Social media is great. It should be a critical part of the marketing plan for all high-performing agents or teams. But are we being too social? Especially when it comes to our vacations and travel plans? Should we be posting all the details and photos of all our adventures on social media?
According to a study by Allstate Insurance Canada, what people are sharing on social media about the vacations puts the individual at a higher risk for losses and theft, as their absence from their homes are being made known to the entire world – especially people who really should not know about it.
A study conducted by Allstate Insurance Canada found that 23% of the respondents admitted that when they are away from home they posted their vacation whereabouts on social media for everyone to see. The study also found that 52% of the respondents between the ages 18 and 24 share travel details on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, etc.; for respondents between the ages of 25 and 34, 43% also admitted to sharing their vacation details online.
What can you do to protect your identity, your home and your possessions when you are on vacation? Some ideas to consider include:
- Refrain from publishing your vacation departure dates on social media
- Check your social media privacy and security settings before you head out
- Deactivate your geolocation feature on your mobile device
- Before posting pictures, consider if you are giving way too much information – avoid geo-tagging your photos
- Even if your social media settings are set to private – consider that many of your online contacts may have less rigid security settings which will allow the wrong people to view your vacation details
- Consider posting your photos on social media after you return
Being social does not mean we have to be stupid. Protect your identity and your home while you are away. Just be a little less social about your vacation details.