What access does a social media manager need from a client?

Typically: Meta Business Suite partner access, ad account access if running paid, and platform-native roles for LinkedIn, TikTok, X, or Pinterest as relevant. Always prefer delegated/partner access over shared passwords — it's safer and survives password changes.

What should a social media questionnaire ask?

Goals (and how the client will judge success), audience, brand voice in concrete terms, topics and stances that are off-limits, competitors and accounts they admire, what's been tried before, and who approves content and how fast.

Why agree an approval workflow during onboarding?

Because the default — sending posts over email and waiting — quietly kills posting cadence. Agreeing during onboarding who approves, in what timeframe, and what happens when they don't respond keeps the calendar moving.

Social Media

Social Media Client Onboarding

Brand voice, audience, goals, content do's and don'ts, ad account access, and approval workflow — collected before the first post is drafted.

4 steps14questions & requests~28 min for your client

Use this template free Browse all templates

Social media management runs on access and voice. Without account access, you can't post; without a documented voice, every caption becomes a negotiation. Both problems are onboarding problems.

This template captures the brand voice, the boundaries, the approval workflow, and the account access checklist in one guided flow — so month one is spent publishing, not chasing logins.

Who it's for: Social media managers, content agencies, and freelancers managing organic or paid social for clients.

What's inside

The full flow your client walks through, step by step. Everything is editable in the builder before you send it.

Step 1 of 4

Welcome & Contact

Welcome! This onboarding takes about 20 minutes and gives us your voice, goals, and account access — everything we need to start creating content that sounds like you.

Your full name
TextRequired
Best email for project updates
EmailRequired
Company / business name
TextRequired
Phone number (optional, for quick questions)
Phone

Step 2 of 4

Voice, Audience & Goals

What should social media achieve for your business?
Long answerRequired
Describe your brand voice — how should posts sound?
Long answerRequired
Hard no's: topics, words, or stances we should never touch
Long answerRequired
2–3 competitors or accounts you admire
Text
How should content approval work?
Approve everything before it posts · Approve the monthly calendar, then trust us · Post freely, flag sensitive items only
Single choiceRequired

Step 3 of 4

Accounts & Access

Which platforms are in scope?
Instagram · Facebook · LinkedIn · TikTok · X / Twitter · YouTube · Pinterest
Multi-selectRequired
Account access — who currently manages each account, and are you able to grant partner/delegated access?
Long answerRequired
Brand assets: logos, fonts, photo library, past creatives
File upload

Step 4 of 4

Agreement & Deposit

Service agreement
E-signatureRequired
Project deposit
PaymentRequired

Why this template works

Documents brand voice and hard content boundaries before the first draft
Account access requested by platform, with delegated access preferred
Approval workflow agreed up front so posts don't die in review

Frequently asked questions

What access does a social media manager need from a client?: Typically: Meta Business Suite partner access, ad account access if running paid, and platform-native roles for LinkedIn, TikTok, X, or Pinterest as relevant. Always prefer delegated/partner access over shared passwords — it's safer and survives password changes.
What should a social media questionnaire ask?: Goals (and how the client will judge success), audience, brand voice in concrete terms, topics and stances that are off-limits, competitors and accounts they admire, what's been tried before, and who approves content and how fast.
Why agree an approval workflow during onboarding?: Because the default — sending posts over email and waiting — quietly kills posting cadence. Agreeing during onboarding who approves, in what timeframe, and what happens when they don't respond keeps the calendar moving.