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With more than 300 million users, LinkedIn provides a networking opportunity for business professionals across the world. However, just like other social media platforms, LinkedIn also has its own set of security issues. It is important that you protect your account in order to safeguard your information and avoid spoiling your online reputation.

Given below are some tips to protect your LinkedIn profile:

• Update Your Privacy Settings: Make sure you review your privacy settings to keep a check on the information you want to share with your connections. For instance, you should turn off your activity broadcasts if you do not want to display updates about the changes you made to your profile. You can also change the visibility settings for your profile picture, connections and other professional details.
• Opt For Two Step Verification: LinkedIn allows its users to activate two step verification for their accounts. This offers a higher level of protection and prevents the incidence of identity theft and unauthorized account access by the cybercriminals. When you choose two step verification, you will be required to enter the password, along with a numeric code sent to your phone when logging in from an unrecognized device.
• Verify Your Connections: You should connect only with the people you know. Adding unknown connections or merely acquaintances puts your account information at risk. Cybercriminals use fake accounts to connect to entrepreneurs and gain access to their business information that can be further used for malicious purposes. Therefore, if you receive a connection request on LinkedIn, make sure you verify the profile to check if anything seems to be suspicious.
• Change Your Password Frequently: It is recommended to follow the best password practices to safeguard your LinkedIn account from unauthorized access. Create a strong password that includes random letters, numbers and symbols. You should use different passwords for all your online accounts and change them after every few months.
• Check Third Party Apps Connected To Your Account: Be watchful about the apps you have authorized to connect with your LinkedIn account. These can access all your confidential data and hence, you must review the apps that you have permitted. Deactivate all the apps that you do not recognize or use anymore.

For more information on LinkedIn and social media security tips, feel free to contact Centex Technologies at (972) 375 – 9654.

Privacy and space has always been a concern when it comes to social networking platforms. Many times it so happens that you see more of posts and tweets from people you would like to hear less from. To answer this concern, popular social networking giant Twitter has unveiled a new feature called the ‘mute button’. This feature allows you to hide from your timeline tweets that you do not want to see often.

The mute button on Twitter allows users to stop hearing temporarily from certain friends, without unfollowing them. So the next time you are not interested to know about a particular TV show or a sports event, simply use the mute button, and all tweets pertaining to them will be hidden from your timeline. The best part is that your friends will not get to know even if you have ‘muted’ tweets from them. You can start following these friends and other pages again, whenever you feel like.

This new feature from Twitter comes on similar lines as is currently prevalent on the other social networking platform, Facebook. The idea is to allow users to choose what they want to see in their news feed. As of now, the ‘mute button’ feature has just been unveiled; gradually in the coming days, all Twitter users will have this option in their accounts.

Prior to this, Twitter had a feature wherein users could turn on device notifications so that they do not miss out on any tweets from their favorite users. Likewise, the mute button will now allow users to turns off notifications and tweets from users that they do not want to hear from.

With the new feature rolling out, users can now look forward to a more enriching experience as they go about ‘tweeting’ on the popular website. Customization is perhaps the best feature that can be offered on social platforms, and with the ‘mute button’ feature, Twitter has done precisely that.

Widely popular social networking sites like Facebook, Twitter, Google Plus, Pinterest, and LinkedIn have immense potential when it comes to generating new business. Even though almost all employees nowadays are familiar with these networks, it is unfortunate that the average business does not make the most out of these platforms, despite them being free to use. Social networking for your business is a great way to reach out to potential customers and maintain communication with existing ones.

• By engaging users in social networking activities for your business, you send out an impression of being on the cutting edge, giving you a competitive edge in the industry. Despite the dedication and constant work that social networking demands, it has several advantages to offer your business.

• Being active on social networks gives customers a chance to check-in when they visit your business, serving as an efficient way to spread the word about your business.

• A social network gives you a wide audience to reach out to, by making your business accessible to friends of friends. This means that if an existing customer who is active on your social networking page likes/ shares an update, this makes you visible to their entire network of friends.

• Social networking for your business also gives you a chance to establish your professional credibility and expertise through blogs.

• Social networking sites like Pinterest are a good choice for businesses that rely on the impact of images to generate interest among existing and prospective customers.

• One of the biggest advantages offered by social networking platforms to business owners is free marketing. Businesses can use these channels to offer deals to engage current followers and attract new customers.

• These platforms also make it possible for businesses to have direct access to their customers, being able to instantly address any doubts or queries, express gratitude, provide suggestions, spread information, and showcase their brand by way of conversation.

• Conveying the right tone and ensuring consistency in the brand image projected on social networks gives your business a personality and a voice, increasing the impact of your marketing efforts.

• LinkedIn serves as an excellent platform for networking with business professionals in a particular industry, which can go a long way in spreading the wings of your business.

The key to successful usage of social networking for your business lies in thinking out of the box. It is important to constantly evaluate your strategies to ensure that you are making the most out of social media.