Ad account set-up mistakes in Meta Business Manager

Key takeaways

The common Meta Business Manager mistakes are letting an agency own your ad account, running ads from a personal profile's ad account, having one admin, using a personal card and skipping business verification. Your business should own its Business portfolio, pages, ad accounts and pixel, and give agencies partner access.

• Own your Business portfolio, ad accounts and pixel.
• Give agencies partner access, not ownership.
• Keep at least 2 internal admins.
• Use a business payment method you control.

What is Meta Business Manager?

Meta Business Manager, now presented as a Business portfolio in Meta Business Suite, is the place where a business holds its Facebook pages, Instagram accounts, ad accounts, pixels and the people who can access them. It separates business assets from personal profiles.

• The most common social media marketing mistakes small businesses make
• Social media account access mistakes: who holds the keys?

Why is an agency-owned ad account a mistake?

An agency-owned ad account is a mistake because the account's history, audiences and pixel data stay with the agency if you part ways. You may have to start again with no learning. Ask any agency to work in your ad account through partner access.

• Switching social media agency: mistakes to avoid

What other set-up mistakes matter?

Other set-up mistakes are running business ads from a personal ad account, a single admin, staff given full control when they only need to post, payments on an employee's personal card, and not completing business verification where Meta asks for it.

• Personal ad accounts for business ads.
• One admin only.
• Full control for everyone.
• Payment on a personal card.
• Verification left incomplete.

Is this worth the time for a small business?

Yes, even if you only boost occasionally. Setting up a Business portfolio properly takes an hour or two and prevents the most painful problems: losing access, losing ad history and arguments about ownership when people leave.

How do you check who owns your Meta assets?

Check it in Meta Business Suite settings, under business assets. For each page, Instagram account, ad account and pixel, see which business owns it and who has access. Assets owned by an agency or a former employee's business, or with a single admin, are the ones to fix first.

• Ad accounts owned by an agency.
• Pages owned by another business.
• A single admin on any asset.
• Payment cards in staff names.

What does this look like in practice?

A pattern we see: a business whose ads have always run from its old agency's account. When it changes agency, years of audiences and data stay behind. Setting up its own Business portfolio and giving the new agency partner access prevents it happening again.

• See client work
• Social Media Marketing for UK businesses

Business Manager checklist

• Create your own Business portfolio.
• Own pages, ad accounts and pixel.
• Give agencies partner access.
• Keep two internal admins.
• Use a business payment method.

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Next step

Open Meta Business Suite settings and check who owns your ad account. If it is not your business, start the move this week.