30 online safety tips for community managers

1. Nominate online safety champions

Give online safety a face by appointing key members of your Marketing, Social Media, IT and PR teams as champions. That way, people know who to contact and the public knows you take Safety seriously. 

2. Publish your online safety policy

Create a clear and concise online safety policy, then publish it somewhere highly visible. Make sure it’s written in plain English and is accessible for everyone. Review your policy on a regular basis and update it as needed. 

3. Identify potential risks

Does your audience include high-profile individuals, vulnerable adults or children? Consider problematic topics that could come up and create responses for each one.

4. Protect employees

Share online safety tips and tools with employees so they know how to lock down their personal channels and avoid becoming victims of online harassment, a swatting attack or doxing. 

5. Monitor activity

Assign specific people to keep up to date with the news cycle and report back on any relevant conversations taking place online. Update your Moderation and Safety teams about any news pieces or cultural changes which may affect their day to day work. 

6. Look out for language

Keep a list of keywords of concern such as suicide, self-harm and violence. Search sites like Urban Dictionary for acronyms and slang terms, then set up alerts and monitor daily. 

7. Seek help from professionals

If you need help to spot signs of grooming, scamming or violence there are professional moderation agencies with online safety expertise like StrawberrySocial, who can provide assistance.

8. Set community guidelines

Create a set of rules for community members and enforce them consistently. Be clear on what help you can provide and at what point you’ll signpost them to support elsewhere. 

9. Follow through on policies

Set policies around the removal of content and/or community members, and follow through on these. Always provide transparent explanations for the actions you’ve taken to maintain community trust. But honour user confidentiality. 

10. Incident reporting 

Establish clear procedures for reporting online safety incidents and ensure there’s a swift and coordinated response to minimise potential damage. Make employees aware of the process too.

11. Protect the privacy of your community members

Advise against community members sharing identifying information where possible. Always encourage them to direct message you any personal details and explain why, so they know you value their privacy.

12. Get to know your community

Keep an up-to-date list of your online advocates including celebrities, influencers and supportive community members. Set up alerts to monitor mentions of them on a daily basis.

13. Embed online safety in your campaigns

Before launching a campaign or product, run it past your Online Safety team. They can share any concerns and prepare for possible comments. Ask colleagues to sense-check the content too.

14. Monitor audience behaviours

After launching a campaign or product, monitor reactions and note if something provokes a response you weren’t expecting. Remember to allocate budget to customer engagement, conversation monitoring and safety.

15. Create an online safety hub

Build a library of all your online safety resources including agreed messaging, guidelines and key contacts. Make sure it’s accessible for all employees and keep it up to date.

16. Review and inform

Look back at past online safety incidents and capture any learnings. Log what response you posted and use that to inform the team in case of any future occurrences.

17. Stay up to date

Stay on top of the latest online safety trends and best practices. Signing up to our newsletter is a great way to keep abreast of the ever-changing online safety landscape.

18. Teach digital literacy

Educate your audience, especially younger users, about responsible online behaviour and critical thinking. Take a look at our jigsaw effect infographic for more info.

19. Use reputable sources

Verify the authenticity of information you find before sharing it with your online community, to prevent the spread of misinformation.

20. Highlight success stories

Share success stories and positive impact to inspire your audience. Focus on uplifting content to foster and maintain a positive online presence.

21. Monitor comments and messages

Actively monitor comments and direct messages on your social media platforms to address any questions or concerns and filter out inappropriate content.

22.Educate your supporters

Provide your followers with key, digestible online safety tips and encourage them to practise responsible online behaviour when engaging with your organisation’s content.

23. Collaborate responsibly

Assess organisations or influencers carefully to ensure they align with your values and principles before collaborating. Our Influencer Vetting service helps you make smart decisions about who you work with.

24. Build a supportive community

Develop a supportive online community and foster a culture of positivity and inclusivity. Encourage your followers to respect each other, champion other members and report any inappropriate behaviour promptly.

25. Train and empower your moderators

Provide your social media moderators with training on your community guidelines, moderation tools and processes, to equip them with the resources to effectively manage online interactions, including escalation procedures.

26. Use AI moderation tools with caution

Social media moderation tools and AI can make things easier and more efficient for your moderation team. However, ensure the use of moderation tools and AI is always overseen by experienced, human moderation professionals. 

27. Address misinformation and harmful content promptly

Establish clear procedures for identifying, reviewing and addressing misinformation and harmful content on your social media platforms. Prioritise removing or flagging inappropriate content to protect your followers.

28. Collaborate with other organisations

Partner with others in your field to address common online safety challenges. Share best practices and exchange information to promote a safer digital environment. Check out our Online Safety Resources.

29. Look after your moderators

Moderating content on social media is a relentless, tough job. Some aspects of the job are likely to have a negative impact on your moderators’ wellbeing. Giving them the support and recognition they deserve can really help.

30. Review your policies regularly

It’s important to review social media policies and practices regularly so they remain effective. Keep an eye on emerging trends and threats, as well as feedback from followers.