The much sought-after blue verification tick is an invaluable tool in establishing your brand’s social proof, but the journey to get one can be a maze of each platform’s charges and rules, says Katrina Bell.
When it comes to demonstrating worth, having the blue tick by your brand's name can feel like the logical next step, or even a feather your cap, and now could be the right time to go about it. The social platforms out there are clearly squeezed for money so are looking for new ways to monetise, having finally realised after all this time that the only reliable source of revenue is selling our data many times over. Hence each one is hoping the lure of status symbols such as the blue tick or check mark will have brands and individuals reaching for their wallets.
There was a time when you may have been contacted by verification scammers promising to get you your badge, the future however will see that same call coming from the social media giants themselves.
For a business, there are clear advantages to having an instantly recognisable logo on your social content to show customers new and old that this is the right place to get in touch, but the rules for each platform vary. Being verified not only provides recognisable trust credentials but also serves to protect your brand’s identity, so it’s worth putting in the effort to complete the process.
Here’s a quick guide to get you started on how much work is involved and how hard it is to get that next-level validity.
TWITTER
The worldwide centre of outrage that is Twitter has its own soap opera going on after it has made several clumsy attempts to monetise the blue check mark. The current system, Twitter Blue, will cost £7 a month when purchased annually, and offers the ability to edit your tweets, 1080p video uploads plus other existing perks. In a short time, this subscription will also offer enhanced prioritisation which will translate into appearing at the top of replies, mentions and searches. On top of that, buyers will be able to post longer videos and get early access to new Blue Labs features.
In concrete terms, what it will do is give your business the highest level of credibility currently available and a sense of security that should spoof accounts appear, Twitter’s depleted customer support bods will be able to act swiftly to protect your marque.
INSTAGRAM
The ‘Look at Me’ platform is reportedly flirting with the idea of paid-for verification. Since 2018 anyone can apply for a self-styled ‘verified sticker’ and Instagram has relied solely on advertising for its profits. Insta has famously not been transparent as to the benefits of the blue tick in terms of enhanced visibility in search results and early access to updated features. It’s easy enough to go to your profile Settings and request verification/Account/Request Verification. You are most likely to be verified as a ‘global business’. As a brand with a cross-platform presence, in theory your account could be verified within 30 days.
TIKTOK
Interestingly, the process for TikTok is very similar – business verification involves proving a proportion of its criteria are true, such as that your account is active, authentic, complete, notable and secure.
FACEBOOK
Zuckerberg’s mass social experiment has blundered into its latest interaction with paid for verification, starting in early February. Costs are currently around £11-15.
Meta said it would rely on 'government ID documents' to prove the identity of verified accounts, presumably to avoid dumpster fire of account impersonations that followed Twitter’s paid service rollout. At this stage the option is not open to businesses, but it’s unlikely to take long for that to be offered. However, the complicating factor could be the Meta Business platform that most businesses rely on to cross-post with Instagram and analyse data.
Now to finish my Zoom presentation on why my dog needs his own check mark...
