The Best Way To Set Up A Facebook Ad Account for Your Client

Dorien Morin-van Dam

I am a Certified Social Media Manager, Strategist, International Keynote Speaker, Organic Specialist and Agile marketer! Blogging is my creative outlet. Running, hiking and skiing are how I recharge. You’ll recognize me on stage and online by my always present orange glasses, a nod to my Dutch heritage.

Updated August 4, 2021

Getting Started with Facebook Ads For Clients

Congrats, social media manager!

You have a new client, or maybe you've convinced a current client to finally let you run some ads for them.

Well done.

Now you need a guide on how to get started with Facebook ads for clients.

This is it!

In this guide, you will learn how to

• get access to your clients' ad account
• help your client set up their ad account if they don't have one
• discuss important details with your client before running ads

Let's get started!

Social Media Manager vs Ads Manager

Before we dive into how to properly set up a Facebook ad account for your client, let's get one thing straight.

A social media manager can (and may want to) run ads, but most often an ads manager is not in charge of social media management. Meaning, that while social media managers can ‘do it all'; create and curate content, post, engage and yes, run ads, an ads manager is a specialist and most often only runs Facebook ads for clients, nothing else.

It is important to understand the difference as you might run into a client who needs an ad expert and you should understand that for the good of your client you might need to outsource ad management to a dedicated specialist.

via GIPHY

What To Discuss With Your Client Before Running Facebook Ads

Before agreeing and running your client's Facebook ads, you need to make sure that you are on the same wavelength.

Here are eight things you should discuss and agree upon.

1. ad goals – what are you trying to accomplish by running ads
2. ad copy – who are you trying to attract and what copy (keywords) will you need to use
3. visuals – who will be providing video or images for each ad
4. total budget – this should include ad spent + your ad management fee
5. timing – when and for how long will these ads run
6. testing – discuss A/B testing of sales copy and images
7. website access – to add the Facebook pixel
8. reporting – how often will your client expect a report and in what format

Now that you know what important things to discuss prior to managing your clients' Facebook ads, let us briefly talk about the importance of running Facebook ads on the client's account, not on your own account.

Why You Should Run Client's Ads on Their Facebook Ad Account!

In our Social Media Managers Facebook group, we receive Facebook ad-related questions on a daily basis. The most FAQs have to do with billing.

• ‘Help! I don't want to use my own credit card. Where can I add my client's credit card?'
• ‘How can I run ads for my client? My own ad account was disabled.'
• ‘Do I need to have a different Facebook pixel for each campaign or for each client or can I just use the one for my business?'
• ‘How will my client be billed? I am running their ads and it is going on my credit card!'

The answer is simple.

You should never run your client's ads on your own Facebook Ad Account!

Besides the fact that it is against Facebook's Terms of Service, running client's ads on your account will only bring confusion, reporting issues and headaches. Instead, run ads on your client's ad account.

Why?

There are several good reasons to run ads on your client's ad account and with their credit card!

When you run your client's ads on their own ad account it

1. gives the client immediate access to any of their own ads in real time
2. does allow for their own Facebook pixel to be used
3. allows for easy reporting
4. leaves the client with an ads account and ad history when you part ways
5. prevents you from having to assume financial responsibility for their ads
6. will allow you to keep all your clients and their ads separate
7. shows the client transparency and your professionalism

This leaves us with two more questions to answer. Here is the first:

How To Get Access To A Client's Facebook Ad Account

Even if you have access to your client's Facebook account, that does not mean you have access to their ad account! 

These are two different things!

They have to give you access. It's an easy 3 step process:

1. They need to log into their ad account and click on ‘settings'.

2. The following screen will pop up.

3. Once they click ‘add people' the next screen will pop up.

Here are several videos you can share with your client on how to get you added if you find this may be an easier way to share!

Or try this method

Or if you are using Facebook business manager

How To Help A Client Set Up Their Facebook Ad Account

Now here is the second question.

What if your client does not have an ad account? How do you get them to set one up?

This is pretty unusual, but it does happen especially if your client is a start-up or if the social media has previously been run by someone incompetent.

This tutorial is easy to follow and should walk them through.

Once your client has their own ad account set up and has added their credit card information, then they are ready to add you!

Good luck and happy advertising! 

Dorien Morin-van Dam

I am a Certified Social Media Manager, Strategist, International Keynote Speaker, Organic Specialist and Agile marketer! Blogging is my creative outlet. Running, hiking and skiing are how I recharge. You'll recognize me on stage and online by my always present orange glasses, a nod to my Dutch heritage.