A verified badge on Instagram and Twitter signals that you are an authority in your field. The iconic blue checkmark is a symbol that anyone will recognize - earning you immediate trust in whatever you’re posting. Here is how to get verified on Twitter or Instagram.
As a verified user on Instagram and Twitter, you have the ability to reach more people with your message. When people see that your account is verified, they know it’s the real deal - giving you an edge over your competition.
But how do you get one? In the early days of verification, you would have to wait until someone at Instagram or Twitter noticed your page and deemed you worthy of a verified badge. Now, you can bypass the waiting by filling out a request form. But you’re still at their mercy to receive a verified check.
This article will cover what exactly a verified badge means for your social account, how to get one, and what to do if you’re not quite famous enough.
Sections
- What is social media verification?
- Are you ready to apply for verification?
- Process: Here’s exactly what you can do to get verified
- Not quite famous enough?
What is social media verification?
Instagram and Twitter verification can be a powerful tool for businesses and professionals of all kinds, from doctors to CEOs to marketers and public relations professionals. By verifying your account, you can build trust with potential customers or followers, and show that you are an expert in your field.
In order to get verified, your account must be notable, authentic, and active.
- Notable accounts belong to a well-known business, celebrity, or public figure.
- Authentic accounts are the real deal – not fake or copycat accounts.
- Active accounts are complete, post regularly, and follow all rules and guidelines.
Are you ready to apply for verification?
If you're a business and you want to be verified on Instagram or Twitter, you have to go through a verification process. And it's not as easy as just clicking a button. Twitter and Instagram both require evidence that your account is notable and authentic in order to apply for verified status.
Twitter outlines their verification requirement here. There are slightly different requirements for different industries and types of accounts. For the purposes of this blog, we will focus on requirements for companies, brands, and organizations.
Here are some of the requirements for verification. If you can’t provide all of the below items, please skip to the section on what to do if you’re not quite famous enough.
Your account must be active:
- It must have a profile name and a profile image
- It must be public at the time of application
- You must have logged into that account in the last six months
- Your account must have a confirmed email address or phone number
- Your account must not have had a 12-hour or 7-day lockout for violating the Twitter Rules in the past 12 months (excluding successful appeals)
Requirements for companies, brands, and organizations:
- Your account must link to your official company website in your profile.
- You must be able to prove your notability with either a link to either your company’s search activity on Google Trends, your company Wikipedia page, or a link to a website that demonstrates your organization’s presence in a public stock exchange.
- You must have links to 3 or more news articles about your organization published by an already Verified news organization within the 6 months prior to applying.
- You must demonstrate your account has a follower count in the top .05% of active accounts located in the same geographic region.
Requirements for leaders and executives:
- A link to your organization website that references you and your Twitter account
- A link to a stable Wikipedia article about you that meet the encyclopedia’s notability standards
- Links to 3 or more news articles referencing you in a leadership position published by a Verified news organization within the 6 months prior to applying
- A photo of your valid government-issued ID
Process: Here’s exactly what you can do to get verified
How to get verified on Twitter
Step 1: On the web, navigate to Settings and privacy > Your account > Account information. Once you enter your password, go to Request Verification. On Android and iOS, tap on Settings and Privacy > Account > Verification request.
Step 2: Select a category that best describes your account. For the purposes of this blog, we’ll continue as if you are verifying a company, brand, or organization.
Step 3: Select an account type.
Step 4: Select a notability method. Here’s where you must prove your notability. Twitter requires a link to either your company’s search activity on Google Trends, your company Wikipedia page, or a link to a website that demonstrates your organization’s presence in a public stock exchange.
Step 5: Add verified news references.
Step 6: Select authenticity method.
How to get verified on Instagram
Step 1: In the app, navigate to Settings > Account > Request verification
Step 2: Complete the application form.
Not quite famous enough?
Even if you’re not quite famous enough to apply for verification right now, you can still lay down the groundwork for future verification.
Twitter and Instagram have become mandatory platforms for users, brands and companies to stay connected with the masses. They are also a popular platform for celebrities, musicians and other notable figures to spread messages and interact with their target audience.
So it’s in your best interest to strengthen your profiles as much as possible – with or without the prestige of a verification badge. Follow these steps to strengthen your social media profiles and improve your notability online. Then, once you feel you have met the necessary requirements, apply for verification.
Sell yourself in your bio
Your bio is your first chance to sell yourself to anyone who reads your profile. Take this opportunity to state exactly what you do – and don’t sell yourself short! Your bio should be:
- Personal: The best bios paint a picture of the person you are. Use your bio to tell people what you love and what makes you different from other people with similar titles.
- Clear: The more straightforward your bio, the easier it is for someone to decide whether or not they want to follow you.
- Concise: Currently Twitter allows for only 160 characters for a bio, so use every character to your advantage.
- Consistent: Have a strong and consistent presence across social media platforms so people know who they’re connecting with whether they’re on Facebook, Twitter or LinkedIn.
Your bio is also the perfect place to link to verified Twitter accounts. If you are connected to a verified account, link to it in your bio. For example, if you have any published articles on a verified account, add a simple line like “published in @verified company name” to your bio.
Post regularly and engage with your audience
How often do you tweet? It is widely recommended to Tweet at least 3 times a day, although you know your audience best and can fine-tune your frequency as you go. This is your chance to really showcase your brand voice and give people a reason to follow you.
Make sure that you respond to comments, mentions, and direct messages. It's always a good idea to defer to your spokesperson when they're available to handle media inquiries, but you should be able to take care of basic requests when they come up.
For an easy way to grow your audience faster, offer readers incentives to follow you on social media (such as behind-the-scenes content).
Improve your online notability
Once you have a good handle on your social media presence, it’s time to work on establishing yourself in other places online. Now it’s time to use every tool at your disposal to give potential clients, customers, and the powers behind social media a way to get to know you, learn about your services, and find out more about what you do.
Note: Please do not try to create your own Wikipedia page. Read all of the reasons why this is not a good idea and what you can do instead here.
Here are some of the things you should do when you want to be the most visible version of yourself online:
- Improve your website: A basic website will help put you on the map, but it’s not enough - make sure it includes information about the kind of work that you do, any relevant skills or experience, and contact details like a phone number, email address, and physical address. That way, people who are interested in working with you can reach out easily.
- Strengthen your notability online: Make regular contributions to your industry, via guest posts, press mentions, or other profile sites.
- Regularly participate in corporate social responsibility
Study recently verified accounts
Get a pulse on what other accounts that have already been verified are doing right. The Twitter Verified account follows all verified accounts, so you can see what those accounts are doing right to get verified status. The account currently follows over 400,000 verified accounts.
Why get verified?
Getting verified on Twitter and Instagram has many benefits, including:
- Improved search recommendations
- Instant brand credibility
- Differentiation from scammers and copycat accounts
- Early access to new features
A verified badge on Instagram and Twitter is a status symbol on social media. It signals that you are an authority in your field and earns immediate trust. However, it is not the only way to prove your authority. If you aren’t yet notable enough to get a verified badge, work to improve your notability online using the methods outlined in this blog. Need help getting started? Contact us today.
