🎯 Purpose

This SOP outlines the exact steps and expectations for setting up and managing your Meta (Facebook and Instagram) ad accounts, payment methods, business assets, and daily budgets. It also explains how ad spend works, why we front-load budget during testing, and how to maintain account integrity when working with Assist Providers.

Following this SOP ensures:

• You remain the full owner of your assets

• Your campaigns are approved, optimised and protected

• Your ad spend is used efficiently and transparently

📘 Table Of Contents

✅ SECTION 1: Understanding Meta Ad Spend

Setting up your ad spend correctly is the financial backbone of running Meta ads. Many providers misunderstand what ad spend is, where it goes, and how it should be managed — which leads to frustration, payment failures, or suspended ad accounts. This section will give you not only the mechanics, but the mindset behind doing this right.

What Is Ad Spend?

Ad spend is the money you allocate to Meta (Facebook & Instagram) to actually display your ads.

It covers:

• Delivering ads to targeted users

• Buying space in people’s feeds or Stories

• Fueling visibility, engagement, and leads

What it does NOT include:

• The fees paid to Assist Providers for campaign management, setup, or content

This separation is crucial — your ad spend is always under your name, your card, and your control.

How Meta Charges You

Meta operates on a billing threshold model:

🔹 1. First-Time Ad Accounts (Low Threshold)

• New ad accounts start with a $4–$30 AUD threshold

• You are charged once that threshold is reached

• Thresholds rise automatically as you build trust (e.g., $50 → $250 → $500)

💡 If your card is declined at the $4 level, Meta may pause your entire account. Start small — but start right.

🔹 2. Rolling Charges

• Meta doesn’t charge upfront

• You are only billed when:

  • You hit your billing threshold (e.g. $350), OR

  • You reach the end of your monthly billing cycle

🔹 3. Budget Control

• Meta will never spend more than your set daily or lifetime budget

• You can adjust it at any time in Ads Manager

• Budget changes take effect within 15 minutes

🧠 Why It Matters

Ad spend is where many NDIS providers lose trust in marketing. You must understand:

• You’re not paying Assist Providers for ad exposure — you pay Meta directly

• We do not mark up or handle your spend — your card is billed, and your receipts come directly from Meta

• Transparency = control. You’ll always know how much you’re spending, and where it’s going

📌 Common Misconception

"I thought I was paying you to run the ads — why do I still have to put my card into Facebook?"

Answer: Because YOU are the owner of your advertising account. We manage it, but we never take control of your money. This protects you long-term.

✅ Action Items Before Moving On

• ✅ Decide what your initial daily budget is ($30 minimum/day recommended)

• ✅ Make sure your business card (not personal) is ready to link

• ✅ Prepare to use one business email for all asset setup

Now that you understand how charges work and why ad spend is always under your ownership, we’ll move to the foundation: setting up your Facebook Business Page. Create Your Facebook Business Page

✅ SECTION 2: Setting Up Your Facebook Page

Setting up your Facebook Business Page is not just about ticking boxes — it’s about building trust with your audience and ensuring your ad account gets approved quickly. Meta looks at your Page when reviewing your first ads. If it’s empty, messy, or missing key info, it may cause delays or outright rejection.

Here’s how to do it right:

✅ Step 1: Go to Facebook Page Creation

• Visit facebook.com/pages/create

• Log into your personal Facebook account (this stays private)

✅ Step 2: Select “Business or Brand”

This unlocks access to Meta’s full advertising tools. Do NOT choose “Community” or “Public Figure.”

✅ Step 3: Add Core Page Details

• Page Name: Use your NDIS business name exactly as it appears on your registration

• Category: Type and select options like:

  • “Disability Service”

  • “Community Organisation”

  • “Health & Wellness”

• Description (1–2 sentences):

“We’re a registered NDIS provider supporting individuals across [City/Region] with daily living, community participation, and personalised care.”

✅ Step 4: Add Visual Branding

Upload two clear images:

• Profile Picture: Your business logo (square, no background clutter)

• Cover Photo: A high-quality photo showing friendly support workers, your office, or participants engaging in services (avoid blurry or text-heavy banners)

⚠️ First impressions matter — poor photos reduce trust and may lower engagement.

✅ Step 5: Add Contact & Business Info

Click “Edit Page Info” and complete every section:

• Website (or use a booking page/Linktree if no website)

• Business email (use your central business email)

• Phone number

• Business hours

• Service area (important for geographic targeting)

✅ Step 6: Publish Your Page

Hit “Publish” — your page is now live and discoverable.

✅ Step 7: Post Foundational Content

Before ads start, post at least 3 real posts so the page looks active. Suggested post ideas:

1. Introduction to your services

2. A behind-the-scenes look at your team or a friendly staff photo

3. A welcome message or story about why your business exists

🎯 A clean, active business page improves ad approvals and gives Support Coordinators confidence when checking your credibility.

✅ SECTION 3: Create & Optimise Instagram for Business

Instagram is an essential channel for building trust, community presence, and social proof — particularly for disability support businesses that want to reach participants and families. But without switching to a Professional Account, your Instagram won’t be eligible for ads, analytics, or proper linking with your Facebook assets.

🛠 Why This Step Matters

• Ads cannot be run on Instagram unless your account is switched to Professional (Business) status

• Insights, content scheduling, and contact buttons are only unlocked with a Professional Account

• Meta requires this setup to link your Instagram to your ad account and Business Suite properly

Step-by-Step: Switch to a Professional Business Account

✅ Step 1: Open the Instagram App

• Log in to the account you want to upgrade

✅ Step 2: Navigate to Settings

• Tap your profile picture (bottom right)

• Tap the three lines in the top-right corner

• Tap Settings and Privacy

✅ Step 3: Change Account Type

• Scroll down and tap “Account type and tools”

• Select “Switch to Professional Account”

• Tap “Continue” through the prompts

✅ Step 4: Select a Business Category

• Suggested categories:

  • Disability Service

  • Health/Wellness

  • Community Organisation

📌 This lets people instantly understand your services when visiting your profile.

✅ Step 5: Choose “Business” (Not “Creator”)

• This unlocks Meta’s ad tools, analytics, and contact buttons

✅ Step 6: Complete Setup

• Add your contact details: email, phone, and business address

• Choose whether to display or hide your contact info on your public profile

⚠️ Double-check the email — it must match the business email you used in Meta Business Suite.

✅ SECTION 4: Connect Instagram to Facebook & Meta Business Suite

Instagram and Facebook must be connected before ads can run — this syncs your audiences, analytics, content schedule, and campaign delivery.

Why This Step Matters

• Without linking, your Instagram account won’t receive ad traffic

• It may also lead to disapprovals or missing data in Meta Ads Manager

Step-by-Step: Link Facebook Page to Instagram

✅ Step 1: Go to Your Facebook Page

• Log in to your personal Facebook

• Navigate to your Business Page (created in Section 2)

✅ Step 2: Link Your Instagram

• In your Page menu, click Settings

• Click Linked Accounts > Instagram

• Click Connect Account

• Log in using your Instagram Professional account

• Accept permissions when prompted

Your Facebook Page and Instagram are now linked.

Add Both Accounts to Meta Business Suite (Business Manager)

This is where we manage ads, permissions, and asset ownership.

✅ Step 1: Open Meta Business Suite Settings

• Go to https://business.facebook.com/settings

✅ Step 2: Add Assets

• Click Accounts on the left panel

• Click Pages > Add > Add a Page

  • Search for and assign your Facebook Business Page

• Click Instagram Accounts > Add > Log In

  • Enter your Instagram login again and confirm

✅ Step 3: Assign Access

• Go to People > Add your team or Assist Providers

• Assign Full Access to both your Page and Instagram account

🎯 This allows your marketing team to manage, run, and optimise your campaigns without needing your login credentials.

✅ SECTION 5: Create Your Meta Business Suite Account (Correctly)

Meta Business Suite (aka Business Manager) is your hub for managing all assets — Facebook, Instagram, ad accounts, and billing. Setting it up properly prevents access issues, restrictions, or compliance flags.

Why This Step Matters

• If your business does not have a verified Meta Business Manager, you cannot run ads

• You need this to securely assign access to your team or agency

• It creates a permanent container that owns your Facebook page, ad account, and payment methods

❗ Many providers make the mistake of running everything under a personal Facebook profile — this is not sustainable or secure.

Step-by-Step: Create Your Meta Business Suite Account

✅ Step 1: Go to https://business.facebook.com

• Make sure you’re logged into your personal Facebook admin profile (this remains private)

✅ Step 2: Click “Create Account”

• In the top right corner, click Create Account

✅ Step 3: Enter Business Information

• Business Name: Use your legal NDIS provider name

• Your Name: Enter your full name (this is for verification, not public)

• Business Email: This must be your official business email, not a personal Gmail

✅ Example: use [email protected], not [email protected]

✅ Step 4: Access the Business Settings Dashboard

Once created, go to:

• https://business.facebook.com/settings

• You’ll now see options to add Pages, Instagram, ad accounts, and people

📌 Real Example: Why Business Email Matters

A provider built their assets under an admin's personal email. When the staff member resigned, they lost access to the Facebook Page and ad account — permanently.

We had to rebuild the entire infrastructure from scratch.

👉 Always set up Meta accounts using a central business email controlled by the business owner or director.

✅ SECTION 6: Adding A Payment Method

Adding a payment method is one of the most essential and overlooked parts of launching your Meta ad account. Without this step done properly, your account will not spend, campaigns will fail to deliver, and Meta may pause your entire Business Manager.

🎯 Think of your payment method as the fuel line to your ad engine — without it, nothing runs.

🧠 Why It Matters

• Meta only accepts payment via verified Business Manager accounts

• Personal cards or inconsistent emails can trigger flagging or restrictions

• Ad accounts with failed payments get blocked automatically — often without warning

We’ve seen providers miss weeks of leads because of one missed field in this step.

✅ Step-by-Step: How to Add Your Payment Method

Step 1: Open Meta Business Suite Settings

• Visit: https://business.facebook.com/settings

• Log in with the same admin personal Facebook profile used to set up Business Suite

Step 2: Navigate to “Payments” in the Left Menu

• Click “Payments” under the “Business Settings” tab

• If this is your first time, click “Add Payment Method”

Step 3: Add a Valid Business Card or PayPal

• Use a business debit/credit card or a PayPal account registered to your business email

• Ensure the name and billing address matches your registered business details

• The card must be able to process international payments (Meta is a US-based platform)

⚠️ Many payment failures are caused by banks blocking Meta as an international merchant. Always pre-approve Meta or “Facebook Ireland” with your bank before going live.

Step 4: Assign the Card to Your Ad Account

• Go to Ad Accounts > Payment Settings

• Ensure this card is linked to the ad account we are using

• If there are multiple cards/accounts, confirm the correct one is selected

🔍 Real Example of What Can Go Wrong

A provider added a personal Visa card with mismatched address details. Meta allowed setup — but flagged the account for suspicious billing after the first $100. The campaign was paused, and their ad account was under review for 7 days.

If the provider had used their business card and matched ABN details, this would never have happened.

⚠️ Common Issues & Fixes

Problem What It Means How to Fix ❌ Card declined Bank blocked Meta charge Contact your bank, allow international payments ❌ Gmail used with PayPal Payment profile mismatch Use business PayPal linked to business email ❌ Card added but not assigned Meta won’t know which ad account to bill Manually assign under Ad Account settings ❌ No ABN or GST-registered info Triggers Meta fraud filters Ensure your billing info is tied to your business registration

✅ Best Practices

• Always use one primary business card tied to the ABN

• Do not rotate or remove cards once campaigns are live

• Double-check the email used in your Meta profile and payment method — they must match your business identity

• Store login credentials securely and restrict billing access to admins only

📬 Where to Check Meta Billing Activity

You can review charges, receipts, and tax invoices here:

https://business.facebook.com/billing

Meta will send tax invoices monthly, which can be downloaded and filed for accounting purposes.

✅ Final Checklist Before Proceeding

Once this is done, your ad account is ready to go — and billing disruptions are far less likely to occur.

✅ SECTION 7: Create Your Ad Account

Your ad account is the engine that runs all campaigns. This is where budgets are set, audiences are selected, creatives are deployed, and results are tracked.

If this account is created incorrectly — under a personal profile or with the wrong permissions — it can delay or completely block campaign launch. This section ensures you’re building your ad account the right way from the start.

🧠 Why This Step Matters

• Only ad accounts created inside Meta Business Manager are eligible for full ad support and asset ownership.

• If you boost posts from your Page directly or run ads through a personal profile, your business has no control or visibility.

• Meta support will NOT recover ad accounts tied to personal profiles — even if you’re the business owner.

✅ Step-by-Step: Create a Business Ad Account

Step 1: Go to Business Settings

• Visit: https://business.facebook.com/settings

• Use the same login you used to set up Meta Business Suite (Section 5)

Step 2: Navigate to "Ad Accounts"

• On the left sidebar, click “Ad Accounts”

• Then click “Add” → “Create a New Ad Account”

Step 3: Enter Ad Account Details

• Ad Account Name: Use your business name or something identifiable (e.g. "ABC Supports Ads")

• Time Zone: Set to Australia – Sydney (AEST)

• Currency: Set to AUD (Australian Dollar)

⚠️ Once set, currency and time zone cannot be changed. Double-check before continuing.

Step 4: Assign the Ad Account to Your Business

• Select: "This ad account will be used for my business"

• Confirm and proceed

Step 5: Assign Permissions

• Assign full control to yourself and your team

• If working with Assist Providers, add our business email under "People" and assign Manage Campaigns + View Performance

📌 Real Example: Ownership vs Access

A provider boosted posts through their staff’s personal ad account for 6 months. When the staff left, they lost access to all ad history, pixel data, and reporting.

We rebuilt their account inside Business Suite — but they lost 6 months of optimisation data.

👉 Always create your ad account in your own Business Manager, under your business identity.

✅ Final Checklist for Ad Account Setup

Once your ad account is built correctly, it becomes the command centre for all paid advertising. From here, we can launch, test, scale, and report on every campaign we run.

✅ SECTION 8: Testing Budget Strategy

🧠 Why We Front-Load the Budget (Weeks 1–2)

The first two weeks of your ad campaign are the testing phase — and they are critical. This is when we gather performance data to identify what works, what doesn’t, and how we should spend your remaining budget for the rest of the month.

We purposely allocate more budget in the beginning to rapidly:

• Test multiple ad creatives (images, video, copy)

• Experiment with different audience targeting (age, location, interests)

• Measure engagement, clicks, cost per lead, and conversion behaviour

📌 Think of it like launching multiple fishing lines — and then doubling down where the fish are biting.

🎯 What Happens During Testing

During the first 7–14 days, we:

• Launch multiple ad versions (e.g. 3–5 image/video creatives)

• Split test different headlines, descriptions, and hooks

• Target varied NDIS-relevant audiences, such as:

  • Carers aged 35–60

  • Parents of children with disabilities

  • Support Coordinators in your local region

• Track:

  • Click-Through Rate (CTR)

  • Cost Per Lead (CPL)

  • Message/Open Rates

  • Quality of leads (via manual checks or call booking rates)

🎯 The goal is NOT just reach — it's to understand which ad brings in the right participants.

📊 Example Budget Breakdown

Let’s say you have a $1,000 monthly ad budget:

Phase Duration Spend Purpose Testing Phase Week 1–2 $600–$700 Data collection & audience refinement Scaling Phase Week 3–4 $300–$400 Only top-performing ads are kept

✅ Ads that don’t perform are shut off after 7–10 days.

✅ The best-performing ads are scaled with adjusted targeting.

🔍 What Does “Performing” Mean?

We look for:

• CTR above industry average (1.5–2%)

• Cost per lead within target range (typically $20–$40 for NDIS)

• Comments and messages from real carers, participants, or SCs

• Increased traffic to your website or booking form

We don’t just rely on numbers — we check lead quality by monitoring:

• Which ads generate booked calls

• Which creatives lead to long replies or real engagement

• Where participants are dropping off

⚠️ What Happens If We Don't Test?

Skipping or underfunding testing leads to:

• Unqualified leads

• Wasted spend on weak ads

• No baseline data to optimise from

• Slower ROI and lower conversion rates

📌 Every high-performing ad account we’ve built started with a structured, front-loaded test.

✅ Final Checklist for Testing Phase Success

• [ ] $600–$700 of your monthly budget allocated for Week 1–2

• [ ] At least 3 creatives launched (image or video)

• [ ] Audiences split by geography, interest, or age group

• [ ] Lead quality reviewed within first 10 days

• [ ] Poor ads paused, top ads scaled in Week 3

Once testing is complete, we double down on what works — ensuring the rest of your ad spend brings in real participants, not just clicks.

✅ SECTION 9: What To Do If Meta Blocks Your Account

Even when everything is set up properly, Meta may restrict, disable, or block your ad account or Business Manager without warning. These actions are usually automated and triggered by:

• Suspicious login activity

• Unusual billing behaviour (e.g. failed payments)

• Ads that are flagged for violating policy (even mistakenly)

🚫 When your account is blocked — all ads stop immediately, and you stop receiving new leads.

🧠 Why This Step Matters

• You must act fast to resolve the issue — delays can lead to days or even weeks of no campaigns

• Most providers panic or try to create a new account — which can make things worse

• You need to work through Meta’s official review process using the correct language

✅ Step-by-Step: Request a Review from Meta

Step 1: Go to Meta’s Account Quality Centre

• Visit: https://business.facebook.com/accountquality

• Log in to the Meta Business Suite admin profile

Step 2: Identify What Was Blocked

• You may see warnings like:

  • "Your Ad Account has been disabled"

  • "Business Manager under review"

  • "Violation of ad policies"

• Click on the red warning and read the issue carefully

Step 3: Click “Request Review” or “Disagree with Decision”

• Meta gives you one opportunity to dispute the action

• Be polite, brief, and professional in your message

Example Review Message:

"Hello Meta team, we believe this restriction may have been triggered in error. We are a registered disability support provider in Australia and always strive to follow advertising guidelines. Please review our account and let us know if any actions are required. Thank you."

Step 4: Monitor the Review Timeline

• Reviews usually take 24–72 hours but can sometimes take longer

• You may receive follow-up emails or requests for ID verification

• Keep checking the Account Quality dashboard every day

Step 5: Notify Assist Providers Immediately

• Send us a screenshot or let your account manager know

• We will monitor the situation and pause campaigns if needed

⚠️ What NOT to Do

Mistake Why It's Risky ❌ Creating a new ad account May cause more restrictions — Meta sees this as circumvention ❌ Submitting multiple appeals This slows down the review process — one clear request is enough ❌ Ignoring the block for days You lose momentum and lead flow — and Meta may assume you’re inactive

✅ Best Practices to Avoid Blocks in the Future

• Keep billing info up to date (no expired cards)

• Do not change payment methods frequently

• Avoid uploading duplicate or “spammy” ad creatives

• Stay compliant with Meta’s Disability & Medical Policy — avoid misleading claims or “before/after” language

• Assign at least 2 admins to Business Suite so you’re never locked out

✅ You can review Meta’s ad policies here: https://www.facebook.com/policies/ads

🔐 Final Reminder

If Meta blocks your account, it is NOT the end. Most blocks are lifted in a few days if handled properly. Do not try to bypass the system — work within Meta’s review process, and always let us know.

Once your account is restored, we can resume ads immediately and recover momentum.

✅ SECTION 10: Final Checks Before Launch

✔️ Facebook Business Page live & complete

✔️ Instagram converted to Professional + connected

✔️ Meta Business Suite created under business email

✔️ Ad account created & team assigned

✔️ Payment method added to Meta

✔️ Access granted to Assist Providers team (if applicable)

🧠 Final Thoughts

When done right, your Meta ecosystem becomes:

• A stable foundation for scalable marketing

• A transparent channel where you own your billing, pages, and assets

• A platform that enables high-performing NDIS campaigns with no delays or ownership risks

📌 Once all setup steps are done, notify Assist Providers so we can begin running ads and driving results.