Ways You Should Protect Yourself As An Online Personality

This is a collaborative post but all thoughts and opinions are my own

If you’re a blogger, vlogger, or any kind of online personality, taking the necessary steps to protect yourself online is key. You share a lot about yourself when you’re an online personality, so making sure you’re smart will give you peace of mind and help you to avoid any creepy stalking or any other weird goings on. Below, we’ll discuss how you can protect yourself as an online personality:

Assume Everything You Post Online Is There For Good

First of all: think very carefully about the things you post. Think carefully whether you’re telling people where you are or whether you’re commenting on something in the news. The fact is, you can delete something, but people are extremely quick to screenshot. One thoughtless comment could stick with you for life and derail your career. Never post when you’re not thinking clearly, and mull ideas over before you post them.

Strengthen Your Passwords

When you’re an online personality, you can’t get away with using simple passwords. Make sure your passwords are as complex as possible, and use multiple passwords for different platforms. It’s also a good idea to have two factor authentication turned on, just in case.

Never Post Personal Details Online

Avoid posting personal details online. Talking about the city you’re from can be great, but you don’t need to tell people the exact location where you live. Being general is fine, but giving away very personal details is not.

Consider A Virtual Address

A virtual address from a place like https://physicaladdress.com will mean people can send things to you without giving away your real address. You can have fan mail and brand collaborations posted there. They are very helpful!

Consider Using A Different Name

Not everybody will like this, as they want to be as ‘real’ as possible. However, sometimes using a fake name or even a nickname might be the best idea. This may not make a huge difference if somebody really wants to find you, but it could help to give you further peace of mind.

Switch Off Location Services

Turn off location services on your phone, and don’t use apps that tell everybody your location. Apps like Foursquare, for instance, tell everybody where you are in real time. Geotagging your instagram pictures could even be a bad idea. If you tag yourself somewhere in real time, and people have a good idea of where you live, you could be putting your home at risk. You might even be hounded by rabid fans of your blog/vlog. You just never know!

Don’t Accept Strangers On Facebook

Create a separate ‘fan page’ on Facebook, rather than accepting people you don’t know. Double check your privacy settings, too. You never know who might be silently lurking around your social media posts.

Take steps to protect yourself now, even if you’re not a household name. You never know what the future holds, and it’s always best to be as safe as possible! Do you have any ideas of your own? Leave them below!