How to Create a Facebook Business Account｜From Initial Setup to Running Ads

When you try to use Facebook and Instagram for business in earnest, you'll increasingly encounter prompts telling you to "create a business account." However, the difference from a personal account, and the relationship with similarly named tools like Business Suite and Ads Manager, can be hard to grasp, and many people stumble at the initial setup.

In this article, we first organize what a Facebook business account (officially, a business portfolio) is, then walk through the creation steps, initial setup, and preparation for running ads, in order. If you're about to run Facebook and Instagram for business, please use this as a reference.

What Is a Facebook Business Account?

A Facebook business account is a mechanism for handling various business resources—such as Facebook Pages, ad accounts, and Instagram accounts—together as a single management unit. In Meta's official terminology, it's called a "business portfolio" (formerly Business Manager).

Because it can be managed separately from your personal Facebook account, you can appropriately control permissions when operating with multiple people or coordinating with an ad agency. Creation itself is free, and you can set it up as long as you have a personal Facebook account.

The Difference from a Facebook Page

What's easily confused is the difference from a "Facebook Page." A Facebook Page refers to the public page itself that a company or store uses for information dissemination and customer acquisition. A business account (business portfolio), on the other hand, plays the role of a "container" that bundles and manages those Facebook Pages, ad accounts, and so on. The relationship is: first you create a Facebook Page, then you link it to the business account for management.

The Relationship with Business Suite and Ads Manager

Meta has several similarly named tools, and their roles are divided. The premise is that you use them according to your purpose.

• Business portfolio: the foundation that manages assets like Facebook Pages, ad accounts, and Instagram, along with permissions
• Meta Business Suite: a tool for organic operations such as creating and scheduling daily posts and responding to messages and comments
• Ads Manager: a tool for creating and delivering ads, such as campaign creation, targeting, and bidding

In short, the business portfolio is the foundation for management, and on top of it, you handle daily operations with Business Suite and ad delivery with Ads Manager.

What to Prepare Before Creating

To create your business account smoothly, prepare the following in advance.

• A personal Facebook account: required for creating a business account
• A Facebook Page: the page that will be the target of ads or operations (if not yet created, you can link it after creation)
• Basic business information: contact details such as your business name and email address

Note that there is an upper limit on the number of business portfolios you can create with a single personal account. Being conscious of the boundary between personal and business use, and organizing things according to purpose, gives peace of mind.

Steps to Create a Facebook Business Account

A business portfolio is created from Meta Business Suite. The basic flow is as follows. Note that Meta's admin interface is updated frequently, so check button names and positions against the actual screen.

1. While logged in with your personal Facebook account, access Meta Business Suite
2. From the dropdown at the top of the left-hand menu, select "Create a business portfolio"
3. Enter your business name and contact information (name and email address)
4. Confirm the details, click "Create," and approve from the confirmation email

Once creation is complete, you'll be able to link and manage Facebook Pages, ad accounts, and more around that business portfolio.

Initial Setup to Do After Opening the Account

Just creating a business account won't let you start operations. Here's the initial setup you'll want to complete after opening the account.

1. Add Facebook Pages and Instagram

From "Accounts" in business settings, add the Facebook Page you'll operate. If you'll run ads or manage posts on Instagram, connect your Instagram account too. Linking both your Facebook Page and Instagram makes it easier to fully utilize placements in the ad delivery described later.

2. Create an Ad Account

If you'll run ads, create an ad account from business settings. During creation, set the currency (Japanese yen), time zone (Asia/Tokyo), and so on. Some of these items are hard to change later, so it's important to set them correctly from the start.

3. Invite Members and Set Permissions

If you operate with multiple people, invite members and assign permissions by role. Inviting members requires admin permission for the business portfolio. From a security standpoint, the point is not to grant stronger permissions than necessary, but to divide permissions according to role.

4. Set Up Two-Factor Authentication

Because a business account involves ad spend and important assets, protection against unauthorized access is essential. Enable two-factor authentication and protect the administrator's account.

The Flow Up to Running Ads

Once initial setup is done, you finally move on to preparing to run ads. The rough flow is as follows.

1. Set a payment method: register a payment method such as a credit card on the ad account. Without it, you can't deliver ads
2. Link your Facebook Page and Instagram to the ad account: secure your placements
3. (As needed) set up your measurement environment: install the Meta Pixel and CAPI so you can measure conversions
4. Create a campaign in Ads Manager: choose an objective, set up the ad set and ad, and deliver

Meta ads are structured in three levels: "campaign," "ad set," and "ad." First, in the campaign, you choose the ad objective (awareness, traffic, engagement, leads, app promotion, sales, etc.), and beneath it you set the delivery target, budget, and creative.

While you're a beginner, rather than pursuing multiple objectives at once, it's recommended to start simply by narrowing to one, such as "traffic" or "sales." Improve little by little while watching the data after delivery.

Points to Note During Operation

To operate your business account safely and effectively, there are a few points to keep in mind. First, before delivery, always check that there are no errors in the billing information for your payment method. Setup mistakes can cause ads not to be delivered, or unintended charges to occur.

Also, since this is an account where ad spend moves, permission management and security are especially important. Promptly review the access rights of former employees and agencies whose contracts have ended, and thoroughly enforce two-factor authentication to prevent trouble. Because the admin interface specifications may change, also check Meta's official help for the latest state.

Summary: Set Up Your Business Account and Start Running Facebook and Instagram

A Facebook business account (business portfolio) is the foundation for managing Facebook Pages, ad accounts, and Instagram together. You can operate it separately from your personal account and advance operations with peace of mind in terms of permission management and security.

Creation is free, and you can start right away as long as you have a personal Facebook account. After opening the account, complete the initial setup—adding Facebook Pages and Instagram, creating an ad account, setting permissions, and two-factor authentication—and once you register a payment method, you're ready to run ads. First solidify the foundation of your business account, and advance your business use of Facebook and Instagram one step at a time.