The first significant feature of proxies is that they hide the IP address of their users. At the same time, it assigns a virtual IP address to its user.
In other words, a marketer using a proxy to log in to social media accounts will not display its real IP address to social networks but the proxy server’s. Also, multiple users from different locations can access a proxy at the same time.
These two features, hiding the IP address of its users and supporting multiple connections from different locations, make proxies suitable tools for freelancers and businesses.
Proxies for social media are very vital and necessary when there are many team members from different countries managing the same social media accounts.
The social network will not see several connections spread worldwide; it will see all login attempts coming from one IP address (as in the case of a regular internet connection in an office building). In this way, it will not trigger any failed login blocks.
Social Media Management Outsourcing Trends in 2022
More than 37% of small businesses in the US have outsourced at least one marketing process. And usually, social media management is one of the first jobs outsourced.
Marketing processes are outsourced to agencies and freelancers from around the world. Most times miles away, causing account blocks and temporary bans due to security triggers set in place by social platforms.
If you are a freelancer managing social media for an Australian company, it is safer to get an Australian IP to log in their social media accounts. Here’s when proxies come into play and become part of your remote work setup.
There are several reasons why a company should outsource social media. While each business has its needs and characteristics, the outsourcing trend is expected to continue its growth in the next decade.
This trend creates new opportunities for both freelancers and businesses. First, businesses can gain access to expertise, which is invaluable to businesses lacking the resources to develop it internally.
Second, social media management takes time. According to Hubstaff, businesses can spend almost ten hours a week managing a single social media account – that’s nearly a day’s work.
On the other hand, this trend creates employment opportunities for freelancers and agencies from around the world and for marketers looking to take the digital nomad path and move to live abroad.
Today, it is easier than ever for businesses to outsource social media or content marketing services to freelancers. And vice-versa: freelancers can reach business clients with more ease.
Besides freelancing platforms like Upwork and Fiverr, there are other hiring agencies, like Remotive, dedicated exclusively to remote workers.
However, when it comes to remotely managing social media accounts, this mobility creates issues for both companies and freelancers.
An Outsourcing Issue: “Suspicious Login Attempt”
Everybody was prompted at least once with a “Suspicious Login Attempt” message when connecting to social media accounts from a new location or a different country.
For most people, this is not an issue. But it becomes one when a freelancer – living in a different country and time zone – triggers this block for an account belonging to a company that invested time and money in developing its audience.
It is inconvenient for both parties, especially when the time difference is significant, and the social manager cannot reach the company to verify the login request and unblock the account.
Similarly, if the company conducts promotions and sales through the [now blocked] social media account, this minor login issue may translate into lost opportunities.
Also, this downtime can turn into customers’ dissatisfaction if support is carried through the account – making it impossible to reply to customers’ messages.
Here’s where proxies come into play. They minimize the risk of blocking an account when you login through them.
Platforms Blocking Login Attempts
It is safe to say that most social media platforms, if not all, limit or block suspicious login attempts. From Facebook and Instagram to Pinterest and Twitter, any platform is susceptible to blocking remote (“suspicious”) login attempts when outsourcing social media management.
Not only do social media platforms do this, but also Google and even Hootsuite – the social media management service – do it.
All these blocks are enforced based on the remote manager’s IP address (hence the location) – which for the social network looks like a strange outlier to previous logins for a company’s account.
Sharing the same IP address – through a proxy – and maintaining all connections to the social media network through this IP address helps businesses and freelancers alike avoid blocks and unnecessary downtime.
Which Proxies Work Best for Social Media
Today, there are lots of different proxies available for businesses and freelancers. And there is not a one-size-fits-all solution when it comes to it.
Most proxies are named depending on the platform for which they are meant for. For instance, a business looking to outsource their social media management for Twitter can look for social media proxies or 4G/mobile proxies.
But, for those looking for alternatives, there is always one: either to tolerate the risk of blocking the social media account or to further integrate the remote manager.
Alternatives to Using Proxies
Some freelancers avoid using proxies for social media, they may decide to use their regular IP address and risk triggering account blocks every time they change locations.
The other solution is for the company to integrate the freelancer into the organization’s processes and system by creating a “virtual office connection”. This can be achieved with the help of proxies – a VPN – a Virtual Private Network.
Not a commercial VPN, but a dedicated one built between the company’s office and the freelancer’s device.
This connection can be achieved with open-source and free tools. With it, a remote manager’s connection is forwarded to the company’s servers as if the (remote) device is part of its internal network. Both alternatives are viable, but neither is as straightforward nor easy to implement as a proxy service.
Conclusion
Remote working is growing and will continue to take over the way recruitment is taking place. And if you are already working as a freelancer, using a proxy service will ensure that your online activities, which in this case are social media, are taken care of without any hassles.
When choosing a proxy service, ensure you choose a dedicated/private one that offers a good number of IP addresses and is efficient in its service.