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HubSpot social and ads: connecting and managing marketing accounts

Learn how to connect social and advertising accounts to HubSpot, manage access and interpret channel performance alongside your CRM data.

HubSpot’s Social and Ads tools connect external marketing channels with your CRM.

These connections can help your organisation publish content, monitor engagement, track campaigns and understand how social and advertising activity contributes to contacts, deals and revenue.

Social networks and advertising platforms remain separate systems with their own users, permissions, billing and reporting methods. Connections should therefore be configured and reviewed carefully.

HubSpot’s Social and Ads tools

Although both tools connect marketing channels to HubSpot, they perform different functions.

The Social tool helps teams publish, monitor and report on organic social media activity.

The Ads tool connects paid advertising accounts so HubSpot can track campaigns, synchronise leads and relate advertising activity to CRM data.

The tools also have different subscription requirements. HubSpot’s Social tool requires Marketing Hub Professional or Enterprise. Ad-account connections are available across HubSpot plans, but individual tracking, audience, reporting and automation capabilities can depend on your subscription.

Connecting social media accounts

Connecting social accounts allows authorised HubSpot users to create and schedule posts, monitor supported interactions and analyse social performance.

HubSpot currently supports connections with networks including:

  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • LinkedIn
  • Reddit
  • TikTok
  • X
  • YouTube

The functionality available differs by network because each platform provides different features and API access.

Depending on the connected account, your team may be able to:

  • Create and schedule social posts
  • Review published content
  • Monitor supported comments and interactions
  • Track clicks on published links
  • Analyse social engagement
  • Associate social posts with HubSpot campaigns

HubSpot guide:
Connect social media accounts to HubSpot

Requirements for connecting social accounts

The person connecting an account needs the appropriate access in both HubSpot and the relevant social network.

Within HubSpot, the user requires the applicable Social permissions. The external platform may also require them to be an administrator or hold another suitable account role.

Requirements vary between networks. For example:

  • Facebook pages require suitable page access.
  • Instagram accounts must meet Meta’s connection requirements.
  • LinkedIn company pages require an appropriate administrator role.
  • Different account types may be supported by different networks.

Use an authorised individual account to create each connection. Avoid sharing personal login credentials between team members.

The social network may display the connecting user as the publisher or use that person’s authorisation to publish content. The organisation should therefore record who owns each connection.

Managing access to social accounts

Super Admins can control which HubSpot users and teams can access specific connected social accounts.

Apply the principle of least privilege:

  • Allow only appropriate users to publish social content.
  • Limit account-management access to authorised administrators.
  • Restrict sensitive or regional accounts to the relevant teams.
  • Review access when roles or agency relationships change.
  • Remove obsolete connections and permissions promptly.

Access within HubSpot does not replace the permissions managed by the social network. Both sides of the connection should be reviewed.

Social reporting considerations

When a social account is connected, HubSpot can retrieve supported post and engagement data. The exact reporting available depends on the network, the account type and the way posts are published.

HubSpot’s figures may differ from those displayed by the social platform because of:

  • Different reporting periods
  • Platform API limitations
  • Data-retention rules
  • Differences in how clicks and interactions are defined
  • Delays in synchronising data
  • Whether a post was published through HubSpot or directly on the network

Social reporting should be interpreted alongside the source platform rather than treated as an exact replacement for it.

HubSpot guide:
Social frequently asked questions

Connecting advertising accounts

HubSpot’s Ads tool supports connections with advertising networks including:

  • Meta Ads
  • Google Ads
  • LinkedIn Ads
  • Microsoft Ads
  • TikTok Ads

The user creating the connection needs Ads publishing permission in HubSpot and suitable access to the external advertising account.

When establishing the connection, the user must review and accept the permissions requested by the advertising platform.

HubSpot guide:
Connect and set up your ad accounts in HubSpot

What an ad-account connection can support

Depending on the advertising network and your HubSpot subscription, connecting an account can support:

  • Viewing advertising campaigns and performance data
  • Applying HubSpot tracking parameters to supported adverts
  • Attributing contacts and deals to advertising activity
  • Synchronising leads from supported lead-generation adverts
  • Connecting advertising pixels
  • Creating or synchronising advertising audiences
  • Relating adverts to HubSpot campaigns
  • Reporting on advertising activity alongside CRM data

Not every capability is available for every network or subscription. Review HubSpot’s current product documentation before relying on a particular feature.

Advertising spend and billing

Connecting an advertising account does not transfer its billing to HubSpot.

Advertising budgets, charges, payment methods and billing arrangements continue to be managed through the relevant advertising platform.

Your organisation remains responsible for:

  • Approving advertising budgets
  • Controlling who can create or edit campaigns
  • Reviewing changes to spend
  • Managing payment methods
  • Monitoring the external advertising account

HubSpot can display supported spend and performance information, but it does not replace the advertising platform’s billing controls.

Lead synchronisation and tracking

Supported lead-generation adverts can synchronise submissions into HubSpot as contact records.

Before enabling lead synchronisation, confirm:

  • Which pages and accounts should be connected
  • Which forms should synchronise
  • How new contacts should be identified and managed
  • Who will own and follow up the leads
  • Whether appropriate consent information is being collected
  • How duplicate or incomplete records will be handled

HubSpot can also apply tracking parameters and connect supported advertising pixels. Tracking depends on the correct setup of domains, pixels, cookies and privacy controls.

Cookie consent settings and visitors’ privacy choices can limit the information available for attribution.

Understanding attribution differences

HubSpot and individual advertising networks may report different conversion and revenue figures.

Differences can result from:

  • Attribution models
  • Conversion windows
  • Cookie consent and tracking restrictions
  • Cross-device behaviour
  • Contact identification in HubSpot
  • Offline activity
  • Time zones
  • Differences in how each platform defines a conversion

HubSpot focuses on connecting advertising activity with CRM contacts, deals and revenue. Advertising platforms often focus on activity captured within their own networks.

Neither figure should automatically be treated as incorrect. Reports should be interpreted according to the methodology and business question involved.

HubSpot guide:
Ads attribution in HubSpot

Disconnecting or changing accounts

Disconnecting an account can affect scheduled content, lead synchronisation, tracking and reporting.

Before making a change:

  • Check for scheduled social posts.
  • Review active lead synchronisation.
  • Identify connected pixels and audiences.
  • Record the reason for the change.
  • Confirm who will reconnect the account if required.
  • Consider how the change may affect historical and future reporting.

Connections may also require reauthorisation when permissions change, a user loses external-platform access or a network’s authorisation period expires.

Governance and responsibility

Your organisation should maintain a record of:

  • Connected social and advertising accounts
  • The person who authorised each connection
  • HubSpot users and teams with access
  • External-platform administrators
  • Connected pages, lead sources, pixels and audiences
  • The business purpose of each connection
  • The process for reviewing and removing access

HubSpot provides the technical integration, but your organisation remains responsible for its marketing content, advertising spend, audience selection, consent approach and compliance with the terms and policies of each external platform.

What can Forbidden help with?

Forbidden can help you:

  • Connect supported social and advertising accounts
  • Review HubSpot Social and Ads permissions
  • Configure account access for users and teams
  • Set up supported lead synchronisation and campaign tracking
  • Review attribution and reporting configuration
  • Document connected-account ownership and governance
  • Train users to publish, monitor and report through HubSpot

Your organisation remains responsible for approving content, advertising budgets, audiences, privacy decisions and access within each external platform.

Further information