Your admin list needs to be managed
Social media accounts are managed by administrators (admins). Some channel types use a simple username and password. Others social media channels like Facebook have manager tools where admins are listed, and have various degrees of access. You have to manage both of these type of scenarios.
Security risk
An admin list can get old very quickly if you do not manage it. Thus, the situation can and will get critical when the number of accounts become large. It is not uncommon for companies to have 50+ accounts. At one time I was responsible for 240+ accounts. Its not uncommon for large enterprises.
If you have 100s of company accounts it is very likely that some people listed as admin have left the company a long time ago. Many companies use agencies and the turnover of staff at these 3rd party companies is often unseen by the parent company owning the accounts.
Claiming back social media accounts
Claiming back social media accounts is one of my least favourite tasks as a social media director. You have to follow the detailed process of the social media channel. This will take some time and will need you to produce many items of proof like for example:
- Your identity in a photo ID (Passport, driver licence, etc)
- Your email
- The account URL, name etc.
- Reasons why the account should be yours
- Signed statement that the information supplied is true and accurate.
- More..
The admin list audit
The admin list audit can take some time. You have to go through each account and one by one validate each admin. This is made more complicated by using agencies. In many of those situations you will not be told that an agency member has moved on. One of the options I have used is to remove the person if they have not replied to your attempts to reach them. If they really need access they will come back and ask.
Do you need to check your social media admin list?
YES, a big YES. The consequences are big if you do not. Most companies do security risk assessments and the potential reputational risk of the top brand account being hacked or taken over is worth avoiding. In some instances you will not get the account back at all. Therefore it is especially difficult but not impossible once the 3rd party has obtained the business manager ownership as well as the Facebook and Instagram accounts.
BE CAREFUL.
- Do your audit now
- Keep the list up to date
- Try and manage all account access centrally
