In the current day and age, online marketing and media are the best ways to promote your band.
Imagine you have built a 1000 fan following on a platform, and then you wake up and find out that all you access has been denied. That just happened to me. Facebook having its link to Instagram opens the door to hacking via phone numbers and email addresses without need for your Facebook password. There are several examples of loopholes in the security offered by free platforms that generate revenue from advertising not memberships.
Facebook
We find this platform neccesary. Our target market is slightly older, therefore most of our fans are on Facebook. Here are 3 security options for you:
1. Setup a secondary personal account with an annoyingly long and complex password. On your ‘page’ make this new profile an admin. This, at least, offers you access to your band profile in the event of a hack.
2. Change your password 4-6 times per year.
3. Do not link apps to your Facebook login. It is the number one way to get hacked.
Email
2. Use a non-Gmail email address for your point of contact and logins. We choose to use Hostinger for our hosting, domain, and email. They are very cost effective, the email is linked through Titan so no Google logins, and Hostinger even privatizes your contact information from the site – which cuts down substationaly on spam and other email attacks.
VPN
3. Use a VPN service like NordVPN to boost overall online security.
Password Protection
1. Sites like ______ offer a secured list of you passwords. It is far more secure than notes or simply keeping the passowrds the same – which we all are guilty of.
Backups
1. Every piece of media you post needs to backed up in the event of a hack or issues. We use a service called MEGA
Banking
Not every band has a checking account, but for those who do, we recommend also pursuing a credit card. Yes, a credit card. One of the major benefits to credit cards versus a checking account for paying bills is their fraud process. Some banks will simply lock the account and make you wait until an approval is given. Capital One, for example, offers fraud refunds the day the charge clears. Their app is amazing, and if you just use it for the band, you can write off the expenses that will be listed for you, at the end of the year.
Online Shopping
It is not enough to simply segment out your band banking. Another great tip is to setup a separate account for sites like Reverb or Amazon to add another layer to defending your accounts. If your personal account is hacked, the band is in danger, and vice versa. Segregating out as many elements as you can will not only help in tax time, but it keeps your dollars where they should be.