Page squatting or Cyber Squatting is becoming popular on the Internet. Likewise cyber squatting of celebrity names, brand names and other public figures in social media is common.
Squatting refers to the act of an individual or group using your name and brand to create a presence on the Internet by utilising FaceBook, Twitter, web pages and any other social media sites.
Cyber squatting has been an issue for organisations since domain names were first introduced to the Internet, with domain names being purchased for minimal amounts and on sold for sometimes for millions of dollars. But more recently Page squatting is becoming popular within Face Book and other social media sites where people with good and malicious intentions are impersonating brands, celebrities and individuals.
Searching for most brand names in FaceBook will yield many results and it is often difficult to differentiate between what is a squatted page and what is a genuine page. The detrimental effects for your business are to many to mention here.
With Face Book currently not taking action on this issue with their preference to leave it to the courts it is up to brand name owners to take action before they are squatted.
Net Mania recommend that your organisation promote your Face Book page on your own web site, within your organisations email signatures and by offering special promotions in your Fan Page.
Thus promoting your legitimate organisation or brand page. Also make your clients and Fan base aware of the squatted page so they do not mistaken it for your Page.
To effectively promote your Face Book Fan Page or other social media site as opposed to using the hard to remember default Face Book address, Net Mania sugest your organisation should use a sub domain from your current domain name. For example Net Mania have implemented a sub domain http://facebook.netmania.co.nz which goes to our Fan page.
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