Social Media Profile Setup Checklist

This template runs once per platform — LinkedIn Page, X, Instagram, TikTok, Facebook Page, YouTube, Threads, Pinterest. Some downstream steps (verification, business profile, ad account linkage) only apply to specific platforms; capture the choice here so the rest of the run scopes correctly.

Match the handle used on existing platforms — Namechk or a manual sweep across the others confirms availability. If the exact match is taken, document the fallback convention (underscore, region suffix) in the brand handle registry so future launches stay consistent.

Use a role-based address (social@, marketing@) — never a personal employee account. When the owner leaves, the account walks with them. Add the address to the password manager group before signup.

Personal accounts can't access analytics, scheduled publishing, or paid promotion. On Instagram and Facebook, link to the Meta Business Suite; on LinkedIn, claim the Page from a personal admin profile; on TikTok, switch to a Business Account from settings.

Source the avatar, cover/banner, and any platform-specific lockup variants from Bynder, Brandfolder, Frontify, or wherever the brand book lives. Use the locked logo lockup — never a re-export from Slack or a screenshot.

Each platform crops differently. LinkedIn Page logo is 300×300; cover 1128×191. X header 1500×500. YouTube channel art 2560×1440 with safe zone 1546×423. Test in mobile preview — desktop banners frequently get clipped on phone.

Pull the positioning statement and value proposition from the messaging house. Bio length differs by platform — X is 160 chars, Instagram 150, LinkedIn tagline 120 — so rewrite for each rather than truncating one master string.

Capture timestamped approval — a Slack DM saying 'looks good' isn't an audit trail. For regulated industries (financial services, health, supplements), legal sign-off is required before any external publish; FINRA Rule 2210 and FTC Endorsement Guides apply.

Only triggered when legal or brand returned edits. Re-circulate the revised copy for sign-off before publishing — partial approval is not approval.

Apply the team's UTM convention — source = platform name, medium = social, campaign = profile-bio. Inconsistent UTMs are the most common cause of GA4 reports breaking apart across campaigns. If using a Linktree or Beacons hub, UTM each child link individually.

Industry category drives platform discovery surfaces. Set Email, Call, or Directions CTAs only if a real human monitors them — a Call button routing to a dead line is worse than no button. On Facebook and Instagram, set the action button (Book, Shop, Contact) per the GTM plan.

Add the new handle to the website footer, email signatures, and other social profiles. Skipping this leaves the new account orphaned and slows verification eligibility.

Meta Verified, X Premium, and LinkedIn Page verification each have different criteria. Have the entity name, registered address, and a press-mention reference list ready. Verification frequently fails when the bio name doesn't match the registered business name exactly.

Authorize Sprout Social, Hootsuite, Buffer, Later, or whichever tool the team uses. OAuth tokens expire — set a calendar reminder to re-auth quarterly so scheduled posts don't fail silently overnight.

Three to five pillars covering thought leadership, product, customer stories, culture, and topical commentary. Tie each pillar to an ICP and funnel stage so the editorial calendar isn't all TOFU brand fluff with no MOFU pull-through.

Cadence per platform — LinkedIn 3-5/week, Instagram 3-4/week, X 1-2/day, TikTok daily. Mix asset types per pillar; an all-static-graphic feed kills reach on platforms whose algorithms prioritize video.

Per-platform list of branded hashtags, campaign hashtags, and FTC disclosure tags (#ad, #sponsored) for any influencer or paid-partnership posts. Disclosure must appear at the top of the caption — buried in a 30-tag block fails FTC guidance.

Connect the platform's API to the team dashboard — Sprout, Looker Studio, or whatever rolls up to the MBR. Native exports differ from API metrics; confirm the definition of 'engagement' matches what stakeholders expect before the first report.

Click the live profile link, confirm the session arrives in GA4 with the right source/medium/campaign. Mis-mapped events have inflated conversion counts by 5x in past launches; debug with GA4 DebugView before assuming everything works.

Triggered when GA4 verification fails. File with the marketing-ops or web team; common culprits are Google Tag Manager triggers gated behind consent state, missing UTM on the Linktree child link, or a 301 redirect dropping query params.

Set realistic 30/60/90-day targets for follower growth, engagement rate, and link-click-through. Anchor to industry benchmarks (Rival IQ, Hootsuite annual report) — a 5% engagement target is fantasy on most platforms.

1Password, Bitwarden, or LastPass shared vault for the social team — never a Google Doc, Notion page, or shared spreadsheet. Generate a 24-char random password; do not reuse from any other brand account.

Use an authenticator app (Authy, 1Password, Google Authenticator) — never SMS, which is vulnerable to SIM-swap attacks that have hijacked verified brand handles. Store recovery codes in the password manager note alongside the credential.

Add team members through Meta Business Suite, LinkedIn Page admins, or YouTube brand-account managers — never share the master login. Roles should follow least-privilege: Editor for posters, Analyst for read-only reporting, Admin reserved for the social manager.

Add to the access-review tracker so departed team members get pruned every quarter. Brand accounts retaining ex-employees as admins is the most common root cause of post-departure social incidents.