Staying Safe Online When Using Social Media for Your Business
Social media is such a fantastic tool for your direct selling business. However, it IS social, which means that there are LOTS of people there…not all of them good people. Now some people decide that they’re not going to engage in social media at all because of this. However I believe that this approach will cause more harm than good for your business. After all, if you want to attract leaders to your team, studies in our industry show that most director-level people started the business in their 20’s. This is Generation Y, and they’re more comfortable communicating through social media tools than talking on the telephone! And because there are SO many people engaging online these days, chances are you’ll miss out on a LOT of potential orders and reorders if you choose not to engage.
A better solution is to make smart decisions that protect you and your private information. That way you can enjoy the benefits of social media, while avoiding the nasties. Here are some tips:
Never list your real birth date, especially the year of birth. (This is open season for identity thieves)
Never enter your user name and password (for anything) into a site you did not purposely navigate to yourself. I even avoid sharing my Twitter password on sites that need it in order to work.
Never give the exact time or address of where you’ll be. (The only exception might be an event where there will be a lot of people in a public place.)
Never share your home address (and possibly your home phone number) on any social media sites.
When sharing pictures of your children, you may wish to avoid sharing their names, where they go to school, their exact ages, etc.
If someone friends/follows you that makes you feel uncomfortable, unfollow/block them immediately.
If meeting an online contact in person for the first time, go with someone else, and meet in a public place.
If you’re sent a link to something, even by someone you know, double-check that the person sent it and their account wasn’t hacked. (And if there are tons of misspellings in the words around the link, you can almost be guaranteed it’s spam…well unless your friend’s just a bad speller )
By making some smart decisions, you can meet a lot of wonderful people who will help your business grow. You’ll also spread the word about your amazing company, helping even more people experience the benefits that you enjoy. Just be wise, and social media will help you shine!
Jennifer Fong helps direct sales companies, direct sales professionals, and other home-based business owners leverage the power of social media to grow their businesses. A former direct sales company CEO, Jennifer is passionate about teaching direct sellers how to use social media tools to enhance their businesses in a strategic way. Visit Jennifer’s blog at http://www.facebook.com/l/d7813;jenfongspeaks.com and follow her on Twitter at http://www.facebook.com/l/d7813;twitter.com/jenfongspeaks.
Tags: bookings, Direct Sales, direct sales tips, Home Parties, Jewelry, party plan, single moms, social media, WAHM, Work at home, work at home moms
July 31st, 2010 at 1:21 am
Ok so i came upon your topic from this other site that talked about some diet solutions? Anyways, i took the time to read your page but i’m slightly confused… Either way, you’re a decent writer and i wanted to take the time to write a thank you! I’ve bookedmarked your site for future reference.