To some people, it doesn’t make a whole lot of sense. But that’s just how Facebook operates. Unlike other social platforms where you log into your business account with a username and password, Facebook is a little different. On Facebook, you must have a personal Facebook account to operate a business page.
How it works
Facebook’s policies require one to use a personal account to be the administrator of a business profile. So in other words, you can’t create a business account unless you first have a personal account. It is through this personal account that you will operate your Facebook business page.
Once logged into a personal account, you then have the option to create a business page. The management of the business page also happens through your personal account. You must be logged in to your personal account before you can post, edit, or take any other action on your business page.
But why?
It’s a question we hear often from our clients. “Why does Facebook require a personal Facebook account to operate a business page?” We can’t speak for Facebook, so it’s best just to accept that that’s the way it is. However, we can speculate:
- It makes it easier to operate multiple business accounts at once, because you only have to remember one password (the one to your personal account).
- It’s easier to assign permissions to the business page. Multiple users (personal accounts) can have permissions on the same page ranging from admin to editor.
- It legitimizes that a business page is being operated by an actual person, therefore cutting down on spam business accounts.
- It enhances the security of the business account, because multiple people are not sharing the same password.
“Can’t you just give me the password to my Facebook business account?”
The simple answer—no. That’s because passwords to business accounts on Facebook literally don’t exist. To access a business account, you have to first log in to your personal user profile using whatever password you chose for it.
“I don’t want my personal page tied to my account.”
At McNutt & Partners, we hear this concern frequently. “I don’t maintain a personal profile page.” Or “I don’t want my personal page connected to a business account.” Though you must have a personal Facebook account to operate a business page, there are things you can do to limit just how “personal” your personal account is.
We are not suggesting that you make a “fake” account; however, you can create a sort of alias to which you are unrecognizable and undiscoverable. For example, use your first and middle name instead of your first and last. Make your profile picture a picture of your dog. Set your settings to where people cannot search or find you on Facebook.
Keep in mind—your personal account is only as personal as you make it. Just because you have one, it does not mean you have to post personal content to said account. In fact, no one has to even know that it’s you. The choice is yours. If you’d rather fly under the radar, you can look at it as a required step to take in order to access your business page.
Summary
Having a personal Facebook account to operate a business page is essential; however, we believe Facebook has some pretty good reasons for doing it. If you’re timid about your personal life being out there but understand how critical it is to maintain a page for your business, remember that you are in control of whether or not you use your personal account for personal reasons—or simply as a means of access to your business page.
McNutt & Partners is a full-service advertising and digital marketing agency. Contact us today for your marketing needs! Call 334-521-1010, or visit our contact page.
For those worried about your personal account appearing on your business page, not to worry – it won’t. There are only two public-facing places where someone’s own name could appear:
– Comments: Facebook defaults to commenting as your page, and you can always select to do so. This means when you reply to someone’s comment on a post, you’ll be replying as your business, not as yourself.
– The Team Members section in the page sidebar: this is opt-in, meaning you (or another trusted admin) can choose to show yourself there, but unless you do, you won’t appear there.
Other spots are only visible to page admins, and are never shown to your followers for any reason.
We hope this helps alleviate your concerns!