Vista Social includes two different types of users: Social Media Management (SMM) team members and Advocacy users. Because these user types serve different purposes, they are billed and displayed separately in your account settings.
This article explains the difference between Advocacy users and SMM team members, where each one appears in your billing settings, and why having Advocacy users does not increase your available SMM team member seats.
Advocacy vs. SMM team member
A common point of confusion is seeing available Advocacy users in the Addons section while being unable to add more team members to the main platform.
This happens because:
- Advocacy users are part of the Employee Advocacy feature
- SMM team members are part of your main Vista Social subscription
- These are separate user types with separate limits and billing categories
For example, your account may include:
- 3 Advocacy users
- But only 1 SMM team member seat
In this case, you would still be unable to add additional SMM team members unless your plan includes more SMM seats or you purchase additional team member access.
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Note Even if you have available Advocacy seats, you may still be limited by the number of SMM users included in your subscription plan. |
What are SMM team members?
SMM team members are users who access the main Vista Social dashboard and collaboration tools.
Depending on their permissions, they may have access to:
- Publishing and scheduling
- Inbox
- Reports
- Reviews
- Listening
- Media Library
- Tasks
- Profile management
These users are managed under your organization’s team settings and count toward your plan’s included user limit.
What are Advocacy users?
Advocacy users (also called Advocates) are participants in your Employee Advocacy program.
Their purpose is to:
- View approved advocacy content
- Share company posts on personal social networks
- Engage with branded content
Advocacy users do not have access to the main social media management tools unless they are also added separately as SMM team members.
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Note Advocacy accounts and SMM accounts use separate dashboards and separate logins. |
Where each user type appears in Billing
Vista Social displays these user types in different billing sections.
Subscription tab
The Subscription section shows:
- Your current plan
- Included SMM team member seats
- Profiles in use
- Users in use
This section reflects your main Social Media Management subscription.
Example:
- “10 users (3 in use)” refers to SMM team members.
Addons tab
The Addons section displays optional add-ons connected to your account, including:
- Advocacy users
- AI image generation bundles
- Listening add-ons
- X profile add-ons
Example:
- “Advocacy (3 users)” refers only to Advocacy seats.
These users are separate from your SMM team member limit.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: Why can’t I add more team members if I have Advocacy users??
A: Because Advocacy users and SMM team members are separate user types. Advocacy seats do not count toward your SMM user limit.
Q: Do Advocacy users count as SMM users?
A: No. Advocacy users only participate in the Employee Advocacy program and do not have access to the main SMM tools.
Q: Why do Advocacy users appear under Addons?
A: Advocacy is managed as a separate add-on feature and is billed independently from your main SMM subscription.
Q: Can Advocacy users access Inbox, Reports, or Publishing tools?
A: No. Those features are available only to SMM team members with the appropriate permissions.
Need further help?
If you have any questions or need additional help, feel free to contact our awesome support team. We are here to assist you! 💙
Related Reading:
Getting started with Advocacy Program for Brands
Adding users and setting up permissions