A must-read for user operations: 6 key points to pay attention to when setting user management rules!

Setting user rules is a task that every user operation staff will never be able to overcome. With user rules, our work efficiency will definitely be greatly improved, but if the rules are not set reasonably, we may lose a lot of users, which will not be worth the loss. So, how should we set up a relatively reasonable set of user rules?

1. Rules are never static, but are constantly optimized and evolved.

There has never been a set of operating rules that can always be used, remain unchanged, and be manipulated. The reason is actually very simple. The Internet changes too fast. A set of gameplay will become outdated in just a few years. Now the iteration cycle is being greatly shortened. The industry is changing, users are changing, and the mindsets of people born in the 80s, 90s, and 00s are completely different. You need everyone to accept your rules before change can work.

Like other large communities, rules need to be passed down in the form of documents. During the years I have been there, I have at least tens of thousands of documents. Many of our rules are optimized regularly, and new rules will be continuously introduced. Some of them are based on user needs and feedback, some are to fill loopholes in community rules, and some are formulated after new products are released. They accumulate slowly, and one day when you calm down and sum up, you will surely be amazed at yourself.

It should be noted that optimization does not mean major changes. Once users get used to something, it is very difficult to change it, and it will definitely result in user losses. The principle is to supplement and optimize locally to make the existing rules more solid and popular, so that the entire set of rules can be improved day by day and fewer and fewer people can find loopholes.

So, what operators need to do is:

1. All kinds of information that may lead to changes in user management rules must be obtained. Must have great sensitivity;
2. Check documents regularly, modify any changes promptly, and upload them to the company's public document storage location (FTP was used in the early years, but now most companies have dedicated backends);
3. Documents that are open to users and can be viewed should be updated in a timely manner, and old documents should be replaced;
4. Newly issued rules should be reported to the company and announced to users in a timely manner so that users can be aware of changes in the platform at the first time;
5. Every operator of a user organization or system must have a set of overall plans based on global considerations (this can be done using mind mapping software such as xmind or mindmanager).

2. Make up for loopholes, reduce losses and resolve conflicts as soon as possible

Since it is a rule, it is definitely not perfect (it is just a goal, an expectation). When the rules are given to users, there will always be some individual users who will intentionally or unintentionally try to understand more of the logic behind them. What's worse, they will look for your loopholes. Once they find them, they will tell more users and catch you off guard. As mentioned earlier, the broken window effect, if the rules are not fixed, there will be endless troubles.

Of course, there is also a situation where there are no rules in a certain scenario. For example, a well-known platform did not define original works, which led to a situation in which a user used other people's works as entries in a certain competition. The editor was even careless enough to recommend it to the homepage. The original author complained, and the entire platform was in an uproar. Many users began to complain about the management issues of the operators, and even escalated the issue to the CEO. There are many examples of this kind. The reason is: there are no rules, the operating staff are slow to respond, and no corresponding solutions are put forward.

Regarding this link, operators need to do the following:

1. Regularly check for deficiencies and take the initiative to find omissions in the rules diagram;
2. If there are no rules, we should react immediately and issue rules to show the official attitude;
3. Calm users' emotions, focus on solving problems for users whose interests have been infringed, deal with the most core users in the incident, and prevent the occurrence of chain reactions. If the problem cannot be solved online, make a phone call immediately to stop the problem immediately.
4. If the authorities have made obvious mistakes in the entire incident, they should not try to cover it up. They should make it clear and apologize where necessary. Don't be so stubborn as to save face that you suffer in the process.

3. Some key points on writing user management rules documents

Document writing is also a science. Users need to understand it as quickly as possible and know what you want them to do.

In early 2009, I was the one who set the VIP user rules for Mop ( Sina Weibo was not yet born at that time). Although there are just a few simple icons, the logic behind them is actually very complicated. There is a complete set of logic for VIP user management in the background, and there is another set of logic for the display in the front end. When I published it, I had written a whole document of four to five thousand words, with pictures and detailed text explanations. It was a very long post. However, after I posted it, I was greatly disappointed. Most users replied that they couldn’t understand it. In fact, I later asked individual users and it wasn’t that they couldn’t understand it, but the post was too wordy and they simply didn’t have the patience to read it.

Now let me summarize and share some of my thoughts and experiences with you:

1. The company's rules archives have different requirements from the rules shown to users.

The company's documents need to clearly explain all the logic, requirements, and specifications, because operators must understand all the details. Otherwise, if they are missed, they will never be able to be found again. The cost of re-learning is very high, especially for the successors of this work.

The rules shown to users must be concise and not lengthy. You only need to tell them what the rules are, what benefits they can bring to them, and what they need to pay attention to. The normal length of a post is about 1,000 words, and the user's reading patience must be taken into consideration.

It’s okay for company documents to be long, as long as the table of contents is ready. However, the rules shown to users must be broken down item by item to help users find the parts they need more quickly. Long-winded rules are not acceptable.

2. The title must be clear and the text must be in a very formal tone, not too colloquial.

The basic principle of a title is that users should know what you are going to talk about by seeing the title, instead of having to click in to read it carefully. This idea is unacceptable.

Since they are rules, they are solemn because users need to abide by them. I have seen some operations staff who set rules as if they were having a normal conversation. It feels like they are discussing issues with users, and they even use some Internet slang or their personal habitual catchphrases. The entire rule set is very sloppy and informal. How can users feel deterred after reading it?

3. The specific content of the rules should comply with the standard writing format of the document

The content of each paragraph should not be too long, and it should be divided into paragraphs where necessary.

Break sentences where they should be broken, and don’t make a sentence too long, otherwise the user will feel choked or suffocated after reading it.

Use more numbers to separate the contents and explain them clearly item by item.

Bold the areas that need bolding to highlight the key points.

Mark the places that need to be marked in red in red to remind users and prevent them from making mistakes.

4. The document has a different tone internally and externally

The wording used in the company's archives needs to be as formal and rigorous as possible, while documents for users must be easy to understand and use less internal and professional terms, because users will not understand them and will think you are showing off.

5. Be polite to users and don’t be stingy with your thanks

Sometimes, the rules that are introduced may not necessarily bring benefits to all users. If you need to win the support of all users, you need to make your words clear, be polite to users, let users make suggestions and opinions, and provide timely feedback if they are unhappy, so as to gain their full understanding.

I think it is a habit of operators to be generous with thanks. Users don’t owe you anything, so saying a few more thank yous won’t hurt. That's what I've always done.

4. Don’t try to cover everything. The so-called rules are just a way to play.

Operational rules are different from product rules. Just like playing a game , we need to tell users how to play by the rules and how to play against the rules. We also give users strategies. If they follow the routines and methods we give them, they can play better. They don’t necessarily have to pass the level, but at least they can have more fun.

Therefore, it is not a good idea to try to cover everything. You will fix the user's thinking. Of course, in the actual operation process, you cannot cover every detail. There are too many things to cover and you will be exhausted. Just make the general framework and direction clear.

In addition, when doing this work, there is a value that must not be accepted, which is to control users. We need to give users a certain degree of freedom. Since it is a game, the things users pursue are naturally varied. Not everyone wants to be the first, and not everyone wants to complete a game.

5. Announcement of User Management Rules

Generally, newly introduced rules are placed in a more prominent position on the platform, depending on the importance of the rules. If they are very critical rules, they may even need to occupy the prime position of the platform for recommendation. If they are general rules, they can be placed at the top for recommendation, etc.

The announcement time is usually on working days. Unless it is a sudden rule, it can be announced on weekends or holidays.

Regarding the ID used for announcements, many people think that they must use the company's official title, such as XX official, XX administrator, XX speech, etc. In fact, this is a misunderstanding, especially on community platforms. Many announcements can be announced using the administrator's own ID (with an icon), such as rules that are very beneficial to users, rules that require listening to user voices, etc. On the one hand, it is easy to establish your prestige in the community. On the other hand, IDs such as XX official will make users feel too oppressive and as if they are talking to a machine. Such IDs are generally logged in less frequently and will miss a lot of user feedback information.

After the rules are announced, it is necessary to collect user feedback so that timely adjustments can be made to the rules based on user responses.

6. Do a good job in document inheritance and handover

A good operations staff is also a good secretary. He will organize various documents in an orderly manner and place them into different categories, which makes it easier for him to review and for future work handovers. I have seen many people whose computer desktops are full of various documents. If they were asked to do moderator work or user management work, they would probably collapse mentally because the documents would increase n times.

When handing over work, not only various management rules, but also some group lists, permissions, data, user information, reports, etc. need to be handed over. Don't be afraid of trouble, but to prevent future troubles, unclear handover, misappropriation for personal use, or taking users and documents directly to a competitor's company, this kind of thing is common.

Summarize

Rules are a process of being created from scratch and gradually improved bit by bit. In the end, there may be tens of thousands of documents, which is normal. At the same time, you can’t set it too detailed or too rigid, otherwise the users will be boxed in, and you will also box yourself in.

Having said that, this job is actually quite difficult. It requires time, sufficient patience, and the accumulation of experience and experience. It is definitely not something that can be achieved overnight. Many operations personnel, including Lei Lei, have stumbled in this line of work, but after working for a long time and experiencing so many setbacks, they gradually learn how to overcome them.