Home topics small-business-resources sales-and-marketing Marketing PR Small Business Marketing A step-by-step guide to protecting your SME against brand damage on social media Alastair Parry June 5, 2017 In a world where social media is (almost) everything, there is no denying the benefits of an engaging online presence for your business. More than 1 in 10 surveyed Australians have now shopped via a social media platform [1] . Successful social media strategies allow small businesses to convert customers to unofficial, yet involved, brand ambassadors who are genuinely excited about products and services, and are willing to share them with family and friends. Additionally, we’re seeing a rise in consumers ‘browsing’ on social media before they buy, so a strong presence is increasingly important. But, like everything, there is always a flip side. As social media platforms increasingly become a key way for customers to interact with your business, the potential risk of malicious brand damage from online fraudsters increases. In fact according to a study by Proofpoint, close to 600 new fraudulent brand accounts were created each month between April and June 2016 on Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and Instagram. These fraudulent brand accounts, run by cybercriminals, hijack brands by creating fake pages and accounts with the business’ name and credentials in an attempt to convince potential customers of its credibility. They have also been known to offer free perks and customer service actions which, in reality, do not exist. PayPal is no stranger to this phenomenon. We’ve discovered accounts purporting to