Best Practices for Social Media Interaction and Moderation 

An October 2008 Cone Research Study stated that approximately 60% of Americans use social media. 85% of these users agree that companies should be present and interact with consumers through social media. So, it’s simple – Social Media is a good idea if you’re not already participating. Here is the challenging question: How do you protect your company’s image while engaging in the social media process? Social media tools are great ways to engage audiences and boost page traffic, but moderation needs to be part of the strategy from the very start.

Here are 6 tips for social media interaction and moderation:

1. Know your target audience
Depending on who you’re trying to reach, some users may think that moderation will censor
their comments. If the topics related to your company or industry are particularly
controversial, this is an important consideration to plan for.

2. Check moderation settings
Every social network is different. Make sure to check how much control you can have over
what users post or exactly what they’re allowed to post.

3. Post your usage policy
Tell your users the purpose of the page, profile or group. For example: “This page is meant to
provide product and information updates for the XYZ Company. Any posts that deter from
this topic will be removed.”

4. Use filters and tools
Profanity filters are a starting point because those lists of keywords can trigger a block to the
person posting that forces them to think again about what they are writing. Smart content
tools can also flag up the posts that have been edited after profanity checks as this can help
moderators focus their attention.
5. Keep posts on topic
Sometimes you just need to stimulate conversation. You have to consider what’s ethical in
terms of building your online community. However, if discussion isn't in line with audience
expectations, the health of the community weakens and a negative effect on traffic appears.

6. Have a plan of action
If you receive negative comments, make sure you have a process and stay consistent with
your communication. Whether this means using the same strategy to approach the situation,
or a custom message, you should expect that you will receive these comments. For example,
if a user types “I hate Starbucks” on the Starbucks Facebook fan page, there a few ways to go
about responding. Try engaging the user by asking a question, such as, “What’s your favorite
type of coffee?” In most cases, you’re better off if you address it in a conversational manner,
rather than answering defensively.