Top 8 Security Tips If You Use Instagram for Business

Do you own or manage a business? If you do, the chances are that you use some kind of social media to promote your product or services. There are many platforms to choose from, starting with LinkedIn and ending with Pinterest, but Instagram, without a doubt, is one of the most popular ones. This platform has 1 billion monthly active users, and half of them scroll through their Instagram feeds every day. Unsurprisingly, businesses have caught on, and they have realized that they can use the platform to reach a wider audience. There are currently over 25 million business profiles and 2 million advertisers on Instagram.

When you start using Instagram for business, there are quite a few things to learn. Unfortunately, people often forget about security. If you want to build your business online, you definitely need to think carefully about ways to protect your business profile, and if you keep reading, you will find a few important tips. Note that the comments section below is open, and if you want to continue the discussion or ask questions, you should not hesitate to do it.

How does Instagram Business Account work?

You do not need to create an Instagram Business Account to promote your product, but that is an option you might want to consider if you need help tracking the performance of your posts or learning more about your followers and their interaction with the content you produce. Once you start using Instagram for business, you might be interested in tracking various statistics that are only available to those with the Business Account. Considering that the service is free, there is no harm in trying it out. Once you take the jump, you can add a contact button, use Instagram Insights, as well as enjoy other exclusive features, start advertising campaigns, and even use Desktop computers to post photos, videos, and stories. It’s all free.

It goes without saying that the more followers you have on your Instagram Business account, the more popular your product or service will be. Unfortunately, the more popular your account is, the more attractive it will become to hackers. You might have experienced it firsthand when a profile you followed suddenly did a 180 and started posting random things. For example, the profile of your favorite flower shop with an inspiring feed of floral arrangements might have started pushing photos of a random girl from an entirely different country. In this scenario, a hacker could have hijacked the account and sold it to the girl who wanted an instant following. Needless to say, people catch up sooner or later, and they unfollow hacked accounts. In the meantime, the hacked account could be used to promote other products, and the original owner might have lost everything they worked at for years. This is why it is important to discuss security if you set up Instagram Business accounts or even use Instagram for business via a personal profile.

How to secure Instagram Business and personal accounts

We are sure that most people understand that their accounts are vulnerable and that certain security measures must be taken to ensure full security. Unfortunately, many people postpone taking care of the issue because they think they don’t have time for it or because they lack information on what actually increases or decreases security. Since you are reading this report, we are confident that you already realize how important it is to secure your Instagram Business and personal accounts. The good news is that things are a lot less complicated than some people think. Here are 8 security tips we recommend taking seriously.

Security Tips for Instagram Business users

1. Get a strong password

You might be tired of hearing this, but yes, a strong password might be the most important element of a strong account. If you set admin as your login username and password as your login password, you are asking for trouble. Hackers do not go around trying every door to see if it is locked, so to speak. They have hardware and software at their disposal that can do the dirty work for them. Unfortunately, there is no such thing as an unhackable password. That being said, the stronger the password is, the fewer chances the hackers will have to breach it. We recommend employing a trusted password manager to assist you. This tool will help you create a good password, it will secure it using encryption, and it will make logging in easier.

2. Do not ignore security warnings

Instagram Business account users need to be cautious about the messages they receive. If your account is linked to an email account, be cautious about the security warnings you might get. Needless to say, if you are warned that someone tried to access your account illegally or that you need to change your password due to a detected security breach, you do not want to waste any time. That being said, you do not want to be hooked by phishing scams either. Always look at the sender’s address and look for clues that could give away a scam. If you do not know how to identify and evade phishing scams, you should read this guide.

3. Do not share passwords

If you are the only person who has access to an Instagram Business account, you are fully responsible for where the password goes. Needless to say, you should not write it down on post-it notes or even save it in unprotected document files. However, if you are working in a team, and multiple people have access to the account, you need to be very careful about the safety of the login password. Of course, we are not telling you to mistrust your coworkers or employees, but you have to be cautious. If you are the team leader, speak with other account managers and content creators to ensure that they are cautious too.

4. Do not disclose personal information

Obviously, your Instagram Business account should be separate from your personal account. This might be harder to do if you are a one-man ship or if your business is correlated with your personal life (e.g., if you are a lifestyle blogger). That being said, if you decide to use Instagram for business, it might be wise to have some separation between the two worlds. For example, if you have the option, you might want to get a second phone to use only for business-related purposes. Another option is to limit the amount of information that is shared, even if it is private. If your account gets hacked, you do not want to hand any sensitive data onto a silver platter. It goes without saying that you also want to be cautious about privacy when posting content.

5. Enable two-factor authentication

Whether or not you use Instagram for business, you need to enable two-factor authentication. This feature should be enabled on all virtual accounts because if someone tries to access them illegally, they will face the obstacle of second authenticator. Even if your login credentials are leaked or breached, unless hackers know how to bypass your second-factor authenticator, they will fail. Learn more about two-factor authentication here.

6. Evaluate third-party helper apps

If you are trying to level up and offer a more unique, better, and interesting feed, you might be looking into Instagram helper apps. These are third-party apps that are meant to enhance the photos and videos you post, help you schedule posts, as well as track statistical and analytical data. Unfortunately, where third parties are involved, security issues often arise. If you are 100% sure you want to use additional apps, you have to research them thoroughly, which includes familiarizing with the terms of use conditions and privacy policies. If you are not careful, you could end up installing fake apps that could help hackers breach your account.

7. Do not forget about linked accounts

If you log into your Instagram Business account using email or Facebook, you must not forget about the security of these accounts too. Are their passwords strong enough? Is two-factor authentication enabled? Are your accounts phishing-proof? These are important questions that you need to answer.

8. Log out!

Most hackers operate online, but there are people who can and will use any opportunity they get. This is why it is a good idea to get in the habit of logging out. This will save you in case your phone gets stolen or if you need to use a friend’s phone or even a public computer to access your Instagram Business account.