Let’s chat about something that might not seem super exciting, but trust me, it’s important. I am talking about Google, LinkedIn, Facebook, and all the other Marketing accounts that are the backbone of your digital presence.
We have worked with clients on more than one occasion where a previous employee, agency, or contractor created and owned the company’s accounts, and they weren’t able to access it any longer. Aside from it being frustrating, it also has the potential to hurt your brand. Let’s explore why you should own your accounts and how to let an agency work on them too.
The #1 rule: Your business, your accounts
Here’s the deal: It’s your business, which means it’s your company, brand, content, and data. While an external partner may create content or analyze data for you, it is still your company’s information. You wouldn’t let a painter own your house just to paint the walls.
Here are the top two reasons you should create, own, and maintain your accounts.
1. You’re always in the driver’s seat
Imagine lending your car to a friend. Now imagine that friend is the only one with the keys, and you can’t drive your own car without their permission. That’s what it’s like when an agency owns your Marketing accounts. When you own them, you’re always in control.
Owning your accounts also lets you control what others can see and do with your company’s most important Marketing information. For example, you may want your internal team to have a higher level of access than an external partner, or you may want your interns to see high-level data but not pipeline revenue information. When you don’t fully control the level of access, you lose the ability to make these decisions happen.
As much as we want every relationship to last forever, the reality is they don’t. Maybe you have outgrown your current agency, or you want to bring some Marketing in-house. When you control your accounts, there are no awkward “Hey, can I have my account back?” conversations needed.
2. Data continuity is key
Your marketing data tells a story, and when you own your accounts, that story stays intact, no matter who’s helping you write the next chapter. This is especially critical for things like Google Analytics, where historical data is gold.
We onboarded a client who tasked us with auditing the performance of their Marketing. The problem: They weren’t able to grant us access to Google Analytics because a previous agency set it up under their agency account and only granted the client Read & Analyze access. When the client asked to have ownership changed, the agency told them no and that “this is just how we do things.”
Luckily, we were able to access the data with the client’s credentials, but that is its own cybersecurity nightmare for another day.
No pain, no gain
I get it–setting up your accounts may feel like a mundane task, or it might be completely outside your wheelhouse, but trust me, the benefits far outweigh the burden. While it may seem easier to let your summer intern create your Instagram account with their personal email, you’ll regret that in October when you’re ready to launch your Q4 campaigns and have no way of logging in.
So, what’s the best way to make this happen?
First, determine what you do and don’t have access to, who owns it, and what email account is associated with it. If you don’t own it, contact the owner and ask to have ownership transferred to your company. A clause in your MSA or IT requirements probably prevents external partners from owning your data if you need to play that card.
Using a generic marketing@ or similar company email for account ownership is also a best practice. You may have no plans to leave your current position but that could change in the future, so instead of these being tied to a user-specific email, they are owned by the company.
If you’re starting from scratch and it all seems too much, ask your agency to help you set these accounts up. We’ve hopped on more than one screen share session to walk clients through the cumbersome process of Meta Business Manager 😳
The Bottom Line
Owning your marketing accounts isn’t just about trust–it’s about smart business. We don’t want or need the keys to your kingdom. We’d much rather be your trusted advisors, helping you unlock your marketing potential.
So, next time you’re setting up a new tool or platform, remember: create the account yourself, then invite your agency to the party. Your future self will thank you!
