Social networking is a fantastic resource for building meaningful relationships and expanding professional networks all across the globe. In particular, Instagram gives its users the opportunity to maintain a visual record of their thoughts, feelings, and activities. The implications for brands are enormous. Influencers have paved the way for whole new fields of work that didn’t even exist ten years ago.
It’s important to proceed with caution when using Instagram (and any other platform), but it’s easy to ignore this advice after getting used to social media. The steps outlined in this article will help you keep an eye on your Instagram account and prevent any unwanted situations.
Public or private?
The first decision is whether or not to make your account private. This is something that can be affected by a number of different variables. The protection of one’s privacy is of paramount importance from the perspective of one’s everyday life. However, in order to grow their audiences and put their chosen social media strategy into action, brands and influencers will need to maintain active accounts.
What’s concerning is that problems arise when people start trolling or posting harsh comments. A user cull should be performed every few weeks, during which all new followers are checked for any problems and removed or blocked accordingly. It’s also wise to run background checks on Nuwber on those who are watching your activity.
The comments area can be disabled if persistent trolls become a problem. Not ideal from a profile’s engagement standpoint, but occasionally necessary for your long-term mental health and safety.
Enable two-factor authentication
Instagram’s sign-up procedure can now have an extra layer of verification. Remember that even major websites have been hacked—Instagram is only one example. To avoid being locked out of an account, it’s important to use a strong password and enable two-factor authentication to protect against attempts to hack Instagram.
Hacking is damaging for brands and influencers. When they are hacked, the perpetrator typically pretends to speak on behalf of the hacked entity to spread destructive content, such as deleting followers or uploading objectionable posts. Preventing this from happening in the first place is crucial, as it may be very challenging to retake control and restore a brand’s image thereafter.
Check location settings
Anyone with an Instagram account can view all public stories in a given area simply by searching for a place related to that area. This not only reveals people’s locations to the world at large, but it also makes it possible for viewers familiar with the area to identify the precise spot.
From a safety perspective, this might be a major problem. Brands may be immune, but it’s still relevant for influencers and regular people. Social media is now a viable professional path, but influencers are already disseminating a wealth of material online that may be used by others for further research. Add to that the fact that a malicious follower may potentially piece together a detailed picture of your daily movements if you provide your whereabouts.
Staggering postings to appear after the event or occasion has already occurred is an excellent technique to get around this while still providing a glimpse into an influencer’s life. This eliminates exposure while still revealing interesting lifestyle details.
Be careful with what you post
As a corollary to the prior argument, many users are aware that they need to watch what they post in order to protect their reputation and personal brand. However, how many people are aware that putting up the wrong kinds of posts might also be dangerous? There are numerous ways to pose a serious threat to one’s privacy and safety on Instagram.
It’s so simple to inadvertently compromise privacy online, whether it’s by providing a glimpse of a credit card in a bag, including a street sign that reveals an exact house address, or simply broadcasting a holiday and saying where you are at the moment.
This may not be noticeable at first, but a series of careless omissions can give people more personal information than is appropriate.
What goes online stays online
There is no such thing as a deleted post on Instagram. One can never know for sure who has screenshotted a specific post and when. Everyone knows that it’s not the end of the world if they post anything insulting, even if they later erase it.
However, for influencers who have only recently begun to build a profile and establish an audience, older and more personal photographs can resurface, which is dangerous for a variety of reasons. Many Instagram users, understandably, don’t give much thought to security beyond avoiding controversial content.
Single sign-on is optimal
Instagram security measures also include the use of single sign-on systems as an alternative to always keeping users locked in. The difference between being hacked and keeping your account secure may come down to taking the time to log in and out. One of the most effective ways to avoid having your password key recorded is to have a one-time password supplied to you.
Use a unique password for each account and remember to change them every few months. While this may seem like a lot of work, it is a necessary precaution. Instead of using a specific phrase or word that could be easily guessed by hackers, it’s smarter to utilize a random generation of letters.
Don’t be afraid to block and report
In particular, brands and influencers may be reluctant to remove or block their followers for fear of losing subscribers. But nobody should feel bad about putting up a wall between themselves and potential danger. Taking a stand against individuals who are mean and aggressive, whether it be through the aforementioned hate remarks or getting tagged with very offensive or slanderous material, is necessary.
Being linked to hateful content is never pleasant. Anything that could be considered a hate crime should be reported.
Conclusion
Instagram’s rise to prominence is apparent, whether you use it for self-expression, socializing, or keeping up with your favorite celebrities. Sharing photographs with such a large audience increases the chance of being a victim of cybercrime; thus, it’s crucial to learn how to protect yourself on Instagram.