If you’re running a small business in the UK, you’ve probably heard about Facebook Business Manager — but you may not be sure what it is, why you need it, or how to set it up properly. You’re not alone. Many SMEs, sole traders, and directors find the Meta platform confusing at first glance.
The truth is, Facebook Business Manager is essential for running ads safely, sharing access with your team, and keeping everything organised. It’s the control centre that helps you manage your Facebook Page, Instagram account, ad accounts, pixels, catalogues and more — all from one secure dashboard.
👉 Need help setting up Facebook Business Manager correctly? Book a free call with Business Mate today.
In this guide, we’ll break everything down in clear, simple steps so you can finally understand how to use Facebook Business Manager like a pro.
What Is Facebook Business Manager?
Facebook Business Manager is Meta’s central platform for managing your business’s marketing assets. Think of it as your digital HQ. It lets you:
- Keep your business assets separate from personal profiles
- Manage your Facebook Page and Instagram account
- Run and analyse advertising campaigns
- Control who has access to what
- Install and manage the Meta Pixel
- Set up tracking for website events and conversions
- Organise product catalogues for e-commerce
In short, if you want to run ads or grow your business on Facebook or Instagram, Facebook Business Manager is where it all begins.
Why Facebook Business Manager Matters for UK Small Businesses
Here’s why UK SMEs should always use Facebook Business Manager rather than personal accounts:
1. It keeps your business secure
Staff turnover happens. When an employee leaves, you don’t want them keeping access to your pages or ad accounts. Business Manager gives you full control over every permission.
2. It avoids personal-business overlap
Your business shouldn’t rely on one person’s personal Facebook profile. Business Manager keeps everything separate and professional.
3. It ensures clean, compliant ad setup
Without proper setup, ads don’t track correctly, audiences don’t build, and campaigns underperform.
4. It makes collaboration easier
You can safely add your marketing team, freelancers or agencies without sharing passwords.
5. It prevents costly mistakes
Many UK businesses accidentally run ads from the wrong Page or pay from the wrong account when they don’t use Business Manager.
👉 If you want a clean, safe, future-proof setup, Facebook Business Manager is essential.
See our related blog “Advertising Agencies in the UK: Meta Ads Explained“
How to Set Up Facebook Business Manager: A Step-by-Step UK Guide
Setting up Facebook Business Manager isn’t difficult — but it MUST be done correctly to avoid access issues later.
Here’s the simple process:
Step 1: Create Your Facebook Business Manager
- Go to business.facebook.com
- Log in to your personal profile (this doesn’t give anyone access to your profile)
- Click “Create Account”
- Add your business name and UK details
- Confirm your email
You now have a Business Manager shell — next, connect your assets.
Step 2: Add Your Facebook Page
Inside Business Manager:
- Click “Pages”
- Add your existing Page or create a new one
- Claim ownership so your business is the primary owner
Avoid adding Pages you don’t own — request access instead.
Step 3: Connect Your Instagram Account
Still in Business Settings:
- Click “Instagram Accounts”
- Log in with the business’s Instagram credentials
- Confirm you want to connect it to your Business Manager
This automatically links your Instagram to your Facebook Page too.
Step 4: Create or Add an Ad Account
You need an ad account to run paid campaigns.
You can:
- Add an existing ad account
- Create a new one
- Request access to a client’s account
For your business, create one ad account per brand.
Step 5: Set Up the Meta Pixel
The pixel is essential for:
- Tracking website behaviour
- Retargeting
- Measuring conversions
- Improving ad delivery
To install:
- Go to “Data Sources” > “Pixels”
- Create your pixel
- Add the pixel code to your website
- Confirm events in Events Manager
If you use Shopify, WordPress or Wix, you can install the pixel using integrations — no coding needed.
Step 6: Assign People & Permissions
This is where many UK businesses get things wrong.
You should:
- Add each person to Business Manager
- Assign them a role: Admin, Employee or Custom
- Give them access only to the assets they need
- Never give full admin access to freelancers
- Keep yourself as the main admin
Proper access protects your business.
Step 7: Connect Your Domain & Verify It
Domain verification ensures:
- You own your brand
- You can configure conversion events
- Your ads run smoothly after updates to privacy laws
This is done once and stays in place permanently.
How Facebook Business Manager Fits with Ads Manager
Many business owners confuse these two:
- Facebook Business Manager = your business asset control centre
- Ads Manager = where you create and run ads
Think of it like this:
Business Manager = your office
Ads Manager = your marketing tool inside the office
Business Manager organises your assets. Ads Manager delivers your campaigns.
The Benefits of Using Facebook Business Manager for Advertising
Advertising without Facebook Business Manager is like running a business without accounting software — messy, risky, and inefficient.
Here are the biggest benefits:
1. Clean, secure asset management
Your Page, ad account, pixel, catalogues, and audiences all live in one place.
2. Better tracking and reporting
You can accurately see:
- Cost-per-click
- Cost-per-lead
- ROAS
- Engagement
- Audience insights
Good data = better decisions.
3. Easier collaboration
Whether you’re working with a freelancer, employee or an agency like Business Mate, you can grant access without handing over passwords.
4. Full control over permissions
You choose who sees:
- Your Page
- Your ad account
- Your pixel
- Your audiences
- Your Instagram account
If someone leaves, you simply remove them — nothing else breaks.
5. Faster troubleshooting
Ad disapprovals, pixel issues, access problems… all easier to solve when Business Manager is set up correctly.
👉 If you want campaigns that perform well and scale, this is non-negotiable.
Common Facebook Business Manager Mistakes UK Businesses Make
UK SMEs often struggle with the setup. The most common errors are:
1. Running ads from a personal profile
This is risky, unprofessional, and limits growth.
2. Giving full admin access to freelancers
Never do this — keep ownership of your business assets.
3. Not installing the pixel correctly
Without the pixel, your ads underperform and tracking breaks.
4. No backup admin
If you lose access, everything becomes complicated.
Always have two admins.
5. Not verifying your domain
This affects conversion tracking and ad delivery.
If any of these apply to your business, you’re not alone. We help UK companies fix these issues daily.
👉 Need your setup reviewed? Book a free audit call with Business Mate.
When Should You Ask an Agency for Help?
If you’re experiencing:
- Broken tracking
- Low-quality leads
- Declining ad results
- Access issues
- Confusing error messages
- Lack of time to manage ads properly
…then it’s time to bring in professionals.
Business Mate helps UK businesses:
- Set up Facebook Business Manager correctly
- Repair messy setups
- Create ad campaigns
- Manage budgets
- Track performance
- Scale with confidence
Conclusion
It is the foundation for successful advertising across Facebook and Instagram. It keeps your business secure, organises your assets, improves campaign performance, and makes collaboration simple.
For UK small businesses, it’s one of the most valuable tools for growth — but only when set up properly.
👉 Ready to get running smoothly? Book a free call with Business Mate today, and let’s fix it together.
