Getting any of your social media accounts hacked can be frustrating. I’ve had my Twitter account hacked a few times and when it happens more than once, you get more and more angry with it. PR Daily News put out a helpful guide on How to protect your brand’s social media accounts. Although I can say I have gone against these rules some of the time, I highly recommend using these to protect your accounts. This is vital advice to consider because if someone gets into your account they can really mess things up for you. For example, nationally known brands, Burger King and Jeep, recently had their Twitter accounts hacked. This can go terribly wrong because those hackers may send your followers mean things that could make your brand look bad. In the case of a single person, it is not as a big of deal, but can still harm your reputation. If your account gets hacked and important professionals, such as PR pros follow you, they could receive a nasty direct message from you. You must follow PR Daily’s steps to make sure this never happens to you. Their steps help you come up with a password that hackers won’t be able to figure out.

1. Avoid brevity. Make your passwords long. Most sites now require you to make passwords longer than 12 characters.
2. Vary the characters. Use more than just a simple word. Use symbols, capital letters, numbers, and punctuation.
3. Add complex passwords to smartphones. For iPhone users, use more than a four-number password. You can change it so you can use a word instead of numbers.
4. Check your password’s strength. Test a few passwords strength’s on HowSecureIsMyPassword.net.
5. Use your phone or tablet as storage for your passwords. Use your notes app to put all your passwords in. Don’t put which passwords go to what, but just make a list of every password you use.
6. Log out. If you use multiple computers, at school or work, always log out of every site. Even if someone steals your computer, they can’t get into your accounts if you log out.

These are some great tips for creating a strong password that will keep you from getting your accounts hacked. Don’t let hackers get you down. Keep up with all of your social media and keep your reputation safe. Use these tips to protect yourself online.

Check out the article for more tips on protecting your brand. I know your social media accounts are your life, so keep them protected.