The global content moderation market driven by BPOs (Business Process Outsourcing companies) is set to grow from just over $10bn in 2023 to a staggering $20bn in 2028 (Content Moderation Solutions Global Market Report 2024). By the same token, it’s a “free-for-all” marketspace, making entry for new players easy, as long as they can provide sufficient manpower.
This means – quite simply – that those in need of content moderation (the likes of Meta, Microsoft, TikTok, etc.) are spoilt for choice as to who they engage with. Best-of-breed no longer means being able to service a globally dispersed market, especially as content moderation services can quite simply be aggregated in hubs and can thus be serviced by local and essentially much smaller organizations that can provide more economical solutions.
So, the question arises, how do BPOs – large and small – stand out from the crowd and differentiate their services in front of their largest digital clients? Of course, a wider variety of services bundled into one contract helps overall efficiencies, but there is one distinguishing factor in the content moderation space: the quality of content moderation and thus the assurance of keeping clients’ brands and reputations intact.
Quality matters. Always
In the trust and safety industry, content moderation teams often face emotionally taxing and high-stress tasks. Exposure to egregious and harmful content can lead to burnout, compassion fatigue, and serious mental health problems. This is particularly relevant in the BPO sector, where employee turnover, performance, and quality as well as consistency of content moderation are closely tied to the wellbeing of team members handling damaging content.
For BPOs aiming to secure and maintain lucrative contracts with top tier digital companies, demonstrating a proactive approach to mental health is critical. Whilst it is ethically the right thing to do, it is also imperative from a business point of view: no social media or online community company wants to accept the possibility of very public and very costly lawsuits, drawing attention to either insufficient content moderation on their platform – Telegram being a prime example or a plain disregard of Content Moderators’ mental health – How Facebook ended up in the crosshairs of Kenya’s most legendary prosecutor.
Attracting and Renewing Top Clients
In today’s competitive BPO sector, the demand for trust and safety services has surged, driven by the need for robust content moderation across social media and other digital platforms. Leading brands are seeking BPO partners capable of managing sensitive and high-volume content while safeguarding the mental health of their trust and safety teams. By emphasizing comprehensive mental health support, BPOs not only foster a healthier, more resilient workforce but also position themselves as premium partners handling the complexities of content moderation.
The biggest and most influential players in the social media landscape are aware of just how important the psychological safety of Content Moderators is – not just to avoid damaging publicity, but to ensure a productive and highly performing workforce that can protect their brand, reputation and ultimately bottom line. For this very reason, the most successful digital companies are deciding to put mental healthcare back in the hands of the experts: third-party providers that work with BPOs “hand-in-glove” to facilitate ongoing mental health support. It is therefore not surprising that BPOs, who invest in robust trust and safety governance provided by the likes of Zevo, are increasingly attractive to top-tier clients who see employee wellbeing as integral to quality service.
When a BPO integrates wellbeing support, it is not only enhancing day-to-day operations but also aligning with broader industry standards and values: specialized mental health programs contribute to sustainable practices, allowing BPOs to retain skilled employees and maintain consistent, high-quality moderation services – a critical aspect for clients who put their reputation (and subsequently share price!) in the hands of BPOs.
What’s next?
At the end of the day, the purpose of content moderation is to create and ensure safety:
- End users enjoy social media and online communities to exchange, connect and contribute, safe in the knowledge that harmful content won’t find its way to them
- Social media and digital platform companies thrive by bringing together end users and advertising companies in a safe and playful space
- BPOs benefit from a sustainable and economically beneficial business model, working in close collaboration with the T&S experts who help them delight their clients (AKA win new, and renew and grow existing ones).
In the words of Jeff Bezos: “A brand for a company is like a reputation for a person. You earn a reputation by trying to do hard things well.” With Zevo, you can do the hard part of ensuring high-quality and sustainable content moderation really well.
Want to find out more how we can work with you? Our door is always open, happy to chat.
