Ask for platform invites
Use native collaborator or business-manager invites when possible. Ask for Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn, TikTok, YouTube, scheduler, and ad account access based on the scope.
Collect brand rules
Social onboarding needs more than passwords. Ask for tone of voice, visual rules, banned claims, content pillars, product details, and examples of posts they like or dislike.
Define approval paths
Clarify who approves posts, who approves replies, how quickly feedback is expected, and what requires escalation.
Use a portal
Kicklayer gives the client one checklist for account access, brand assets, content rules, and approvals, which is easier than chasing screenshots and “can you also send” messages.
Plain-language access request
Use this as the human version of the ask before you turn it into a structured portal.
Social media access should use platform invitations or business manager permissions whenever possible, not shared passwords.
Fields worth separating
Separate fields help the client understand what you need and help your team see exactly what is still missing.
Platform access
Required access
Request access to each channel, page, business manager, scheduler, or social suite.
Brand voice
Required text
Collect tone, banned phrases, vocabulary, examples, and audience notes.
Asset library
Required file
Ask for photos, video, logos, templates, product shots, and usage permissions.
Cadence
Required text
Confirm posting frequency, review windows, campaign dates, and blackout dates.
Approval
Required approval
Name who approves posts, replies, comments, and sensitive topics.
Safe access checklist
Use these checks before asking a client to grant access or share sensitive account details.
Accounts
Invite [agency email] to each social account or business manager.
Publishing access and analytics access are often separate.
Voice
Share tone guidelines, example posts, banned topics, and preferred language.
Social work needs voice context, not just assets.
Assets
Send reusable image, video, logo, and template libraries.
A clean asset library reduces one-off content requests.
Approval
Confirm review deadlines and who can approve urgent posts.
Slow approval cycles break publishing cadence.
Community
Document response rules for comments, DMs, complaints, and escalations.
Community management needs boundaries before it is live.
Access request wording
The right wording protects the client relationship and reduces back-and-forth.
Do
- Separate publish access, analytics access, and business manager access.
- Ask for brand voice examples, not just brand assets.
- Collect approval windows for normal and urgent posts.
- Document what should be escalated instead of answered publicly.
Avoid
- Assume the client knows which account owns each page.
- Start posting before usage rights are clear.
- Leave comment and DM rules undefined.
- Treat social onboarding as only a password request.
Why move access requests into a portal?
The same request becomes more reliable when every field has an owner, a status, and a place to submit it.
Platform access, asset libraries, voice rules, and approvals stay together.
Clients can complete social onboarding without scattered DMs and folders.
Your team can see what blocks publishing before the calendar starts.
Practical questions
What should social media onboarding include?
Collect channel access, business manager permissions, brand voice, content pillars, assets, approval process, posting cadence, and community rules.
Do I need passwords for social accounts?
Usually no. Platform invitations, business manager access, or scheduler permissions are cleaner and easier to revoke.
What approval details matter most?
Ask who approves posts, how much review time they need, who handles urgent approvals, and which topics need special review.