 This one hits close to home for me. I recently had a couple friends tell me that their Instagram business accounts had been hacked which left them locked out! Fortunately we’re not powerless to stop hackers and there are things we can do to protect our accounts. Here are 4 ways you can protect your social media accounts from being hacked. 1. Use Strong Passwords Your password is your first line of defense against hackers so make sure it’s a strong one. To increase your password strength make your password 12 - 16 characters long, mix upper and lowercase letters with numbers, punctuation, and symbols, and don’t use the same password for all of your social media accounts. 2. Change Your Passwords On A Regular Basis Regularly changing your passwords can stop a hacker if they attempt to log into your account more than once. Also, a shorter length of time with each password gives hackers less time to figure out what it is.  3. Enable 2 Factor Authentication
This feature creates a two step process to gain access to the account. For example, after entering your password you could be required to provide an additional login code sent to you either via text message or email. 4. Don’t Click on Unknown Links If you get a random DM from an unfamiliar user with an attached link, DO NOT CLICK ON IT.🔥 This is known as phishing and it’s designed to steal your information or infect your device with malware. Also note that hackers can masquerade as legitimate entities like banks and government agencies so don’t click on those links either. Rather, contact those organizations directly if you have questions. Be careful online! For more tips and information on cybersecurity visit www.getcybersafe.gc.ca/en
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 Are you a service-based business looking to use social media to promote what you do? Instagram is a platform that helps you to create connections by delivering your brand story and providing value. What is even more awesome about Instagram is that you can easily find your audience. The one who will trust you and relate to you and of course do business with you. As a service-based business, it does take creativity to relay your message to your ideal client. Here are some tips to help you connect with your audience on Instagram: Content Mix To provide value, share your brand story and promote your service, you want to have good mix of content. This allows you to develop a good relationship with your followers and allows them to get to know you. It creates trust rather than pushing your services at them.  Example: @drlaurabelus shares health and wellness and shares empowering quotes Inspirational Quotes When a potential client comes to your business with a need, it is usually linked to a fear or a dream. For instance, I have a a great interest in physical fitness. I love to follow accounts that share empowering quotes about fitness. Take @drlaruabelus a naturopathic doctor who shares her business on Instagram. She talks health and wellness information and shares quotes that inspire. Her quotes take me to a place where I can envision what life would be like if I were healthier. I love them and I do follow accounts that consistently post this type of content. Tell Stories As a service-based business this is your opportunity to give people insights about what you bring to the table. Not just your services but your personality, behind the scenes and business ethics. Be honest, open and conversational. Write your captions as though you were writing to just one person a way that draws them to you and the services you provide. Invite your audience to engage, interact, and do business with you. Share Posts That Educate Share easy tips that help your ideal clients with their problems. When giving away helpful tips, you establish yourself as an authority as an expert in your field. When your followers need a service like yours, you will be the obvious choice. And do not be afraid that you are giving away too much information. Those who require your services will reach out to you for more context and how your service can help them directly. Be Humorous This can be very effective for businesses that might be considered boring and may not have an obvious visual element to them. Plan Posts That Sell Your Service Remember though that Instagram is a platform to showcase your brand. So especially for service-based businesses, you want to to develop a relationship before going in for the sell. Include Call To Actions Call to actions or small asks persuade your followers to interact with you (which leads them to take action on your bigger calls to action). Call to action range from double tap if you agree, to click to join the newsletter. By setting up a good content mix, great visual content, and writing captions that connect and convert, service-based businesses can reap the benefits of a strong presence on Instagram. Do you market your service-based business on Instagram with these tactics? What tips can you share? 
Instagram Insights! Woo Hoo! Do you have an Instagram for Business account? Then you'll want to watch this video! I explain all the exciting information that you can obtain on your posts and your account. Find out if your Instagram is being viewed by your target audience!
Click the video to watch. What do you love most about Instagram For Business Insights? 
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