Are You Setting Up Client Access the Wrong Way?
Today's question is about the recommended structure and access levels between a client and agency when onboarding. Setting this up incorrectly can lead to serious problems, including getting accounts banned. Jon explains why the client should own all of their own assets and add your agency as a partner rather than a person, what access levels to grant for each asset, and why sharing login credentials or creating assets under the agency's business manager leads to problems when the relationship eventually ends.
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Question
Hi, Jon, Kim McCoy here from High Rise Promotions about Safety first. Okay, so I'm onboarding a new client. What's the recommended structure and access level between client and agency? Thanks.
Answer
This is a great question, Kim, because it’s so, so important that you get it right.
If you’re not careful, setting up your access to a client’s assets incorrectly could lead to all sorts of problems, including getting your account banned.
First, your client needs to own their own business manager. They should have all of their own assets, including ad account, Facebook page, Instagram account, pixel and other datasets, and maybe a product catalog.
One of the first mistakes that is made here is that an advertiser or agency will start setting these up for the client under the agency business manager. Do not do this.
So, once your client has all of these things, they should add you as a PARTNER to their business manager. Not as a person, which is what they’d do if you were an employee.
Getting added as a partner adds a buffer that protects you from any bad stuff the client does and the client from anything going on with your other accounts. It also assures the client retains access to these assets after you stop working together, which will happen eventually.
We’ve all heard horror stories of businesses who can’t access their Facebook page or some other asset because a prior agency owns it and can’t be reached.
They can add you by either inviting your Business ID from their business manager, or you send a request from your business manager to get access using their Business ID.
Once the agency is added as a partner, the client can start assigning assets.
The client’s payment method should be added to their ad account. The client will typically want to grant partial access to the agency, by allowing them to manage campaigns, view performance, and manage mockups.
In some rare exceptions, full control may be necessary. Just know that Full Control allows control of ad account settings, finances, and permissions. This is exposure you may not want.
Then they need to grant access to their other assets, like Facebook page, Instagram account, product catalog, custom conversions, and datasets, including the pixel.
You’ll probably want full control to the product catalog, custom conversions, and datasets. How much access you get to the Facebook page and Instagram account depends on whether you need to be involved with managing messages and comments.
So the access level required for each of these things will vary depending on the responsibilities of the agency.
But just a reminder, the main thing is that you need to be added as a partner, not as a person.
Don’t let the client share their login credentials. All of that stuff is just plain sloppy, and it’s not going to end well.
Once the agency is added as a partner and given access to the client’s assets, the agency can then grant access to their individual employees, as necessary. So in this case, the agency will be adding their own internal staff as people, not partners.
Thanks for the question, Kim, it’s an important one for advertisers to understand!