Understanding Facebook Accounts Before Running Ads

Before setting up Facebook Ads, it’s essential to understand the difference between a Facebook Profile, Facebook Page, Ads Account, and Meta Business Suite. Many beginners struggle with these terms, leading to confusion about managing ads effectively. This Facebook advertising tutorial edition will break it all down so you’re fully prepared for the next steps.

Table of Contents

1. Personal Facebook Account vs. Facebook Business Assets
2. Facebook Ads Account: Where You Manage Ads
3. Meta Business Suite: Managing Multiple Assets
4. Why You See Ads Manager in Your Personal Profile
5. How to Check If You Already Have an Ads Account
6. Common Misconceptions About Facebook Ads Setup
Conclusion: What’s Next?
General Disclaimer

1. Personal Facebook Account vs. Facebook Business Assets

✅ Personal Facebook Account

A personal Facebook account is what you use to connect with friends, post updates, and join groups. However, you cannot run business ads directly from a personal profile. Instead, your personal account is needed to create and manage business assets like Pages and Ads Accounts.

✅ Facebook Page (Required for Business Ads)

A Facebook Page represents a business, brand, or public figure. Unlike a personal profile, a Page is public and allows followers. If you want to run ads for your business, you must create a Facebook Page.

Why a Facebook Page is Important for Ads:
A. Creates a professional brand presence
B. Enables ad campaigns under a business name
C. Provides business tools like insights and messaging

👉 Example: If you own an online store called “Trendy Wear”, you create a Facebook Page named “Trendy Wear” instead of running ads from your personal profile.

2. Facebook Ads Account: Where You Manage Ads

A Facebook Ads Account is where you create, monitor, and manage ads. It is linked to your Facebook Page, but it is not created automatically when you make a Page—you must set it up manually.

Key Features of a Meta Ads Account:
1. Create and manage Facebook and Instagram ads
2. Set budgets and define target audiences
3. Track ad performance and optimize campaigns
Important: All ad accounts are linked to a personal facebook profile.

👉 Example: If “Trendy Wear” runs an ad promoting summer dresses, it is managed through the Ads Account, not directly from the Page.

3. Meta Business Suite: Managing Multiple Assets

Meta Business Suite is the central hub for managing multiple Facebook Pages, Ad Accounts, and team access. It’s ideal for agencies, businesses with multiple brands, or growing companies. (Note: You may still see references to Business Manager within the settings, as Meta is transitioning to Meta Business Suite.)

Key advantages over an Ad Account managed by a personal profile:

Centralized management of multiple Ad Accounts.
Team collaboration with varying access levels.
Management of multiple Facebook pages.
Advanced permission controls


Feature	Ad Account Managed by a Personal Profile	Ad Account Managed Through Meta Business Suite
Number of Ad Accounts	1	Multiple
Team Management	❌ No	✅ Yes
Manage Multiple Pages	❌ No	✅ Yes
Advanced Permissions	❌ No	✅ Yes

Best Choice:

🔹 For small businesses running ads occasionally: Use a Personal Ads Account.
🔹 For agencies, multiple businesses, or growing brands: Use Meta Business Suite.

4. Why You See Ads Manager in Your Personal Profile

You might see Facebook Ads Manager in your personal profile due to:

The ability to boost posts from a Facebook Page, which is a simplified form of advertising that utilizes your Ad Account. While boosting is easier, it offers less control than creating full ad campaigns in Meta Ads Manager.
Past interactions with Facebook’s ad system.
Facebook’s provision of access to Ads Manager before setting up a full Ad Account.

Crucially: For effective business advertising, you need an Ad Account linked to a Facebook Page.

5. How to Check If You Already Have an Ads Account

Before creating a new Ad Account, check for existing ones:

1️⃣ Go to Meta Business Suite: business.facebook.com
2️⃣ Click Settings > Business Manager > Business settings
3️⃣ Under Accounts > Ad Accounts, check if an Ads Account is listed.

✔ If you see an Ads Account, you can start running ads!
❌ If not, you’ll need to create one (covered in the next edition).

6. Common Misconceptions About Facebook Ads Setup

🚫 “I can run ads directly from my personal profile.”

❌ No, you need a Facebook Page and an Ad Account.

🚫 “Creating a Facebook Page automatically creates an Ad Account.”

❌ No, an Ad Account must be set up separately.

🚫 “I can run ads without a Facebook Page.”

❌ No, You must have a facebook page to run ads. The professionalism of your page will reflect in the results of your ads.

Conclusion: What’s Next?

Now that you understand the foundation of Facebook accounts and ad management, you’re ready for the next step—setting up your Facebook Ads Account.

👉 In the next edition, we will cover:
A. How to create a Facebook Ads Account (step by step)
B. Setting up your payment method
C. Navigating Facebook Ads Manager

General Disclaimer

Disclaimer: Meta’s (Facebook’s) interface is regularly updated. While this blog aims to provide accurate information, some visual elements or navigation may vary slightly from the current interface. Always refer to Meta’s official help resources for the most up-to-date guidance.

Stay tuned for Edition 2!