Social Media Problems and Fixes
The same handful of problems come up again and again in business owner communities and news reports about Facebook, Instagram and TikTok. Most of them can be prevented with a few settings, and most of the rest have a known first step. This guide groups them by symptom so you can find yours quickly.
On This Page
Hacked or Disabled Accounts
Usual causes Phishing messages pretending to be Meta or TikTok support, often warning of a copyright or policy problem with a link to "appeal". Reused passwords, or a Page managed by one person whose personal profile gets compromised. CBS News, ABC7 Chicago and Global News have all reported small businesses locked out of Pages and ad accounts for weeks or months.
Prevention Turn on two-factor authentication for every account and every person who has access. Keep two trusted people with full control of each Page and business portfolio. Never log in through a link in a message; open the app directly instead. And save your backup codes somewhere safe.
If it happens Go to the platform's official hacked-account recovery page in its help center. Warn customers through your other channels and your email list. Ask your bank to block any card connected to an ad account. Be wary of anyone offering paid account recovery, since recovery scams target people in exactly this position.
Reach Has Dropped
Usual causes A shift toward a format the platform is pushing less, posts that send people off the app, fewer videos, a run of content people scroll past or simply a seasonal dip.
Fixes Before you assume a penalty, compare rates such as watch time and sends per reach with your own posts from three months ago. Post more short vertical video, tighten the first few seconds and add captions. On Instagram, check Account Status in settings. It shows whether any of your content is limiting recommendations.
Audio Muted or Unavailable
Usual causes Copyrighted music in a business post. TikTok business accounts use the Commercial Music Library, so popular tracks that personal accounts can use may not show up for you.
Fixes Use the commercial or licensed audio each app offers for business content, your own voiceover or royalty-free music you have the rights to.
Impersonator Accounts
Usual causes Scammers copy your business name and photos to collect payments or personal details from your customers.
Fixes Report the account through the app's impersonation report option. Post a notice on your real accounts showing your exact handle. Meta Verified for businesses includes impersonation protection, which may be worth it if you're targeted often.
Website Link Missing
Usual causes On TikTok, the website field only shows up for eligible accounts, such as those with 1,000 or more followers or a Registered Business Account. On Instagram, links sit in the Links field under Edit profile, separate from the bio text.
Fixes Complete TikTok business verification if it's available in your region, or grow to the follower threshold. On Instagram, make sure you're looking in the Links field.
Instagram Will Not Connect to the Facebook Page
Usual causes The person doing the connecting doesn't have full control of the Page, the accounts belong to different business portfolios or the Instagram account is still a personal one.
Fixes Switch Instagram to a professional account, confirm you have full control of the Page and connect through Accounts Center or the business portfolio settings.
Former Staff Still Have Access
Usual causes Access was granted to individuals, or passwords were shared, and nobody reviewed it when people left.
Fixes Review people and partners in your business settings every quarter and whenever someone leaves. Replace shared logins with individual access through the business portfolio.
In Practice
Take a florist who gets a Messenger message claiming her Page will be deleted for copyright violations unless she verifies her account through a link. She checks her Page's support inbox directly, finds no such warning and deletes the message. Because she'd already added her manager as a second owner and turned on two-factor authentication, even a stolen password wouldn't have cost her the Page.
Recovery steps, account settings and support options change often. Check the sources below before you act.
Key Terms
- Two-factor authentication
- A second login step that protects your account if your password is stolen.
- Phishing
- A fake message designed to steal login details.
- Account Status
- An Instagram setting showing whether content or the account has restrictions.
- Impersonation
- An account pretending to be your business.
- Commercial Music Library
- TikTok's pre-cleared sounds for business accounts.
Sources
- Bay Area business owner says Meta of little help in resolving hacking issue, CBS News www.cbsnews.com
- Small business owners' Facebook pages hacked, then locked out of accounts, ABC7 Chicago abc7chicago.com
- Saskatchewan business page hacked, Global News globalnews.ca
- TikTok Support support.tiktok.com
- Instagram Help Center help.instagram.com
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