Instagram’s billion-strong audience and dynamic visual approach to building connections make it a fantastic launchpad for businesses and individuals. Yet, privacy-minded content creators and hopeful influencers may have reservations about Instagram’s privacy challenges.
Can you grow your presence on Instagram while keeping your privacy intact? It’s a balancing act, but you can pull it off with the help of Instagram growth strategies! In this article, you’ll learn more about Instagram’s privacy challenges creators face and how to thrive despite them.
Instagram’s Privacy Challenges
Meta’s relationship with privacy remains troubled. The Cambridge Analytica scandal rocked the world back in 2018. Yet, the safeguards the company put in place since then didn’t do much to alleviate user concerns.
The company’s privacy policy is transparent about the type and extent of data they collect. If anything, they’re cause for worry rather than reassurance.
Instagram sees value in and records almost any action you take on the platform and beyond. This involves posting content and interactions with others and the content they produce.
Moreover, Instagram keeps a history of feature usage and location data, not to mention any payments you made on the platform. Instagram’s privacy challenges get even more complicated once you involve integrated third-party apps such as tools for Instagram growth that collect information for their own purposes.
What Does Instagram Do With All This Information?
On the one hand, you benefit from this invasive data collection by receiving personalized ads and content you’re likely to find engaging. Content creators may find this helpful for inspiration, follower suggestions, and collaboration opportunities.
Even so, the nature of content creator and influencer profiles means Meta may know more about your demographic data, interests, or whereabouts than you’re comfortable with.
You can make account access more secure by using a password manager for your team at work and for personal use and enabling login notifications. However, it’s impossible to opt out of data collection. You can only stop receiving ads in territories like Europe if you’re OK with paying a monthly fee.
Dangers Associated With Other Users
What we’ve described so far affects all Instagram users. Content creators, influencers, and brand managers are at greater risk due to increased exposure to the general public.
Growth brings its share of troublemakers, while a necessarily more open interaction with your general audience gives such undesirables enough info for bullying, harassment, and even criminal intent.
Many influencers build their Instagram personas around sharing extensive life details or flaunting their wealth. Such behavior gives both cyber and real-world criminals enough “ammunition” to turn carefree Instagram celebrities into victims of crime.
Balancing Growth with Instagram’s privacy challenges
While it does require forethought and a more careful strategy, maintaining privacy while growing your Instagram following can be done! Here’s how to approach the challenge.
#1 Improve Account Security
Losing account access is the most devastating thing that can happen to your Instagram career, so being cybersecurity-conscious is a must. Start by protecting the account with a strong, unique password.
A password manager like NordPass will work best since it can replace the login credentials for all your other accounts, ensuring that brute force attacks and password reuse are no longer a threat.
It’s necessary to back the new password up with two-factor authentication either in Instagram itself or from your password manager. That way, you can regain control of a hacked account before anyone can take it over.
#2 Keep Your Personal and Professional Identities Separate
Your followers don’t need to know everything about you, even if you’re a lifestyle influencer. As long as you consistently deliver quality and engaging content, you can avoid specifics while still attracting more followers. For example, it’s perfectly acceptable to build your brand on a pseudonym instead of your real name.
Structure your posts in a way that promotes your art, services, etc., without revealing any identifying information. Focus on the value you bring to your followers. Engage with them frequently and build an active community. Do so without oversharing or getting drawn into sensitive discussions that have nothing to do with your online persona.
#3 Control the Available Information on You
Even harmless-looking posts can reveal identifying information about you. Pay particular attention to photos and reels someone could use to figure out where you live, identify family members, or otherwise endanger your real-world safety.
You’ll also want to turn off Instagram’s location services to stop location-based tracking. While you’re at it, opt out of any unnecessary third-party apps that may be collecting your data, too.
Pay attention to post times. Your audience might respond well to your vacation stories, but that doesn’t mean you should report on your live location and activities. Knowing where you are means your followers know where you aren’t, making your residence or hotel room ripe for burglary.
#4 Consider Going Private
Using a business account is indeed a good idea in the early stages while you’re gaining momentum. It has to be public, and you need to provide contact information. Even then, you can link it to a dedicated business email instead of a personal one.
If privacy is a concern, consider switching the account to private once you have a community going. You’ll have to revert it to a personal account, won’t have analytics, and won’t be able to advertise.
However, going private lets you manually approve followers and exercise more control over who gets to see your content.
While growth potential will suffer, you get to create and curate a niche community. This improves engagement and fosters a sense of exclusivity along with fewer unfollows.
You’ll need a close-knit community since word of mouth and personal recommendations will be the main driving force behind your channel’s growth.
FAQs
Q1: What Are Instagram’s Privacy Challenges Associated With Having a Public Instagram Profile?
Public Instagram profiles expose users to potential risks such as bullying, harassment, identity theft, and even real-world crimes like burglary. Increased visibility can also lead to unwanted attention from troublemakers and cybercriminals.
Q2: Can I Prevent Instagram From Collecting My Data?
While you can’t completely opt out of data collection on Instagram, you can manage the information you share, disable location services, and opt-out of third-party apps that collect data. In some regions, you can pay a fee to stop receiving targeted ads.
Instagram’s privacy challenges: Conclusion
Social media sites like Instagram thrive on the willingness of their users to give up much of their privacy in return for convenience and a personalized experience.
Luckily, compromising your privacy standards isn’t necessary to leverage Instagram’s reach when cultivating a brand and growing a following. Now that you know how it’s time to take control of your Instagram presence and reach new heights!
