Can Your Small Business Trust Facebook?

Facebook is one of the most popular social media outlets. It’s also one of the most controversial.

Even as the site releases new tools for small business owners, data leaks plague the platform. Social media users have more questions than answers, and you may be wondering:

As a small business owner, can you trust Facebook with your company’s precious data?

Facebook and the Issue of Trust

The past few years have been rough for Facebook and its creator, Mark Zuckerberg. 2016 saw a massive amount of Facebook data swept into the grasp of Cambridge Analytica, a company which was then accused of feeding user data to President Trump’s election campaign.

Around that time, Facebook was accused of collecting data from calls and messages that app users sent from their smartphones. And as if that wasn’t enough—turns out, the company was storing that data.

After both data violations, 59 percent of Americans no longer trusted Facebook to comply with U.S. privacy laws. Compared to platforms such as Amazon (34 percent) and Google (38 percent), this level of public distrust was—and is—staggering.

So, Can You Trust Facebook Now?

Since then, Facebook has taken advantage of two-factor authentication to make its users’ accounts a little safer from data drain. To date, the platform still retains over 900 million international users.

That popularity is Facebook’s primary selling point among small businesses. It’s also one of the reasons the social network remains a popular resource in marketing campaigns. With so many consumers in one place, it’s easy to promote products at little cost to your company, even to international audiences.

The value of the platform to small businesses is clear, despite the data issues. While only you can decide which social media platforms you want to explore, Facebook offers incredible reach for little cost. Its sheer popularity is more than enough reason to jump onboard.

Trust—but Verify.

The good news is that for platforms that rely upon Facebook to bring in the bulk of their consumer audience, there are steps you can take to keep your data safe.

• Enable two-factor authentication: Though it won’t do much to protect your data, two-factor authentication does keep your profile safe from malicious hackers.
• Explore page roles: Facebook’s page roles come with individualized permissions that allow you to control who has access to your immediate interface.
• Avoid unfamiliar links: If you receive strange private messages, emails, or Facebook links from sources you don’t recognize, delete them and report them via Facebook’s security tab.

So, while Facebook’s scope opens it up to ongoing scandals, it remains one of the best resources for small businesses looking to market their products on an international scale.

Conclusion

Is your company in need of help? MV3 Marketing Agency has numerous Marketing experts ready to assist you. Contact MV3 Marketing to jump-start your business.

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