Your Social Media Detritus

What happens to your social media accounts when you die?

SEE UPDATE BELOW

Social Media tracks are left behind when we go

I wrote yesterday about my good friend and colleague Ted Rogers who passed away. In searching for his photo to include in the blog, I realized his website was still up. Curiosity got to me and I looked up several of my other professional colleagues who had passed on. Surprisingly, several of my late colleagues are still in “active” status on these social media sites.

So here’s a question: Do you have someone in your life who will take care of your social media sites, your website and any store or products you have when you pass away? Do your loved ones even know what sites you have? How to access them? Are there clients or people in your life that need to be contacted when you’re gone? Is there a contact list somewhere that is easily retrievable for your Executor or family?

Some of my more famous speaking colleagues had huge staff that took care of their social media accounts and have successfully continued to market their worthy content and products long after they left the planet. Most of us don’t have that luxury.

Perhaps it’s time to make a list of all the above and put it in a safe place for those who need to look after your affairs when you’re gone.

Here’s a handy social media checklist:     

checklist

• User Id’s and passwords for Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, Pinterest, Instagram, and any other social media
• User Id’s and passwords for any chatrooms
• List of email addresses, user Id’s and passwords
• Passwords to all retail sites: Amazon, ebay, store sites, purchasing sites like paypal
• URL’s and Log On information for all your blogs and websites
• Any gaming or special sites you belong to
• List of clients, contracts, contact information and relationships with you

Write in and add to the list…

This, of course, is in addition to information on your bank accounts, medical accounts, professional service providers and any rental or mortgage accounts you may have. Many people think of the financial checklist, and they forget about their social media presence.

Protect your family and friends from all the downsides of being contacted by people who don’t know you’ve passed on long after you’ve left. Hopefully they will miss you when you are gone. Don’t make it too hard on them to figure out your online life story. It’s just the right thing to do.

Take care of yourself, we need you!

© 2016 Beth Terry • All Rights Reserved

Update: Here’s a great article on Thrillist on What Happens to Your Facebook account when you die?