Four ways that Twitter is tackling brand safety

When marketers talk about brand safety, we’re talking about people. After all, people are at the core of our platform, whether they’re using our products and services, populating our communities, or coming to work every day to make our brands what they are.

People tell us what they care about and what matters to them most. They use their voices to impact our businesses and the world around us. We need to find more ways to support them.

Yet, brand safety in practice feels anything but personal – an endless problem with layers upon layers of confusion, oversimplifications and reactive responses.

But it doesn’t have to be like that. The social media landscape can be a safer place by serving the public conversation and creating an atmosphere where everyone feels comfortable, secure and confident enough to share their voice.

And while Twitter’s current mission already recognises that focusing on people is our priority, we still have work to do. We’re already seeing progress happen through our policies, products and partnerships, and we’ll continue to invest in brand safety to make Twitter a safer place for all. Here’s how we’re doing it.

Starting with policies that lead

People need accurate information. About Covid-19 vaccines. About elections. About the things that impact so many of us. To achieve that high standard, Twitter is continuously reviewing its policies against misinformation and has started labelling Tweets that we consider problematic to encourage the proper behaviour on the platform.

And by having these policies in place – focusing on people and their conversations first – we’re creating an environment that helps keep brands safe from supporting misinformation.

Delivering products that protect

As a platform that encourages conversation, how can we enable them to feel safe for all? Through product innovations. With products such as Twitter Amplify, we give brands more control over what content they associate with via an Amplify Pre-roll publisher criteria, third-party audits of content safety, and the option for blocking or selecting certain publishers or categories.

In fact, in recent OpenSlate research, 100% of Amplify videos examined met the Global Alliance for Responsible Media (GARM) brand safety standards. These products not only keep brands safe, but they also ensure people on Twitter see safer sponsored content too. And that makes Twitter a safer platform for all.

Partnering with organisations to drive industry-wide change

We can’t do this alone. So, Twitter seeks out experts’ and the public’s opinions to help challenge us and make us better.

Through our partnership with the GARM, for example, we have contributed to the creation of the industry-standard Brand Safety Floor and Suitability Framework. And with many more valued partners, we’re learning, collaborating and taking action that not only makes Twitter more brand-safe but creates a standard for keeping content safe for people, too.

Putting people first can help your brand, too

The right tools and partnerships are essential when creating a safe environment, but brands can also increase consumer confidence when they get out there, engage the community directly and recognise their voices. More than just generating goodwill, it creates a community-wide moment. When it comes to interactions on Twitter, those are invaluable.

Make people comfortable by listening: Listen closely. Can you hear it? There’s a conversation happening around your brand. Now it’s your turn to acknowledge it and contribute to it. And when you nurture the relationship you have with people on Twitter and give them the space for telling you what’s important to them, it can benefit your brand. That’s the power of engagement. Join the conversation.

Build and encourage a confident community: The superfan. The advocates. The ALL CAPS diehards. There’s a community out there that will support and celebrate your brand when you’re actively helping others feel confident in being themselves. Just as long as those expressions are sincere and authentic, your community will support you as you show up during both bright moments and challenging times. Sure, there may be times when naysayers and detractors will try to throw you off balance, but the community that loves your brand will have your back and protect you against the toxicity.

Celebrate inclusive voices. Authenticity is everything. A mantra so crucial that brand managers should practically tattoo on themselves so that they never forget. Just as important is inclusivity – bringing diverse communities in and giving them a share of the mic makes us safer and stronger collectively.

Keep moving forward together. This won’t be easy. It may even seem challenging. Our goal as an industry is to create the safest possible environment for the people who use our platforms, engage with our media, and connect with our brands to contribute to a longer-lasting and more profound impact on brand safety.

Because, ultimately, behind every Tweet is a breathing, thinking and feeling individual who wrote it. A passionate individual with a voice. And it’s our job to empower them, protect them and encourage them so they can share that voice freely.