You wouldn't leave home without locking the door so why are you taking chances with your social media accounts? Lax security measures online leave your brand open to reputational damage – and far worse, if you're particularly unlucky.
Here are some basic tips for making sure that you never have to issue an apology with that always dubious catchcry of "I was hacked!"
Lock your front door
You don't want to issue an open invite to anyone trolling the web and there are some very basic strategies that you can put in place to make it more difficult for would-be hackers. These include:
- Use a complicated password – avoid the usual suspects like names, pets, birthdays and the always tricky '1,2,3,4,5,6,7'. A combination of upper and lowercase, numbers and symbols is your safest bet.
- Update your passwords – whenever you have staff turnover, the password is shared or the channel itself has a data breach.
Train your social media gurus
- Be selective when delegating control of social media channels. Pick staff who can be trusted to log in and out properly every time, and who will remember the password without the aid of a post-it note.
- Develop and implement a social media policy that sets out the guidelines, tone and crisis management responses, as well as any approval process required.
- Train your staff in your company's expectations around how to handle themselves as company spokesperson online. If you don't feel comfortable with a staff member being a 'spokesperson' then don't delegate social media responsibilities to them. It may be that you need to put a more senior person into the role to achieve the appropriate tone and messaging.
Retain your brand credibility
Nowadays, "I was hacked" is often an excuse to sweep a social media fail under the carpet without actually admitting to an error and issuing an apology. It lacks credibility, even when genuine, so do your best to prevent having to make the statement and the subsequent questions around authenticity.
The content of this article is intended to provide a general guide to the subject matter. Specialist advice should be sought about your specific circumstances.