As a small business owner, your Facebook presence is crucial for reaching customers. But dealing with harassing or threatening behavior can quickly spiral out of control. When is it time to block someone on Facebook? And how do you do it?
This comprehensive guide will walk you through everything entrepreneurs need to know about blocking contacts on Facebook and other social media.
Understanding When to Block Someone
Blocking cuts off all interaction with another user. According to Facebook:
When you block someone, they can no longer see things you post on your profile, tag you, invite you to events or groups, start conversations with you, or add you as a friend.
With your livelihood at stake, blocking someone on social media is not a step to take lightly. Consider these warning signs it may be time to block:
- Repeated harassment about your products/services: More than 3 contacts telling you to avoid their business may indicate coordinated attacks.
- Threats of violence: Any threats against you, your family or business should be documented and blocked immediately.
- Hate speech: Racist, sexist or discriminatory comments are unacceptable. Delete and block.
- Stalking behaviors: Checking your profile incessantly, contacting outside of reasonable hours. Set boundaries.
Use your best judgment on when communication crosses from disagreement into endangerment. Don‘t hesitate to protect yourself and your business from clear harassment.
When Blocking Goes Too Far
However, entrepreneurs should be cautious about overusing the block feature:
- Blocking a potential customer over a small disagreement risks losing business.
- Premature blocking can damage your brand reputation if done publicly.
- Facebook restricts profiles that block users indiscriminately.
Use blocking as an absolute last resort for serious cases. Explore alternative moderation tools first when possible.
Step-by-Step Guide to Blocking Someone on Facebook
If you‘ve determined blocking is essential, here is how to do it:
- Click on the profile page of the person you intend to block.
- Select the three-dot menu in the upper right corner.
- Choose "Block" from the dropdown menu.
- Confirm again that you want to block that user.
And done! They are now blocked from interacting with your profile or posts.
Effects of Blocking Someone
Blocking a harassing user prevents them from:
- Viewing your posts, photos, stories or other timeline content.
- Tagging you or checking into your location.
- Commenting on or reacting to your public content.
- Messaging you directly through Facebook Messenger.
- Inviting you or adding you to Groups.
- Searching for your profile in Facebook search.
In other words, blocking is a wholesale restriction of access between you and another user. Use it sparingly but decisively.
Alternatives to Consider Before Blocking
For less extreme cases of bothersome behavior, entrepreneurs have alternatives:
| Action | Effect | Use When… |
|---|---|---|
| Unfriend | Removes friendship but allows some profile access | You want to avoid seeing their feeds |
| Unfollow | Stops seeing someone‘s posts but remains friends | Their content is annoying but not threatening |
| Snooze profile | Temporarily hides posts for 30 days | You need a short social media break |
| Hide/Review posts | Removes specific posts but maintains connection | A particular post crosses boundaries |
Additional Privacy Precautions
Along with blocking, small business owners can take advantage of privacy settings:
- Restrict personalized ads to avoid being targeted.
- Limit old post visibility when befriending new contacts.
- Review tags before appearing on your timeline.
- Filter messages by sender to avoid harassment.
Stay vigilant about your privacy settings as your business grows on Facebook.
Manage Interactions Professionally
As an entrepreneur, maintain perspective when evaluating whether to block contacts. Your social media presence is integral to success – take steps to manage interactions professionally while still protecting yourself.
I hope this guide gave you more confidence in handling harassment issues on social media. Feel free to reach out with any other questions!
