Social Media Risks of Posting Details About Your Move

Most people are eager to tell everyone they know about their upcoming move, and announcing it through social media is usually the quickest and easiest way to do it.

Sharing such important news via social networking may also get your friends interested in helping you with moving and getting settled in your new home.

But that doesn’t mean you should throw caution to the wind and allow the entire world to view all your moving details.

Find a middle ground by using privacy settings before posting times and exact addresses, or simply keep that information out of anything you post.

Moving Advice

Once you notify contacts about your move, or even your interest in exploring the possibility, people will likely come forward with helpful information, often before you ask for it. They might volunteer recommendations of movers or storage providers and, depending on how close you are to the person making a recommendation, the information could be more relevant or credible than reviews from third parties you don’t know personally.

Whether you ask your social network contacts for advice or not, just using these networks’ search tools can uncover vital information that may help you decide if you really want to move. You can find neighborhood demographics and crime reports, along with what people there do for fun.

The farther you are moving the more you might want to solicit advice from your contacts about your future locale, or see if they can introduce you to friends familiar with the area who could help you get settled there.

Security risks

Once your move is underway, it’s wise to limit the details of your move updates to your closest friends and family. Security experts warn against publicly posting when you are not home, which can tip off would-be burglars of a possible break-in opportunity. That logic extends to the dates and times you will be loading and unloading your moving van. Typing in the keywords “visibility” or “privacy” on most social networks will generate links to information on how to adjust these settings.

Relocating for a job

If you are relocating to another city for work, it might make sense to publicly share the name of the city you will be moving to. Professionally-focused social media networks such as LinkedIn are ideal for this kind of update. But refrain from sharing the exact address of your new home, and when you expect to be moving in.

Whatever the reason for your move, once you’ve completely unloaded the moving van at your new location and started to unpack, the security risks diminish. As you get settled in, go ahead and update your city on your Facebook profile. It might result in different advertisements being served to you, since local businesses have the option of targeting ads by ZIP code.

Now that you are all moved in, enjoy your new location. You’re starting a new adventure with lots to share with your friends, connections, contacts and followers.