In today’s swiftly advancing digital domain, social media behemoths like Facebook and Instagram have become vital resources for businesses to prosper. As a brand, ensuring the safety of your customers and providing a positive and secure experience is a responsibility shared between you and Meta. Neglecting this duty could result in calamitous consequences, rendering the ostrich approach entirely unsuitable. To aid your brand in remaining at the forefront and taking charge, we’ve gathered an extensive list of indispensable recommendations that every brand should embrace to safeguard both themselves and their customers on Facebook and Instagram. Brace yourself for an illuminating and empowering adventure as we disclose the pivotal strategies for manoeuvring and excelling in the modern social media landscape.
1. Create a clear social media policy:
A well-defined social media policy outlines how employees should represent the brand on social media platforms, including guidelines for appropriate content and behaviour. This policy can help prevent potential PR disasters, such as employees sharing sensitive information or posting offensive content, which may tarnish the brand’s reputation. An example of a risk that a clear social media policy can mitigate is the backlash experienced by a brand when an employee posts a controversial statement on their personal account.
2. Monitor social media channels:
Regularly monitoring your brand’s social media channels enables you to identify and respond promptly to any customer complaints or issues that arise. By addressing these concerns in a timely manner, you demonstrate your commitment to customer satisfaction, preventing negative experiences from escalating and damaging your brand reputation. An example of a risk that monitoring social media channels can prevent is the viral spread of a customer’s negative experience, which could have been resolved if addressed promptly.
3. Secure access to social media accounts:
Limiting access to your social media accounts to trusted employees and implementing two-factor authentication adds an extra layer of security. This helps prevent unauthorised access and potential account hacking, which could lead to the compromise of sensitive information or the posting of inappropriate content. An example of a risk that securing access to social media accounts can prevent is the widespread panic caused by a hacker posting false information about a product recall on the brand’s official account.
4. Stay up-to-date on platform policies:
Keeping abreast of the latest changes to Facebook and Instagram’s policies and guidelines ensures your brand’s content remains compliant. Non-compliance may result in penalties, such as account suspension or content removal, which could negatively impact your brand’s visibility and credibility. An example of a risk that staying up-to-date on platform policies can prevent is the sudden removal of a brand’s content for violating a newly implemented policy, causing confusion and potential loss of trust among followers.
5. Build trust with your audience:
Establishing trust with your audience by being transparent, authentic, and responsive on social media is crucial for brand reputation management. Responding to comments and messages in a timely and helpful manner demonstrates your commitment to customer satisfaction, fostering a positive brand image. An example of a risk that building trust with your audience can prevent is the loss of customer loyalty due to perceived indifference or unresponsiveness to their concerns.
6. Communicate with your audiences when you detect fraudulent activity:
Developing a standard response plan for instances of fraudulent activity ensures your team can act swiftly and efficiently to address the issue. By promptly notifying your audience of any fraudulent activity, you demonstrate transparency and protect customers from potential scams. An example of a risk that communicating with your audience when detecting fraudulent activity can prevent is the financial loss experienced by customers who fall victim to counterfeit product sales or phishing attempts.
7. Register your trademarks and submit them to Facebook:
Registering your trademarks and submitting them to Facebook simplifies the process of requesting takedowns of fraudulent pages, which helps protect your brand’s intellectual property and reputation. An example of a risk that registering your trademarks can prevent is the damage to your brand image caused by the proliferation of counterfeit products sold through fraudulent pages.
8. Hire a professional team of social media fraud-prevention, anti-counterfeiting, and brand protection experts:
Engaging the services of a professional team, such as the Offernet Brandshield Team, ensures that your brand is safeguarded against fraudulent activities on social media platforms. These experts can proactively monitor, detect, and address potential threats to your brand and customers. An example of a risk that hiring a professional team can prevent is the negative impact on brand reputation due to widespread counterfeiting and associated customer complaints.
9. Verify all your official Facebook pages:
The verification for your official Facebook pages enhances credibility and allows customers to effortlessly recognise your authentic page, minimising the likelihood of interactions with deceptive accounts. An example of a risk that obtaining verification for your official Facebook pages can prevent is the potential disillusionment and erosion of trust among customers who mistakenly engage with counterfeit brand pages, which can ultimately impact your brand’s reputation and customer loyalty.
10. Use global pages structure when available:
Utilising the global page structure ensures that your customers see only one official Facebook page, regardless of their location. This reduces their chances of interacting with fraudulent pages and enhances the overall customer experience. An example of a risk that using a global pages structure can prevent is the potential damage caused by customers engaging with region-specific fake pages that spread false information or sell counterfeit products.
11. Tighten up your page settings:
By adjusting your page settings to ensure that only approved users can post to your page and setting up a profanity and blocked keyword list, you minimise the risk of inappropriate content being shared on your brand’s social media pages. An example of a risk that tightening up your page settings can prevent is the negative impact on brand reputation caused by offensive or inappropriate user-generated content.
12. Provide access to your Facebook business assets via Facebook Business Manager:
Avoid adding users directly to your Facebook pages; grant access to your business assets through Facebook Business Manager. This centralised system allows for better control and management of user access. An example of a risk that providing access through Facebook Business Manager can prevent is the unauthorised posting of content by former employees or contractors who still have access to your pages.
13. Secure your Facebook Business Manager account:
By ensuring that only approved email domains can be added as users to your Business Manager, you add an additional layer of security and prevent unauthorised access. An example of a risk that securing your Facebook Business Manager account can prevent is the potential compromise of your brand’s social media presence by malicious actors who gain access through unsecured email domains.
14. Monitor tags:
When your page is tagged in questionable content, request its removal immediately. Monitoring and addressing inappropriate tags helps maintain your brand’s image and prevents the association of your brand with undesirable content. An example of a risk that monitoring tags can prevent is the negative perception of your brand due to its association with controversial or offensive content.
15. Ban spammers from your page:
Don’t just hide spam comments; delete them and ban the spammer from your page. This helps maintain a clean and reputable social media presence, fostering a positive environment for genuine customer interaction. An example of a risk that banning spammers from your page can prevent is the potential loss of customer trust due to the perception that your brand tolerates spam or malicious activities on its social media pages.
16. Set up an internal social media content review policy and process:
Implementing a content review policy, ideally with the assistance of a professional outsourced team like the Offernet Social Media Oversight Team, ensures that your brand’s content is reviewed objectively and adheres to the highest standards. This helps maintain a consistent and professional image across your social media channels. An example of a risk that setting up an internal social media content review policy can prevent is the damage to your brand’s reputation caused by inconsistent or subpar content that fails to resonate with your target audience.
In today’s digital age, safeguarding your brand and customers on social media platforms like Facebook and Instagram is critical. By implementing these suggestions, your brand can proactively address potential risks and maintain a positive, secure, and trustworthy online presence. Remember that vigilance, transparency, and responsiveness are key to fostering a strong relationship with your customers and protecting your brand’s reputation. Stay informed about platform policies, invest in the right resources, and always prioritise the safety and satisfaction of your audience to ensure long-term success on Facebook and Instagram.
