A healthy Facebook account is essential to running a thriving virtual direct sales business. If your Facebook account upholds its status as an upstanding user on the platform and is properly protected, you'll minimize the risk of disrupting everything you've worked to achieve.

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Whether through the dreaded Facebook Jail or getting hacked - both of these unfortunate instances can be catastrophic to your livelihood. Especially when you’re running all your parties through Facebook Groups. If you can’t get into your account to run them, then you no longer have an operating business.

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So because at PostMyParty, we are dedicated to providing you with the tools to enhance and scale your workflow, we will get into tips and tricks on maintaining the health of your presence online!

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So what do I mean by ‘the health of your online presence’? Well, think of it like your body. If you’re not adequately caring for yourself, you’re more susceptible to getting sick. When your Facebook Account is unprotected or flagged for suspicious behavior - it’s like weakening your body’s immune system. You become more likely to catch something that gets in the way of everything else functioning, such as PostMyParty being unable to post on your behalf or even leaving cracks open for hackers to infiltrate your account. But the good thing is that there are simple things you can do to strengthen your online immunity.

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How to Protect Your Account from Hackers

Lately, there has been a surge in Facebook accounts getting compromised, and it's a cause for concern. Online scams are becoming sneakier and more advanced, catching even the most cautious users off guard. As scams evolve, we must keep up with the changes to stay safe. That's why refreshing our knowledge of good online practices is a great idea.

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Now, I get it. You might think, "Why would anyone bother hacking into my Facebook? I don't store anything important there." But here's the thing: even though you may not have sensitive data directly on your account, it holds valuable clues that could give hackers access to your other accounts, like your bank. It's surprising how much unintentional information we unknowingly provide to those who are up to no good.

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That's why it's crucial to know about the latest scams floating around. Taking care of your Facebook account's security health safeguards you from potential threats and keeps your business running smoothly.

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Here are 4 tips for increasing your Facebook Account’s security health:

‍#1 - Update your password

You already know the importance of having a strong password. But did you know that the length of your password is now the most important factor?

It was previously thought that adding symbols and numbers to an 8-character password would make it secure. But with computer programs that can guess passwords within seconds, that's not enough anymore.

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The time it takes for a program to guess your password increases exponentially with each additional character. So if you want your password to be secure, make it as long as possible while avoiding obvious patterns.

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I know it can be hard to remember a long, random password. But if a password is easy to remember, it's also easy to hack.

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If your current password does not abide by the rules below, it's time for an update:

• At least 14 characters long.
• Does not use any personal information that could be easily guessed, like your name, birthday, or address.

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#2 Be Aware of Phishing Scams

When it comes to your Facebook login, it's super important to keep it to yourself and only share it with people you trust, like your partner or personal assistant. Because if your sign-in information gets into the wrong hands, you could lose everything you've worked hard to establish online.

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Recently many people have fallen prey to phishing emails. Phishing is when cybercriminals trick individuals into revealing sensitive information through fake emails, texts, or websites. They aim to use this stolen data for identity theft or financial fraud.

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These sneaky emails pretend to be from Facebook, and they can look like customer service messages, urgent updates, or anything that might catch your attention. The scammers behind them want you to click on a link to a fake Facebook-like website. And guess what? They hope you'll unknowingly give away your login details by signing in there. Once they have your info, they can quickly take over your account and change all your settings and passwords, locking you out. You may not even know it happened until it's too late.

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Here's the deal: a reputable organization like Facebook will never ask for your login information outside of signing in to the app or website. So, if you ever encounter someone requesting that information, don't trust it.

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Instead, go straight to the Facebook app or website and sign in to check for yourself. Never click on any suspicious links.

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Let's talk about using your Facebook login for other platforms like PostMyParty. You know, the ones that let you skip the hassle of creating a separate password. Here's the scoop: when you do that, you give them an authorization token. It's like permitting them to use your Facebook account to set up an account with them. But don't worry; they don't use that token to access your personal information. It's a handy way to streamline the sign-up process! And as a bonus, you don't have another password to remember.

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At PostMyParty, we're all about your account's safety. We take extra precautions to ensure we don't get any information that could compromise your security. Now, our support team is pretty awesome and trustworthy. They're party experts, after all! It might be tempting to ask them to log into your Facebook account and fix any problems you face. But here's the deal: we don't do that. Why? Because it would weaken your online protection, we want to ensure you're super protected on our platform.

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So remember, keep your Facebook login to yourself, watch out for phishing emails, and always sign in directly through the official app or website.

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#3 - Use a Password Manager:

Using the same password for multiple accounts is a big no-no. I get it; having one password that you can easily remember and use across all your accounts is tempting. But it's much safer to set up a password manager that can keep track of all your login information. The best part? You don't have to stress about remembering them all. Password managers will even generate random passwords for you and save them automatically. All you have to do is copy and paste. However, when choosing a password manager, research and ensure they haven't experienced any recent data breaches. If they have, it's better to go with a different option because, let's face it, a password manager that can't protect its own data isn't doing its job.

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Here's the deal: if one of your accounts gets hacked and you've been using the same password everywhere, all your accounts are at risk. This is especially dangerous with Facebook, considering the amount of personal data we have stored in those accounts.

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Hackers are pretty crafty when it comes to filling in the blanks and extrapolating information. So, let's say someone manages to break into your Facebook account, and you've used the same password for your bank account. Well, now they have a direct path to your banking information. You might wonder, "How would they even know which bank I use?" Good question! Typically, a hacker would first try signing in to your email account using the stolen login information from Facebook. Once they're in your email, they can dig through your messages and start connecting the dots.

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Now, if you're smart and have a separate password for your email, they might resort to other tactics. For example, they could check if you've liked a particular bank's business page and use clever guesses based on your current location to narrow the possibilities. Effective hacking is just connecting all the dots.

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So, to stay safe, remember to use unique passwords for each account and rely on a trustworthy password manager. Please don't make it easy for hackers to access multiple areas of your digital life. Stay one step ahead and protect yourself!

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#4 Limit what information you provide to the public

Another smart move is to take control over what information is visible to the public from your Facebook Account. Trust me, the less personal information those random strangers can get their hands on, the better. Any information you have online can be used to cause havoc on your business and life.

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So, here's what you need to do: dive into your Facebook privacy settings and boost your privacy.

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Make sure that you are using Facebook's two-step authentication. If it's not already set up, it's time to update!

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You'll also want to consider limiting who can find you on Facebook and what shows up in Google's search engine. Overall you want to get as familiar with your Facebook privacy settings as possible. You never want what information is available to the public to be a surprise.

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Now, once you've got your privacy settings in tip-top shape, you'll want to be extra cautious of who you accept friend requests from.

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You see, scammers love to create cloned accounts that mimic your existing friends. Sneaky, right? But don't worry; we've got your back. You can avoid falling into their traps by being mindful of who you accept as friends. If your privacy settings allow only people who are friends of your friends to find you, accepting a request from a scammer gives them access to all your mutual connections. Those scammers are crafty, building their own network of potential victims.

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Now, I understand that you may worry about balancing privacy and growing your business as an entrepreneur. Well, fear not! There's a fantastic solution that keeps you protected while still maintaining public access. It's time to invest in a Facebook Business Page. Think of it as your fortress with a big, welcoming door. Anyone with a Facebook account can easily reach your business through the page. Plus, when you're creating your virtual parties through your Business Page, it takes the weight off your personal account. There will be no reason to worry about Facebook raising an eyebrow due to suspicious activity, like creating too many at once. We've got a plan for you!

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How to Avoid Facebook Jail

The next part of maintaining your Facebook account's health equation is ensuring you're avoiding flags for suspicious behavior that can land you in hot water. We've all experienced that frustrating moment when we're engrossed in our Facebook routine—sending messages, engaging with parties—and out of nowhere, a notification pops up: "Your account has been temporarily restricted." Our business activities suddenly halt, and panic sets in as we scramble to find alternative ways to communicate with hosts and customers. It's a headache we'd all rather avoid.

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The puzzling part is that sometimes these restrictions seem to strike out of the blue, leaving us questioning why Facebook has targeted us. But fear not! I'm here to illuminate the situation and offer you a remedy to circumvent this frustrating fate. By leveraging the power of a Facebook Business Page and implementing the following tips, you can safeguard your account and minimize disruptions to your business operations.

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Business Page Quality:

Did you know you can check to see what quality Facebook categorizes your Business Page? Essentially, if your Business Page is “green,” you have no restrictions on your account, and Facebook is more likely to recommend to members for sharing purposes. However, if it’s “orange” or “red,” you risk becoming unpublished and unable to sync up with other platforms like PostMyParty.

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To check on your Business Page’s quality:

• Go to settings.
• New Page Experience
• Page Quality

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The easiest way to increase the quality of your Business Page is to post content. You want to ensure that your Page is doing more than just creating Groups. If you’re only doing one thing over and over again, your account will likely be flagged as a bot. Adding content, particularly highly shareable reels, will help showcase to Facebook that your Page is legitimate.

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How to use your Business Page to further protect your personal account:

Having a Business Page on Facebook enhances your account's security and reduces the burden on your personal account. Here's the deal: every action you take on Facebook is tracked, even if you're not excessively sending messages or managing numerous parties simultaneously. Facebook's algorithms monitor activity levels, and if there's a sudden surge of actions from your account, they might restrict your access. It can feel quite perplexing as if the restrictions come out of nowhere.

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However, the magic happens here: by dividing your interactions between your personal account and your Business Page, you create a buffer zone. By leveraging the Business Page, you can allocate specific actions and activities to that dedicated space, thus reducing the intensity on your personal account. Here's the bonus: Business Pages are granted more leeway with bulk actions since it's understood that they handle a broader range of tasks compared to personal accounts. Facebook encourages members to conduct business activities through Business Pages instead of relying solely on personal profiles. This explains why the platform can sometimes be sensitive to high activity levels on personal accounts.

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Other tips to protect your personal account:

• Engage with content that is not related to your business. If you become a top contributor in groups related to your other passions, you'll gain favor with Facebook's algorithms.
• Do not repurpose videos with music from other platforms without checking the copyright laws for Facebook. If that music is not approved, your video will be blocked, decreasing your good favor.

Prepare for the worst-case scenario:

Imagine you're scheduling a party through PostMyParty and want to post a template for your party. Now, if you schedule it through your personal account, everyone in the group will see that you're the one posting it. But here's the game-changer: by scheduling it through your Business Page, it won't be your personal account associated with the post. This means that even if your personal account encounters issues or gets temporarily blocked, any admin on your Business Page can step in and schedule through your PostMyParty account. It's a safety net that prevents you from being left wholly shut down in such situations.

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You can assign additional admins to your Business Page to ensure this backup plan works seamlessly. It could be your husband, a personal assistant, or a trusted friend who can step in if needed. You establish a contingency plan for just-in-case scenarios by granting them admin access.

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By taking these proactive steps, you can safeguard your online presence and maintain uninterrupted business operations. Your Business Page becomes a reliable backup, protecting you from potential disruptions and ensuring that you're prepared to tackle any challenges that may come your way.

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