Why You Need To Own Your Meta Business Manager
Consider this a public service announcement: Too many businesses are handing over ownership of their Meta Business Manager to agencies, employees, or partners without realizing the risks. Meta Business Manager controls the reins to your winery’s social media, ad accounts, and data. If your business doesn’t own it, you’re putting a critical asset in someone else’s hands.
Here’s why it’s essential to have ownership of your Meta Business Manager—and how to make sure you’re not left in a vulnerable position.
What’s at Stake When You Don’t Own Your Meta Business Manager?
When you let an agency, employee, or partner create and own your Meta Business Manager, they have primary control over everything related to your Facebook and Instagram accounts. This includes your ad accounts, historical data from campaigns, social media access, and more. Here’s what could go wrong:
Loss of Data and Insights: If your Meta Business Manager isn’t under your ownership, you risk losing all data history when the agency or person managing it stops working with you. That includes valuable insights from past campaigns, which could have informed your future advertising strategy.
Lack of Account Access: Without ownership, your ability to control who accesses your accounts is limited. Former employees, ex-business partners, or previous agencies could retain access to your accounts and, in worst-case scenarios, prevent you from using them.
No Control Over Ad Accounts: Losing access to your ad accounts means you can’t manage ongoing campaigns, measure effectiveness, or make adjustments. Worse, if you have a current campaign running and suddenly lose control, your marketing dollars could continue to be spent without oversight or changes.
Business Disruption: For wineries with robust social media followings and active ad campaigns, losing access to Meta Business Manager can be as disruptive as losing a physical asset like your tasting room or vineyard.
Why Meta Business Manager is a Core Business Asset
Think of Meta Business Manager as you would any major business asset. Just as you wouldn’t let an employee or third party own your vineyard or tasting room, you shouldn’t let anyone else own your Meta Business Manager. This platform holds the keys to your online presence and customer engagement.
For many wineries, social media is a direct line to customers, helping them discover new releases, book tastings, and learn about events. Meta Business Manager is the command center for all of this—so it’s vital to keep it under your control.
Real-World Consequences We’ve Seen Firsthand
At Highway 29 Creative, we see this issue all too often. We’ll start working with a new client, only to find that their previous agency owns their Meta Business Manager account. This means:
Limited or No Historical Data: The previous agency may own all ad data, leaving the winery with no insights into past performance.
Account Access Issues: Without ownership, it can be a struggle to add new team members or vendors, creating operational headaches and potential disruptions.
Risk of Unauthorized Access: If a former employee or agency still has access, they could interfere with your campaigns or limit your control.
These situations highlight why ownership matters. Without control of your Meta Business Manager, you’re putting a key business asset in someone else’s hands.
How to Take (or Regain) Ownership of Your Meta Business Manager
If you’re in a situation where an agency or individual currently owns your Meta Business Manager, it’s essential to take steps to regain control. Here’s how:
Confirm Ownership: Start by checking who currently has ownership access to your Meta Business Manager. If you don’t have access, ask the current owner to transfer ownership to you or a designated representative of your business.
Establish a Dedicated Business Email: To prevent future ownership issues, create a dedicated business email account to serve as the primary owner. This account should be controlled by someone in upper management and not tied to an individual employee’s personal email.
Assign Business-Level Admins: Once ownership is in your hands, assign additional administrators within your business who can manage access. Keep these roles to trusted personnel only.
Set Up Security Protocols: Enable two-factor authentication and regularly review permissions to ensure that only active, approved team members have access to your accounts.
Work with Trusted Partners: When working with agencies, make sure they’re given access to your Meta Business Manager as partners—not as owners. This way, you can grant and remove permissions as needed without risking ownership.
Key Takeaways
Meta Business Manager is a core business asset—treat it as such. It holds your ad data, social media accounts, and audience insights.
Don’t let an agency, employee, or former partner own it. Ownership should stay with the business to prevent data loss, control issues, and unauthorized access.
Establish clear ownership protocols to ensure continuity. Use a dedicated business email and assign admin roles carefully.
Regain control if needed by requesting ownership transfers and setting up secure access for future partners.
Final Thoughts
Owning your Meta Business Manager is essential for your winery’s long-term digital strategy. It safeguards your access to past campaigns, ad spend data, and social media accounts, ensuring that your business remains in control even as agencies or employees come and go. At Highway 29 Creative, we’ve seen firsthand the struggles that come from a lack of ownership, and we’re here to help you take control of this vital business asset.
Need assistance regaining control of your Meta Business Manager or securing your social media assets? Highway 29 Creative can help. Let’s make sure your digital presence is owned by the only party that should control it—you.