Collaborating with agencies to manage your social media presence can be a game-changer for your brand, but it also comes with a unique set of challenges. You need to give them the access they need to post content, run campaigns, and engage with your audience—without risking unauthorized use of your accounts, lingering access after projects wrap, or, worst of all, security breaches. It’s a delicate balance: You want everything to run smoothly, but not at the cost of your brand’s safety.
Let’s break it down: How can you give agencies what they need to do their jobs without handing over the keys to the kingdom? We’ll cover the risks, the challenges, and—most importantly—how to keep your brand safe and secure with best-in-class practices.
Challenges and risks of giving agencies access to shared accounts
Sure, you trust your agency. But your social media profiles are more than just marketing tools; they’re a direct line of communication with your audience. Keeping them secure is critical, not just for your brand’s image but for safeguarding the trust you’ve built with your customers. Unfortunately, not every marketing team has secure and automated access management systems and processes in place, leaving them exposed to a host of security risks.
Losing control over accounts and brand narrative
Manually setting up and removing agency access to your social media accounts is time-consuming and prone to human errors. Without a clear, centralized view of which agency is handling which project, campaign, or platform, the chances of overlooking important permissions and access rights increase significantly.
The situation is even worse when agencies use their own credentials to create channels or profiles for your brand. These "ghost accounts" remain active and out of your direct control, leaving your brand vulnerable to mismanagement. Tracking down every account created by past agencies and ensuring they properly shut down or transfer ownership can be a logistical nightmare. If an agency fails to do so, you risk having rogue accounts operating under your brand’s name, potentially misrepresenting your messaging.
Lack of accountability
Not having visibility into agency activities on shared accounts—such as not knowing who logged in and when—can make it challenging to confirm that they’re delivering on their promises. When an agency completes a project but retains access, even unintentionally, it could lead to the accidental exposure of your confidential data, including strategies and performance metrics. While most agencies operate with integrity, working with the wrong partner could open the door to misuse or mismanagement.
For paid social accounts, these risks are even higher. Unauthorized access could lead to unapproved ad campaigns, budget misuse, or costly mistakes, which can negatively impact both your brand’s finances and reputation. Protecting your accounts and maintaining strict oversight is crucial to safeguarding your ad spend and ensuring that every dollar is working for you, not against you.
How to make sure access is seamless and secure
So, how do you offer easy access without forfeiting control?
Only use corporate-managed credentials
Start by setting up account access with corporate-managed emails and phone numbers. This way, you can be safe knowing that only the right eyes have access. When agencies finish their work, there’s no need to strip them of account access one by one. This approach not only simplifies tracking who has access, but it also improves your security.
Instill secure password management policies
Never share passwords among your team or with external agencies. Instead, use modern access management systems like Cerby, that allow you to share logins safely without sharing passwords or exposing the actual credentials. These solutions also enable automatic password rotation, eliminating the need for manual updates, and enforce policies to ensure each account is protected by unique, complex passwords.
Enforce multi-factor authentication (MFA) for shared accounts
Passing around codes and risking lockouts during inopportune times aren't the best way to share passwords with team members or agencies. These bottlenecks cause 70% of social media users to disable MFA, even though it’s a vital layer of account security. Solutions like Cerby eliminate these bottlenecks by sending passcodes directly to the end user, ensuring seamless access without the friction.
Automate onboarding and offboarding
Automating the process of granting and revoking access for agencies streamlines security. With role-based permissions, agencies are only allowed to interact with specific features, such as publishing content or viewing analytics, without access to critical account settings. With solutions like Cerby, you can also offer time-bound access, granting temporary permissions that automatically expire when the project ends, reducing the risk of lingering or unauthorized access. This ensures your brand stays secure while maintaining efficient collaboration with external parties.
Gain visibility into agency access
Use tools that offer detailed tracking and reporting capabilities. These will allow you to closely monitor which accounts or channels agencies have access to. You can also see the specific times when access was granted, and the last login or removal dates. Make sure you’re selecting a solution hat gives you a centralized view so you can keep track of this all in the same place.
Prepare for the new frontier of cybersecurity threats
Marketers with a large online presence need to stay vigilant against emerging threats. In our next blog post, we'll explore why social media is fast becoming the new frontier for cybersecurity risks and how you can protect your brand's digital presence.
Visit our Secure Social Media Logins solution page to learn more or book a demo to see how Cerby can help your business today.
