. Only then would a recommendation for your product feel natural and welcome.

The Art of Subtle Self-Promotion

Once you’ve established yourself as a credible community member, you can start weaving in promotion. The key is to be subtle and ensure it always adds value.

Run an “Ask Me Anything” (AMA)

Hosting an AMA in a relevant subreddit can generate significant brand awareness. This works especially well if you have a unique story or specialized expertise. The founder of a lab-grown diamond company could host an AMA in r/jewelry, answering questions about the science, ethics, and cost of their products. This positions the brand as a transparent industry leader.

Share Case Studies and Success Stories

Instead of directly promoting a product, share a story about how it helped a customer. A software company could post in r/smallbusiness with a title like, “How we helped a local bakery increase online orders by 200% with a simple inventory tool.” The post would focus on the bakery’s journey and offer actionable advice, with a mention of the tool as part of the solution.

Navigating the Minefield of Feedback

Reddit is a place for honest, unfiltered opinions. This means you will eventually encounter negative feedback or reviews about your business. It’s a daunting scenario: a critical post about your brand is gaining traction, and you feel the urge to delete it or argue.

Here’s what you need to know: you cannot simply have a negative review removed. Attempting to do so  can backfire spectacularly. Instead, you must manage it carefully and transparently.

• Acknowledge and Empathize: Respond publicly to the comment. Start by acknowledging the user’s frustration and thanking them for their feedback. A simple, “I’m really sorry you had this experience, and thank you for bringing it to our attention,” can de-escalate the situation.
• Take it Private: Offer to resolve the issue through a private message (DM). This shows you’re taking the complaint seriously while moving the specific details of the resolution out of the public eye.
• Learn from It: Negative feedback is a gift. It highlights blind spots in your product or service. Use it to make genuine improvements, and if appropriate, follow up on the original thread to share how you’ve addressed the problem. Turning a negative experience into a positive change can win you more fans than a flawless review ever could.
• Move On: Resist the urge to go back to the thread and try to address it. Many times, your best bet is to let a thread die out and move into the archives.

Making Reddit Work for Your Business

Reddit rewards authenticity, patience, and genuine contribution. You can’t hack your way to success here, and that’s actually what makes it valuable. The businesses that succeed on Reddit are those that take the time to become real members of the community.

Start small. Pick one or two relevant subreddits and commit to participating regularly for a month before you ever mention your business. Answer questions. Share insights. Be helpful. When you’ve established yourself as a valuable contributor, you’ll find the community surprisingly receptive to hearing about what you’re building.

The key is remembering that Reddit isn’t a broadcast channel. It’s a place for conversation, connection, and community. Approach it with that mindset, and you’ll discover one of the most engaged and passionate audiences on the internet.

When Professional Help Makes Sense

Managing Reddit marketing effectively requires significant time investment, deep platform knowledge, and the ability to engage authentically across multiple communities. Many businesses find that the expertise required to navigate Reddit’s complex culture while maintaining genuine engagement exceeds their available resources.

If your company lacks the time, expertise, or personnel to develop a comprehensive Reddit marketing strategy, consider reaching out to us at Online Moderation. Our team understands the nuances of Reddit’s community-driven culture and can help you build genuine relationships while respecting the platform’s unique dynamics.

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Online Moderation is the leader in professional moderation and social customer service, and what we see for the year ahead comes down to this – it’s time to re-evaluate how well you are handling your overall online presence with your customers and potential customers.

Increased Lead Generation or Increased Loss of Sales?

Relying on a ‘shop now’ button on a Facebook ad is simply not enough anymore. What happens under those ads is where the magic happens. Trends are showing that consumers are relying on the comments and interactions, as a community, to help them make their decisions to make purchases. They might ask others what their experiences were and read positive and negative experiences before and after purchases were made. They also read about what people think of the brand’s sales teams, customer service, repairs, deliveries, and other important personal experiences – and THEN they decide whether to follow through with a purchase or getting a quote.

At Online Moderation, we view these small discussions as micro-communities that can influence any brand’s reputation and sales in powerful ways. It is more important than ever for brands to consider having trained social customer service teams taking a strategic approach to managing their social platform engagement.

Quality! Quality! Quality!

Consumers engaging with brands online are savvy, and they can pick out a bot or canned response in a heartbeat. “We are seeing our clients’ customers letting us know how much they appreciate speaking to a friendly, real person, “ says Kate Leighton of Online Moderation. “One of the great things that makes our team stand apart as the go-to choice of so many brands is the way we engage with our clients’ customers. They know we’re real, we care, we’re efficient, we keep the brand voice, and we are part of
their customer care team making sure the customer experience is always excellent.”

We’ll say it again – it’s all about quality. Brands with an online presence are recognizing the importance of high-quality social customer service. Automation may be great for scheduling ads and promotions, but when it comes to creating loyal customers and engagements that create paths to lead generation, the quality of your social customer support is simply more important than ever. This will set your brand apart from your competitors who are, by ignoring interactions on their social platforms, shutting the door in their customers’ faces.

Prevent Damaging Customer Support due to Staffing Shortages

Customer service is about people. We all know that. It’s about engaging with customers and potential customers in a way that creates the best possible authentic experience. As a result, this may lead to leads, increased sales and customer loyalty and referrals.

Today large companies are facing staff shortages either by choice or circumstances, but there are still customers to take care of and a reputation to uphold.   The belief that consumers will rely on self-service when it comes to online customer support may be a mistake. We know people want to speak to people. It’s what customer service is all about. An FAQ on a website may be helpful, but who do customers turn to when they have questions that need answering, or when they are angry? They turn to social media and post comments on the brands’ websites, Facebook pages, Twitter, and other social platforms, as well as review sites.

“That’s why Online Moderation is the best,” says Kate. “We are there to protect the reputation of our clients, make sure their customers are taken care of, and give their customers the type of experience the brand wants them to experience.  Ignoring social interactions and comments by customers is literally damaging to their business. We are here to make sure that doesn’t happen.”

According to Hootsuite, only 21% of marketers feel they do a good job of servicing customers on social channels

The Phygital customer world expands

What is Phygital?  Phygital refers to consumers existing in both the physical and digital world, engaging with brands in both places.

An example of this is a brand that sells a product or service in real life or a brick-and-mortar setting, but they also promote, gain leads, and service customer needs online.  Marketers are starting to realize that the physical and digital presence is a combined experience for their customers.  Imagine someone shopping for a car online, choosing the car, dealing with customer service online, and then going to pick up the vehicle in person at a dealership and dealing with customer service in person. This is Phygital.

So how does it affect the brand online and the customer journey?  Consumers will visit read reviews, read comments from other customers and individuals who have had experiences with the brand on social media platforms such as Facebook or even TikTok, and who have actually seen, touched, and purchased the actual products offered by brands.   They read about the digital-to-physical experience others have had – and in 2023 this trend is going to be bigger than ever.

At Online Moderation, we have clients who put a great deal of time and focus on the way their brand is perceived online and offline, and the way their social customer service is handled.  They recognize that every post, every comment, every interaction is a potential lead.  Together with our professional team of social customer support specialists, we have elevated their customer experience to outstanding levels.

The online moderation and social customer service world continues to evolve, and Online Moderation will always be the industry leader in supporting companies and organizations.

If you would like to schedule a consultation with our team, we would be happy to meet with you at your convenience.

The post Social Customer Service and Moderation Trends for 2023 appeared first on Online Moderation.

TikTok is growing – and if your company is using TikTok to reach potential customers or deliver a message to your community, you know about the growing need to manage the flow of comments coming into your TikTok account. 

More than 85% of businesses are using video as a marketing tool.  Today more businesses are realizing that they also need to be on TikTok,  the hottest platform for instant visual gratification by viewers. Videos run from five to sixty seconds long, have brilliant filters, special effects, a music library, and a culture of almost anything goes – as long as it’s done well.  TikTok users do not like to feel like they are being advertised to.  A smart marketing strategy on TikTok will get you the leads you’re looking for while making you part of one of the most interesting and thriving communities online.

TikTok is Growing.

As of February 2022, the app has been downloaded more than 1.65 billion times with viewers opening the app more than eight times each day.  The largest demographic is 18-24 years old, followed closely by 13-17 years.   Clearly any place online that has that large of an audience in that age range needs to be closely moderated for the well-being of the users.

TikTok Moderation Generates Leads.

While videos and ads create interest, just like on Facebook and other platforms, there are consumer questions and customer service issues that need to be monitored.  Online Moderation moderators are there to capture lead information and get it to the business, respond to inquiries, and handle the social customer service issues that inevitably arise.   “Our clients have seen general questions posted on their social media posts turn into hot leads because our moderators have nurtured them and delivered them right to our clients’ inboxes.” says Mark Somol. “This doesn’t just happen. Our moderators are trained to recognize every situation, from lead generation to interventions during potential PR crises – and handle them accurately, efficiently and quickly. It’s why we’re considered the best in the business.”

How Online Moderation Can Help You.

TikTok Online Moderation Moderators:

• Answer customer and potential customer inquiries
• Handle customer support situations such as complaints
• Nurture potential leads
• Prevent bullying and social unwellness among viewers
• Prevent potential PR crisis situations
• Create the best customer experience possible by engaging with your TikTok audience

Savvy businesses now realize that advertising on TikTok and having a TikTok account to post regular content means the potential of thousands of viewers.   Brand takeover ads, for example, are the first thing users see before they see any other content.  Advertisers can link the ad to a landing page on their website where exclusive offers can be made.  

Sponsored hashtag challenges allow businesses to sponsor a hashtag and advertise on the Discover page, again giving them the opportunity of increased engagement for their brand.

Native ads and branded lenses are also available for businesses to increase engagement and exposure for their brand.

Under every advertisement or TikTok video your business creates, there will be comments, questions and potential leads.   Considering the culture of TikTok, it is important to make sure your comment section is moderated on a daily basis. 

“We have seen comments on a relatively harmless business TikTok video start out fairly general, and turn into a storm of arguing and bullying.” says one of the Online Moderation TikTok moderators. “We’re there to shut down that negativity and protect the integrity and reputation of our clients, and to make sure that the purpose of their video stands out.”

The Importance of TikTok LIVE Moderation.

TikTok LIVE streams are taking off like wildfire! These sessions are amazing opportunities to connect with target audiences. 

TikTok has added live-stream moderation tools to help those businesses who are recognizing the value of live streaming.   So what does this moderation look like?  Simply put, Online Moderation  live moderators are available to be on duty during live broadcasts to manage the comments, remove trolls, and assist with customer service inquiries.   TikTok LIVE allows creators to allow up to 20 moderators moderate live events.  A live event may be anything from a debate, a lecture, or discussion, all the way up to celebrity interviews and concerts.

Take for example a company that may be doing a live demo on a home renovation using tools and techniques that would be of interest to consumers.  During the live event trained moderators ensure unwanted comments and interactions are shut down quickly, while relevant questions are responded and potential valuable leads are nurtured and captured for the business.

A new setting in the LIVE launch screen allows hosts to turn off comments completely, avoiding all engagement, or add up to 200 words and terms into a keyword filter.  One addition hosts and moderators alike will find valuable is the ability to add words to the filter while the live event is happening.

We could go on and on about this incredible platform but one thing is for certain – if your business is on TikTok you need to speak to the best team online.  It’s time to talk to the team at Online Moderation about the moderation of your account.

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Online Social Customer Support

From bit players to some of the country’s biggest multi-billion dollar industries, incorporating an element of customer support within their social media platforms is key.  Whether in healthcare, entertainment, the financial industry, or consumer products, the need to provide quality online customer service crosses both horizontal and vertical markets alike.

The basis for the emergence of online customer service is the reality that most customers and prospects today are engaged in using some form of social media platform, whether it be Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Instagram or another favorite social media channel.   As part of their digital marketing strategy, companies need to have a social media presence.  This cultivates a connection between the business and the customer and in turn the very real need for real time social media engagement.  Customer complaints and inquiries that once funneled through to an 800 number or an info email on a website, now come directly to businesses through direct messages and posts on social media.

The protection of the business’ reputation from complaints and concerns raised on social media channels is crucial, as these very public forums offer short windows of opportunity for customer service and problem resolution.   The solution? Online Social Customer Support.  It’s not surprising that we are seeing a huge uptick in the need for this service.  According to Gartner, “81% of businesses compete through the level of customer service they’re able to deliver.”

At Online Moderation, our experts build customized social customer service support strategies to launch new and improved customer support processes, including overnight services.  These help businesses both respond to and retain their customers, but also to gain new customers through positive engagement and great service.  There is no doubt this trend will continue to grow in 2019 as more and more people turn to social media to engage with businesses and services in a more personal manner.

Social Listening

Another trend that is certainly not new for 2019, but continues to garner headlines and shape social media, is Social Listening.    In the past, just googling your company name was probably enough to bring up several mentions of your company if the mention was newsworthy enough to show up easily in the Google results.  Sorry Google, we know you mean well, but there are times when you’re just not enough.  Social Listening goes far beyond google search results, scouring social media networks, forums, news feeds and other locations on the web to find mentions of particular keywords and phrases related to your brand.  These mentions are analyzed for indications of trends and interests that may affect your company, such as opinions of key influencers, interest in products and services and more.    We have seen the importance of Social Listening slowly grow as a real insight strategy for identifying leads and potential customer sales.   This trend is not about to slow down in 2019.

The other key motivation behind Social Listening is reputation management.  Where there are customers, there are opinions, and key review sites like Yelp, PissedConsumer.com, and TrustPilot offer customers a platform to both praise and jeer at companies and share their experiences with a large-scale audience. As audiences become more global and online customer service grows, so will the trend to post social reviews online.  While negative reviews can be disheartening, they also have a silver lining or two.  Negative reviews can alert you to problems you weren’t even aware of, so you can fix them. They also offer you the opportunity to respond to the reviewer’s concerns and turn around their impression of your business.  But only if you are listening!

As this trend continues, so will the need to manage reviews professionally and quickly.

24/7 Online Monitoring

24/7 real-time interaction, communication, and response is growing.  Chat bots, for example, give consumers the option to contact a company at any time, day or night, and the expectation is that someone is going to answer.   Consumers are no longer satisfied with hold times, canned responses and templated bot responses.  They want real service and they want it now.

Offering 24/7 customer service to today’s consumers is a decision that more and more business-owners are making and for good reason.  Issues and questions usually come at the most unexpected times, and customers need someone knowledgeable to help them sort things out as soon as possible.  By offering 24/7 customer service you are telling your customers that you have their back, no matter what time of day.  Plus, once you have won your customers’ trust because of your 24/7 customer service, they will not hesitate to recommend you to their circle and contacts.

You’ve all heard the expression the internet never sleeps.  Logging off, shutting down, and unplugging can leave brands blind to what’s going on outside of their region, or with night owls nearby.  With the online audience growing at a phenomenal rate, companies are realizing that investing in a moderation and monitoring service may no longer be a luxury.

Conclusion

As 2019 dawns, new challenges will be facing companies globally.  You need to identify influencers and micro-influencers, prepare for social media crises, and continue to sell online and evolve your social customer service.  Preserving existing customers and connecting to and capturing new business, all while maintaining a good online reputation, can be daunting in an age where a few keystrokes from an upset customer or past employee can trigger a potential PR crisis. The right mix of Social Customer Support and Social Listening 24X7 works. Make sure you’re listening and engaging with your customers online, the results will be worth it!

Online Moderation is a social media moderation and monitoring company providing leading brands, such as ABC News, Beachbody and Mass Mutual, with a suite of moderation, customer support, social listening, and reputation management services.  We bring an experienced, unbiased, and results-oriented approach to our work with large and small brands, 24x7x365, across the globe. Whether you are just starting to build your online strategy, looking to better service your customers, protect your brand reputation, oruncover social insights, Online Moderation’s solutions will help you thrive in today’s digital world.

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Just in time for the holiday season, we’ve highlighted five examples of brands that use social media listening to uncover opportunities to inject a little bit of positivity into their customers’ lives.

Social Listening Stories To Warm Your Heart Over the Holidays

Five brands that used social media listening to inject a little bit of positivity into the world.

IKEA

We’ve all heard of the furniture retailer IKEA, but have you heard about the Facebook group “I want to have a sleepover in IKEA?” IKEA uncovered the fan group using social media listening and saw it as an opportunity to show their customers that they not only supply furniture but also aid in the entire process of building a happy home.

The brand subsequently hosted “The Big Sleepover” campaign; they chose 100 fans for a sleepover in IKEA. Participants received sleepover gift bags, free massages, an IKEA dinner, and enjoyed various entertainment. IKEA even brought in a sleep expert who shared tips and tricks for having a good night’s sleep with guests.

The sleepover was a success – customers were able to see how IKEA could help them create their own fun experiences with their IKEA furniture at home.

Feel-Good Lesson: Social media listening can reveal the funniest and most charming things about your customers. How else would IKEA have known that they had a Facebook group with over 100,000 members that wanted to have a sleepover in their stores?

Zelmer Vacuums

Zelmer had no idea they had such a big-little fan until their social media team stumbled upon this Instagram post of a four-year-old’s birthday cake.

As it turned out, the little guy is a home appliance enthusiast, which is why his mother surprised him with a vacuum cake for his birthday. Zelmer subsequently reached out to the family and offered them a free tour of one of their factories, a gesture that made this four-year-old extremely happy!

Feel-Good Lesson: Not only did the post garner a lot of attention for Zelmer; the company was also able to contribute to their positive brand reputation and give back to their fans – even the little ones!

Troublemaker: Surviving Hollywood and Scientology

Actress Leah Remini’s book Troublemaker highlights her experience with leaving the Church of Scientology. The book received strong reviews with its initial release in 2016, and the publishers at Penguin Random House were interested in learning why readers responded so well to the publication.

Using social listening, they discovered that readers were not only fascinated with Scientology but also Leah’s “entertaining, honest, unpretentious, shocking and just plain funny” story-telling abilities, as seen here in an Amazon customer review.

Based on their insights, the publishing house decided to take advantage of the fans’ love for Leah’s relatable personality and promote the book by hosting Q&A sessions. In this case, not only did Leah’s fans get to meet her and ask her questions; the publishing house stumbled upon an unexpected opportunity that helped them understand their customers in greater depth.

Feel-Good Lesson: Besides uncovering opportunities for connecting with customers who had a negative experience with your product or service, social listening can uncover unexpected opportunities that allow your brand to connect with customers who want more of what you have to offer.

Tommee Tippee Cups

One concerned father was looking for a replacement sippy cup for his severely autistic son, Ben, who would only drink from this one particular cup. When he discovered that his son’s favorite cup model was discontinued, he created the hashtag #cupsforBen and posted a tweet asking his followers to search for the cup. The tweet went viral with hundreds of thousands of retweets, mentions, and shout-outs, and Tommee Tippee Cups caught wind of the situation. Subsequently, the company created 500 of the discontinued cups just for Ben!

Feel-Good Lesson: Tommee Tippee Cups showed their customers that they’re more than just a cup manufacturer by extending their empathy for Ben and his needs. You can use social media listening to show your customers that you’re more than just a business and that you are made up of real humans who care about their customers.

KLM Airlines

Using social listening, KLM Airlines decided that when their customers were experiencing problems, they would reach out on social media to complain. The company then created their #Happytohelp campaign –  for one week, they used social listening and monitoring to find and solve problems that their customers were experiencing in real-time.

Here are some of the good deeds the airline went out of their way to do:

• A customer who was stuck in New York City traffic was picked up in a motorboat and ferried across the river to the airport.
• A family with a newborn baby on an extended layover was provided with a bedroom, complete with baby toys.
• A honeymooning couple whose baggage was lost during a flight was taken on a shopping spree by KLM staff.

Feel-Good Lesson: Social media listening can help uncover opportunities that are happening in real-time. If you jump on these opportunities, you will create a better overall customer experience and improve your brand’s reputation. KLM Airlines did not have to put the effort in, but by doing so, they showed customers that their happiness is important to them.

Conclusion

The benefit of social media listening is that it can be used not only to protect your brand from negative experiences but also to uncover opportunities for positive experiences that can lead to improved brand reputation and increased customer loyalty.

Use these examples to inspire you to do something extraordinary for your customers!

Need help with Social Listening ?  Reach out to Online Moderation for  services and support 24/7.

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“80% of companies say they deliver ‘superior’ customer service,” while only “8% of people think these same companies deliver ‘superior’ customer service,” according to HelpScout.  You think you know what your customers want, but most of you don’t actually know.

How can you take the guesswork out of understanding what your customers want?

Many of your competitors use Social Media Analytics to uncover insights from all your social media channels.  These insights have been found to help you make better marketing decisions, improve customer satisfaction, improve your social media listening strategy and increase profits.  Through the use of analytical tools you can derive metrics from your social media followers and find out more about what they really want and how you can provide it for them.

Social Media Analytics harvest available customer data and can help you find:

• Positive or negative mentions of your brand
• Audience size
• Customer profile information
• Devices customers are using
• Customer engagement
• Customer reviews
• Trending topics
• And more!

By gathering and analyzing historical and trending information, evidence shows that your business will be in a better position to identify and capitalize on meaningful patterns, and predict the most successful future strategies.

For instance, if social media analysis shows customers frequently engage with and share video content, you may want to create more video content for your customers to consume!

Your Social Media Analytics Toolbox

To get the most out of your social media insights, you want to use the right tools.

• Use Google Analytics to track conversions and referral traffic from all of your social media networks. Simply go to your Google Analytics account → click Overview → All Traffic → Channels → Social and you’ll see data from all your social media accounts.
• Social Media Monitoring Tools: Most social media monitoring tools come with built-in social insight tools that pull together information from each social media channel to make analyzing your data easier.
• Platform Analytics: Most social media platforms come with in-depth social media analytics. You can utilize these analytical tools to begin your journey toward understanding your customers with greater insight.

How to Use Social Media Analytics to Learn More About Your Customers

Facebook and Twitter have powerful analytical tools to help you learn more about your customers. Below, I will describe how to use these tools.

Facebook

How to view data on Facebook Analytics to find out more about your customers:

• Sign into your company’s brand page
• Click on the Facebook Insights tab
• You’ll see your homepage which displays the following data:
  • Actions of page
  • Page views
  • Page likes
  • Reach
  • Engagement rates
  • Video engagement

Pro Tip: You can move all of your data from Facebook Analytics to an Excel or .csv file to view your insights with ease.

• There’s a sidebar below “overview” which displays data such as:
  • Promotions
  • Likes
  • Reach
  • Page views
  • Actions on page
  • Etc.

How to use Facebook Analytics to improve your social media marketing strategy:

Customer Personas: Check your Facebook demographics to see if they match your customer personas. If the two are similar, then your customer targeting efforts are working.

Engagement: Check Facebook Analytics for engagement rates.

• What is the difference between the number of your overall followers and engaged followers? This will help you determine if your Facebook fans are engaging with your posts.
• How many likes are your posts receiving? Posts with a lot of likes have resonated with your followers.
• Are customers mentioning your brand on Facebook? Check comments to see positive and negative reviews customers have left about your brand.
• How many shares have your posts received? Check shares to see the “virality” of your posts.

Page Views: Your page view count reveals how many people are checking out your brand on Facebook. If a lot of people are viewing your brand via Facebook, then you know it’s a popular channel people use to find out more about your brand.

Video Views: Determine the number and length of views on all your video content to see if they’re resonating with your audience.

Active Times: When are your customers on Facebook most active? Finding out will help you determine the best times to post on Facebook.

Twitter

How to view data on Twitter Analytics to find out more about your customers:

Twitter Analytics

• Log into Twitter Analytics
• You’ll see your homepage which displays the following data:
  • Tweet impressions (aka how many people saw your tweets)
  • Profile visits
  • Follower growth
  • Mentions
  • Top performing tweets
• Click the Tweets tab to find:
  • Overall daily impressions
  • Impressions and engagement rates on individual tweets
• Click the Audience tab to find out more information about your audience including:
  • Age
  • Gender
  • Interests
  • Household income
  • Products they buy
  • Etc.

How to use Twitter data to improve your social media marketing strategy:

Audience Interests: Use Twitter analytics to find out the top 10 interests of your customers and harness this information to hop on trends, create campaigns, etc.

Customer Personas: Use Twitter’s demographics to find out if your followers match your customer personas. Twitter gathers information on gender, occupation, income, marital status and even the buying patterns of your followers.

Engagement: Check your engagement rate on Twitter to determine which posts strike a chord with your audience. You can find out which tweets received the most engagement by checking your top performing tweets.

Mentions: Use Twitter to find out when customers are mentioning your brand.

Referral Traffic: Check Twitter to see how much of your audience is visiting your blog/website via Twitter.

Profile Visits: When you receive a lot of new visitors on your Twitter page, it means potential customers are using Twitter to check out your brand to see what you’re about.

Follower Count: Track your follower growth using Twitter. This way you can see if your marketing efforts on Twitter are having an impact on your ideal audience.

Conclusion – Make sure your Social Listening Strategy is taking advantage of the Insights at your finger tips

The content from your social media channels can reveal a treasure trove of customer information. Don’t miss out on the opportunity to start creating a superior brand experience and tap into all available resources.

Pro Tip: Besides Twitter and Facebook, social media platforms such as Pinterest, LinkedIn, Google+ and Instagram also have built-in analytics tools.

Click here to see how Online Moderation can help you organize your social media insights for better analysis.

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