Social Media Client Onboarding Questionnaire (Free)

Free, no signup · Updated 14 October 2026 · Opens in Excel, Google Sheets or Numbers

Download

Questionnaire: filled example (CSV) · blank (CSV)
Access and assets: filled example (CSV) · blank (CSV)
Kick-off steps: filled example (CSV) · blank (CSV)

In Google Sheets: File, Import, Upload, then pick the CSV.

What's inside

24 questions in nine sections, each with a short note on why you ask it.
An access and assets checklist that shows how to get account access without sharing passwords.
A kick-off checklist for the first two weeks, with an owner for each step.
A filled example from Brightside Studio, a fictional agency, onboarding Harbour Lane Dental, a fictional practice.
Blank CSV copies you can paste into a form or send as a sheet.

How to use it

Send the questionnaire as soon as the client signs, with a date to return it before the kick-off call.
Tell the client it is fine to answer in a few words. The kick-off call is where you fill gaps.
Go through the answers before the call and highlight anything vague, such as 'everyone' as the audience.
Use the access checklist to get each account connected properly. Never accept a password by email or chat.
Agree the approval contact and turnaround on the call, then write it down where both of you can see it.
Turn the answers into a short brand voice guide and a first month's plan, and send both back for a yes.

Preview: Questionnaire

A filled example for a made-up small business, first 8 of 24 rows.

Section	Question	Why we ask	Example answer: Harbour Lane Dental
Business	Describe the business in two sentences.	So every post starts from the same description.	A family dental practice with three dentists and a hygienist. NHS and private patients, plus teeth whitening.
Business	What do you sell most, and what do you want to sell more of?	Content should push what the business needs, not just what is easy to photograph.	Most: check-ups. More of: hygienist appointments and whitening.
Business	What makes you different from the practice down the road?	Gives every post a reason to exist.	Early morning appointments from 7.30am, and a dentist who specialises in nervous patients.
Business	Anything coming up in the next three months?	Dates go into the plan first.	New hygienist starts in November; whitening offer in January.
Goals	What should social media do for you in the next six months?	Sets what we measure.	More hygienist bookings, and nervous patients feeling able to call us.
Goals	How will you know it is working?	Turns a hope into a number we can check.	Front desk asks new patients how they found us.
Audience	Who is your best customer?	We write for one person, not everyone.	Working parents who want the whole family seen in one visit.
Audience	What do they ask before booking?	Common questions make the most useful posts.	Do you take new NHS patients? Does whitening hurt? Can I get an early slot?

Preview: Access and assets

A filled example for a made-up small business, first 8 of 9 rows.

Item	What we need	How to share it safely	Status
Facebook Page and Instagram	Access to post and see insights.	Give us access through your Meta business portfolio. Never send a password.	Done
Google Business Profile	Access to post updates and photos.	Invite our email as a manager, not an owner.	Done
LinkedIn Page (if used)	Permission to post as the Page.	Add our named person as a Page admin.	Not needed
Scheduling tool	Accounts connected to the tool we use.	You connect each account yourself while we are on a call; we never hold your login.	Booked for kick-off
Website analytics	Read-only view of traffic from social.	Add our email as a user with read-only access.	Waiting
Logo and colours	Logo files and colour codes.	Upload to the shared folder.	Done
Photo library	Photos we may use, with consent noted.	Upload to the shared folder, with a note of who has signed consent.	Waiting
Booking link	The exact page posts should send people to.	Paste it into the questionnaire.	Done

Preview: Kick-off steps

A filled example for a made-up small business.

Step	Owner	Due	Done
Send questionnaire and access checklist	Brightside	Day 1	Yes
Return questionnaire	Harbour Lane	Day 5	Yes
Kick-off call: go through answers, connect accounts	Both	Day 7	Yes
Write brand voice notes and send for approval	Brightside	Day 9	No
Profile clean-up: bios, links, opening hours	Brightside	Day 10	No
First month's plan sent for approval	Brightside	Day 12	No
Plan approved	Harbour Lane	Day 14	No
First posts scheduled	Brightside	Day 15	No

Tips

Keep the questionnaire short enough to finish in one sitting. Ask the rest on the call.
Write every account access step down, including who granted it and when. You will need it when the contract ends.
For regulated businesses such as clinics, ask who checks claims before anything is posted.
Agree what happens with complaints in comments before the first post goes out.
In Zolyp, each client brand gets its own Brand Brain, holding that client's tone, colours, services, audience and banned topics, so these answers have one home per client.

Common questions

What questions should I ask a new social media client?

Cover the business, goals, audience, voice, content rules, platforms, approvals, reporting and practical details. The questions that save the most trouble later are who approves posts, how fast, and what to do with complaints.

How do I get access to a client's social media accounts safely?

Use each platform's own access tools, such as Meta's business portfolio or a Google Business Profile manager invite, or have the client connect accounts to your tool themselves. Avoid sharing passwords.

Should onboarding be a form or a call?

Both. The form collects facts and files; the call fills gaps and agrees how you will work together.

Is this template free?

Yes. The filled example and blank CSV files are free to download with no signup.

Social media client onboarding questionnaire