Social Media and Other Accounts Secure

Are Your Social Media and Other Accounts Secure?

A few days ago, I noticed that my long-time nonprofit technology colleague, Ruby Sinreich, had her digital life hacked and stolen from her. The hacker accessed many of her accounts and locked her out, and took over her Twitter, deleting her followers and changing the profile. Chronicled on her tumblr blog, it took her days to reach humans at different platforms to get help, faced many challenges, and all the while the hacker social media marketing agency teased her and tried to sell her Twitter account on a hackers forum. She was able to finally take back control of her accounts after a very stressful ordeal. This could happen to any of us. So, how can you make your social media and other account more secure? Twitter and other social media services offer verification logins. That means if try to log on from an unfamiliar IP address, the service will send a code via SMS to your mobile phone and you enter that code. That way only you can log into your account. Here’s more on Twitter’s verification logins and here. You can enable this for both Google and Facebook. For Google, it’s under Account -> Security -> 2-step verification. For Facebook, it’s Account Settings -> Security -> Login Approval. Twitter, it’s under Account -> Account Security -> Require a verification code when I sign in. As soon as I read about Ruby’s ordeal, I enabled this on my accounts. It was minor inconvenience at first having to reset these accounts on my desktop, laptop, tablet, and mobile phones, but better to be safe than face an ordeal like Ruby’s. There are also some issues if you want protect both your personal and organizational accounts,social media marketing company as the verification is one account per mobile phone number. Every so often, it is a good idea to do security and privacy assessment of your Internet presence. Tactical Technology as a terrific resource, Security in A Box, that helps you do a security tune-up for personal or organizational accounts. Privacy is also important. Here are some best practices based on this infographic and the Me and My Shadow site from Tactical Technology. The shadow site has a terrific tool box that helps you understand what pieces of your identity are being left online if you are using the Internet.

Do You Need Social Media to Secure More Deal Flow?

Strictly speaking, no middle-market advisor must use social media. Traditional in-person networking has, and will continue to have, a fundamental role in middle market dealmaking. But in an age where the internet is increasingly becoming the means of communication (Twitter alone has 284 million active users) — if you’re not using social media to source deals and create and nurture relationships – you are likely missing out on some opportunity. John Slater, a Partner with Washington, DC-based Focus Investment Banking and a regular mid-market focused blogger, outlined in a recent article that the “onrushing digital social media marketing plan template age” is dramatically changing business. And that the mid-market is not immune. As Rafi Arbel outlined late last year about the internet’s use as a successful connector: “78% of consumers claim that custom content (like the content you’d share in a blog) is a sign that a business or [an] organization is interested in building strong relationships. After reading custom content on a website, 60% of consumers say they feel more positive about a company.” This positivity-by-content can prove extremely valuable in the competitive middle market. If a few blog articles every month can make the difference between you or a competitor winning a client, it seems like a no-brainer. Also of importance, C-Suite executives, in particular want to be contacted because they thrive on “fresh ideas from outside their companies.” They seek unique, actionable, and commercial information tailored to their business. Yes, mid-market advisors can do this in person, but social networking provides another, social media marketing world more efficient means to connect with more mid-market executives and their advisors – in less time. Proper use of social media and online content can create a scalable and precise means by which investors and advisors can connect with transaction-ready CEOs. Connecting via the means Arbel outlines – custom content via the Internet – is one exceptional method by which to access the C-suite – beyond networking in person.

The pros and cons of in-person networking vs. social media networking

A 2011 article by James Perrin compares in-person networking to social media networking. As is expected, each strategy has its own pros and cons – and the two strategies seem to be complementary. One key difference between the two is time. While you might need a few hours or more to cross town to attend a networking function, the internet affords you with the ability to connect from your desktop to others – with often remarkable precision (again – if social media is properly utilized). In terms of trust, face-to-face networking and relationship building is clearly superior and necessary. But trust can’t be built with those you don’t get a chance to know. Another major social media marketing tips dynamic Perrin discusses is the balance of quality and quantity. In this regard, social media networking permits you to know more than you would without it – hence favoring quantity – by being able to connect a CEO and a trusted advisor from 1,000 miles. But those relationships can and should be deepened offline. Who’s the winner? Both. Given the amount of online networking that can be done — utilizing a tailored effort online can build more opportunity offline – and lead to more deal-flow than you would have had without networking via the internet. Combined and coordinated with your already existing in-person networking – and more deal-flow will result. With this in mind, I’d argue we’ve now entered what I would regard as a second major phase of social networking for professional services providers. Industry leaders have moved beyond the initial phases and are now adopting social media marketing tools increasingly more sophisticated means by which to identify, engage and secure remunerative relationships with clients via online engagement. Simply by reading this article on Axial’s Forum, you’re availing yourself of the very sort of platform I am referring to. Indeed, the University of California at San Diego is now offering a course on some of the more advanced forms of social networking that are currently being used by savvy mid-market advisors, including blogs, vlogs (video blogs), forums, podcasts, mobile computing, and even virtual reality.