It’s widely known that social media marketing offers several advantages for businesses, including increased brand awareness, higher engagement rates, and greater brand loyalty.
If your business is new to social media, or your current social media efforts aren’t paying off, you may want to consider getting your accounts verified. Social media verification has the potential to significantly increase your reach and engagement and enhance your marketing strategy as a whole.
Here’s what you need to know about social media verification, along with the steps you can take to get verified on every platform.
What Is a Verified Social Media Account?
Social media verification refers to the process an account must go through to prove it is authentic, genuine, and trustworthy. Verified social media accounts are typically distinguished by a blue checkmark displayed next to their profiles. It can help users differentiate between real accounts and “fake” accounts, or imposters.
Users who see a blue checkmark next to your profile will know that any content you post is bound to be reliable and trustworthy. Celebrities, politicians, brands, and other authoritative organizations and entities usually have social media accounts that are verified.
Some social media platforms, such as those owned by Meta, even offer increased visibility and support to accounts that are verified. This is an extra bonus that comes with social media verification, as it can help your business reach an even wider audience.
Why Does Social Media Verification Matter?
Social media verification isn’t always necessary for success, but it can definitely give your marketing efforts a major boost.
Here are some reasons to consider social media verification and why it’s important:
- It can help you build trust and credibility. Users may feel safer interacting with your account if it’s verified.
- It can protect your reputation. Your reputation may be compromised if you are not verified, as it could increase the risk of fraud, scams, and misinformation.
- It can help your profile rank higher. Verified accounts are usually awarded priority in search, comments, and recommendations.
- It gives you extra social media marketing tools. Access to analytics and support are some of the many added benefits you may get with verification.
How to Get Verified on Social Media
The exact process for becoming verified varies by platform. Some require you to provide a government-issued photo ID or other forms of official documentation. Certain platforms may also require you to pay a small fee for verification.
Facebook & Instagram
Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp all fall under Meta. In order to subscribe to Meta Verified, you must log into your professional account on Instagram or your business page on Facebook.
Then, you must choose from one of several plans. According to its website, Meta determines plan availability on a case-by-case basis, depending on factors such as your business activity, the volume of interactions with other users, your number of message conversations, and more.
Standard plans begin at $14.99 a month, or $143.99 a year, and include a verified badge, impersonation protection, and support. Your business and its social media profile must also meet a list of eligibility requirements, including a profile picture, an existing business portfolio within Meta Business Suite, and others.
After your verification is submitted, Meta will review your information and notify you of your status within 14 business days.
LinkedIn believes that authenticity is key to creating meaningful interactions and, therefore, does not charge a fee for users and business accounts that want to become verified.
The process for becoming verified on LinkedIn is pretty straightforward:
- Log into your professional LinkedIn profile.
- Tap “View profile,” then “About this profile.”
- Tap on “Get verified.”
- Review and agree to the terms and conditions.
- Tap “Verify with Persona.”
- Follow the onscreen prompts to share your identification and other documents, and to complete the verification process.
TikTok
Getting verified on TikTok is also free. Factors that TikTok takes into account when verifying a profile include its activity level and authenticity. It does not consider the number of followers or likes on an account when approving verification.
Take the following steps to get social media verification on TikTok:
- Launch TikTok and tap “Profile” at the bottom.
- Tap the Menu button at the top, then tap “Settings and Privacy.”
- Tap “Account,” then tap “Verification.”
- Tap “Start,” then follow the prompts to submit your verification request.
TikTok may also require you to provide credible media coverage about your brand, such as news articles. If, for some reason, your application is not approved, you can submit another request after 30 days.
X (Formerly Twitter)
In order to become verified on X, your business must subscribe to X Premium and also meet certain eligibility requirements. X Premium currently has three tiers: Basic, Premium, and Premium+—each of which offers its own unique features and perks.
Basic starts at $3 a month or $32 a year, Premium starts at $8 a month or $84 a year, and Premium+ starts at $16 a month or $168 a year.
Signing up for verification on X is relatively simple. Click on “Premium” from the side navigation bar if you are using the web, or go to “Profile > Premium” if you are using iOS or Android. Then, verify your phone number, choose a plan, and confirm your payment information.
According to X, your account must meet a large set of criteria to receive or keep its blue checkmark, including a confirmed phone number, regular activity, zero spam posts, and no recent changes to the profile photo or name.
Broadening Your Reach
Social media verification usually only takes a few minutes and can pay off in tremendous ways — especially if it broadens your reach and builds on your reputation. If you need guidance on how to finely tune your social media marketing strategy, don’t hesitate to reach out to marketing specialists who can help.
At Katava Marketing, your vision is our mission! Our full-service marketing agency can help you restructure your marketing efforts and work with you to develop an effective marketing strategy. SEO, website design, and email marketing are some of the many services we offer. Contact us today at 973-998-8008 to get started!
