Why outsourcing content moderation offers brands a strategic advantage

Imagine you’re running a bustling e-commerce platform that allows anyone to be a seller and lets users post reviews of what they purchase. Every second, your users are uploading content that could make or break your reputation. Most of it, of course, is perfectly innocent, but not all.

You may also have some content moderation policies in place, but you know in the back of your mind that as your platform grows each month, your system is falling behind. A single missed piece of harmful material could lead to public complaints from your users, penalties from regulators, or possibly worse.

Now multiply this scenario by the millions of posts that platforms like this process daily, and the scale of your challenge becomes clear.

Gone are the days when brands could get away with treating content moderation as just another box to tick. With today’s advanced technology, a robust moderation policy is the backbone of trust that you build with your users. And while the instinct may be to tackle it in-house, the smartest move for many businesses is to outsource this critical function to specialists.

At the last Marketplace Risk conference in London, trust and safety and risk management leaders joined our Head of Trust & Safety, EMEA, Ailís Daly, to peel back the curtain on why outsourcing content moderation is a strategic play that can safeguard your brand, enable you to scale your operations, and even drive growth. Here’s a closer look at why outsourcing is the ace up your sleeve. Or, watch the full panel discussion in the video below:

The expertise outsourcing brings

“When you bring an external content moderation company into the business, they’re bringing in a very unique set of skills,” said Patrick Lawler, Head of Safety Policy at Bolt. “Because tech is relatively new, a lot of people aren’t privy to those skills. External providers are also working with other clients, so they can bounce ideas off them to fit your unique use case. That’s invaluable.”

External partners such as WebPurify have years of experience in managing the complexities of content moderation. Our 19 years in the industry mean we’ve seen it all and have a playbook for any situation, whether that’s crisis management, scaling operations or enforcing very specific community guidelines.

We’re not just specialists in reviewing content; we bring insights from working across myriad industries and platforms, providing tailored solutions for each client’s specific challenges. This breadth of expertise enables our team to anticipate issues before they arise, ensuring smoother operations for our clients and their users.

Patrick also emphasized the importance of industry collaboration: “These companies aren’t working in isolation. They’re able to take what they’ve learned from other clients and apply it to your situation. That cross-industry perspective is a huge advantage.”

Why not DIY?

Many companies are tempted to keep content moderation in-house, believing it will save money or provide greater control. Others turn to big consulting firms, assuming their broader expertise will translate to this niche area. However, as Patrick pointed out, these approaches often fall short.

“You might spend a lot of money hiring one person or go to one of the big four consulting firms, and they actually don’t have anyone who’s ever worked in these spaces,” he explained. “They’ve just hired people straight out of university with flashy degrees.”

In-house teams may also struggle with scaling, particularly when dealing with seasonal spikes or unexpected crises. Consulting firms, meanwhile, often lack the hands-on experience required to navigate the fast-moving world of content moderation, where threats and their means of attack can change by the week. By contrast, outsourcing to a specialized provider ensures access to seasoned professionals who know the field inside out.

Balancing costs and benefits

Eoin O’Reilly, Director of Enterprise Risk at Etsy, addressed the common concern about costs: “It costs money to get people in, but at the same time, that can also unlock efficiencies for you. It can actually save you money as well.”

Outsourcing content moderation isn’t just about the upfront investment. By leveraging external expertise, companies can reduce operational inefficiencies, avoid costly compliance issues, and mitigate reputational risks. Eoin added, “You have the potential to unlock new technology, new capabilities, and people to flex volumes and queues. That flexibility can be so useful.”

This flexibility is especially important for platforms that are experiencing rapid growth or dealing with fluctuating content volumes. External partners like WebPurify can scale their operations to meet demand, ensuring consistent moderation without overburdening internal teams.

Retaining accountability

While outsourcing offers numerous advantages, it doesn’t absolve companies of their responsibilities. Eoin was clear on this point: “You can’t outsource accountability. Ultimately, you can’t blame a third party for things that go wrong. Having in-house expertise can complement the services of an external partner and ensure your company maintains oversight and strategic control.”

By maintaining a strong internal framework, businesses can work collaboratively with their external partners to achieve the best results. This partnership approach ensures alignment on goals and maintains a high standard of accountability.

In this way, content moderation providers like WebPurify act as strategic allies that can even help guide your business strategy, as well as providing operational support. Ailís put it succinctly: “Imagine a company that had content moderation services and over a decade of trust and safety experience. Who wouldn’t want to work with that?”

By partnering with experts, businesses gain access to cutting-edge technology, industry insights, and scalable solutions. This not only strengthens your trust and safety efforts but also enhances your brand reputation and user satisfaction.

Developing in-house expertise with external support

While outsourcing is a smart move for many businesses, some brands may prefer to build their content moderation and trust and safety expertise internally. This is where WebPurify’s Trust & Safety Consultancy comes in. For companies wanting to strengthen their in-house capabilities, our consultancy services provide bespoke guidance tailored to your needs.

Whether you’re setting up a moderation team from scratch or refining an existing framework, WebPurify can help with risk audits, building trust and safety operating models, and even crisis management strategies.

“At WebPurify, we empower businesses not only to manage their content moderation effectively, but also to understand and navigate the complexities of trust and safety,” Ailís explains. “Our consultancy services are designed to help companies build frameworks and strategies tailored to their own unique challenges.”

This dual approach ensures that businesses not only benefit from WebPurify’s years of expertise but also develop their internal capabilities to maintain accountability and operational control. By combining external support with in-house ownership, companies can strike the perfect balance between flexibility and responsibility.

For more information, read our guide on choosing a vendor partner vs in-house moderation for your business.

Beyond cost: the long-term value

Outsourcing content moderation is a long-term investment in your platform’s success. Patrick highlighted the broader impact of neglecting trust and safety: “If you start measuring your trust and safety metrics early, you can avoid knee-jerk reactions when something bad happens. Companies that fail to invest in this area often end up overcorrecting, implementing onerous regulations that hurt their users and their bottom line.”

Proactive investment in content moderation allows businesses to stay ahead of potential issues, build trust, and foster a safer online environment where users feel secure and valued.

For companies weighing their options, the message from Ailís’ Marketplace Risk panel is clear: outsourcing content moderation provides more value than just reducing workload. When you invest in WebPurify’s services you’re leveraging specialized expertise, achieving scalability, and strengthening your brand’s integrity in an increasingly competitive market.

By choosing the right partner, businesses can turn content moderation from a cost centre into a driver of growth and innovation. The question becomes not whether you can afford to outsource – but whether you can afford not to.