While a blue tick once meant nothing, the symbol is now widely recognized to represent a ‘verified’ profile.
Several social media platforms, including Twitter , Instagram and Facebook , use verification on selected profiles, including public figures, celebrities and brands.
Each site has specific criteria you need to meet to get your profile verified, and understanding this can be tricky.
To help, we’ve put together a handy guide about how to get verified on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook - although, there’s no guarantee your page will get that blue tick!
What is a Verified Badge?
A verified badge is a check that appears next to a social media account's name in search and on the profile. It means the social media network has confirmed that an account is the authentic presence of the public figure, celebrity or global brand it represents.
Now let's dive into how to actually get that blue tick (verification badge) on various platforms like Instagram, Twitter and Facebook.
Note: While requesting for a Verification Badge from any of this social media platform you won't be asked to make any form of payment and you are advised not to pay businesses that guarantees you of getting a verification badge, as that verification badge can be removed once the social media platform finds out its associated with an account that sell verification badge - at their discretion.
Instagram Verification
How to get verified on Instagram
To request a verified badge on Instagram, firstly, you need to have a Business Account, indicating that you’re a public figure, celebrity or brand.
You also need to make sure your profile is public and complete. This means you need to have a bio, profile photo and at least one post.
Instagram explained: “We look at a number of factors when evaluating Instagram accounts to determine if they're in the public interest and meet our verification criteria.”
Once you’ve set up a Business Profile, you can request verification using the following steps:
Make sure you're logged in to the account you're requesting a verified badge for.
Go to your profile and tap three horizontal lines in the top right corner of the screen .
Tap Settings > Account > Request Verification.
Enter your full name and choose which Category you fit into (News/Media, Sports, Government/Politics, Music, Fashion, Entertainment, Blogger/Influence, Business/Brand/Organisation, or Other)
Provide the required form of identification (example: government-issued photo ID, Driver's License)
Click Send
Instagram added: “Once we review your request, you'll receive a notification letting you know if your account has been verified or not.”
If your request is denied, you can submit a new request after 30 days.
But what are the requirement for a successful selection for an Instagram blue tick?
Instagram looks at a number of factors when evaluating Instagram accounts to determine if they're in the public interest and meet our verification criteria.
According to Instagram your account also needs to be:
Authentic: Your account must represent a real person, registered business or entity.
Unique: Your account must be the unique presence of the person or business it represents. Only one account per person or business may be verified, with exceptions for language-specific accounts. We don't verify general interest accounts (example: @puppymemes).
Complete: Your account must be public and have a bio, profile photo and at least one post. Your profile can't contain "add me" links to other social media services.
Notable: Your account must represent a well-known, highly searched for person, brand or entity. We review accounts that are featured in multiple news sources, and we don't consider paid or promotional content as sources for review.
Keep in mind that if you provide false or misleading information during the verification process, Instagram will remove your verified badge and may take additional action to delete your account.
Facebook Verification
How to get verified on Facebook
The blue verification badge lets people know that a Page or profile of public interest is authentic.
Finally, Facebook will add a blue tick to Pages or profiles that it deems of ‘public interest.’
Facebook explained: “We apply the blue verification badge to eligible brands, media organizations and public figures. Eligibility for the blue verification badge is based on a variety of factors, such as account completeness, policy compliance and public interest.”
To request a blue verification badge, your Page or profile must have the following:
A Cover photo
A Profile photo
A Name that follows Facebook's guidelines
Content posted to the account
“Follow” enabled (profiles only)
If you’ve ticked all those off your list, you can apply for verification by filing out this form .
Like Instagram, Facebook also requires you to attach a photo of your ID.
There are requirements for some sectors while requesting for a Facebook verification badge
Requirements for Law Enforcement, City Governments, Politicians and Elected Officials
Law enforcement: Everyone who manages the Page must turn on two-factor authentication for their profiles.
City government: The Page name must include the word “Government” to avoid confusion with a physical location.
Politician: The Page name can include a government title or abbreviation, such as senator, representative, MP, mayor, etc.The Page name can't include “for Parliament,” “for [your Country],” etc.The Page category must be set to Politician.
Elected official: The Page name must include a government title or abbreviation, such as senator, representative, MP, mayor, etc.The Page category must be set to Government Official.The Page's About section must clearly state that it's a government Page.
Related: How to run Facebook ads successfully
Twitter Verification
How to get verified on Twitter
On Twitter, an account may be verified if Twitter decides it’s of public interest.
Twitter explained: “Typically this includes accounts maintained by users in music, acting, fashion, government, politics, religion, journalism, media, sports, business, and other key interest areas.
Sadly, Twitter’s verification process is currently on hold, and the platform isn’t accepting any new requests.
It remains unclear when the process will be back up and running.
Conclusion
Getting verified on social media platforms takes process, make sure to provide all the necessary details needed to get that verification badge (blue tick) and abide by their terms to get your verification running smooth. Remember, for most Social media platform verification, if you are not accepted the first time you can try again after 30 days
Verification on Instagram, Verification on Facebook and Verification on Twitter might seems impossible for you, but note that following the procedures or requirements would eventually give you a verification badge on any of the social media platform.