You want that illustrious check mark badge, but now sure how to get verified? For brands, as well as for Instagram and Youtube influencers, verification status shows legitimacy. But what does it really mean to be verified? And how do you get it?
Below are ways to get verified on four of the biggest social networks right now.
How to Get Verified on Instagram
Instagram’s verification is displayed as a small blue badge with a check mark. It appears next to the account handle.
Anyone can request verification, but Instagram lays out four requirements for actually getting it.
- Authentic: The account must represent a real person or business
- Unique: Your account must be the only account for that person/business (excluding regional accounts for linguistic reasons). Instagram explicitly states it won’t verify general interest accounts like meme accounts.
- Complete: Your profile must include a biography, profile photo, at least one post. It cannot include links to other social media platforms. Also, your account must be public.
- Notable: Your account must be well-known for some reason. Instagram checks if the person/brand represented appears in the media or in frequent searches.
If you think your account meets the criteria listed above, you can easily request that Instagram verify your account. Just follow these instructions:
Instagram will notify you either way once your request has been reviewed. If you get verification, remember that you must maintain your profile to fulfill those four requirements, otherwise the network may strip your verified status. For more about Instagram verification specifically, you can see our standalone post about verifying your Instagram account.
How to Get Verified on Youtube
Youtube’s verification badge is gray with a check mark. It shows up next to your channel’s name, wherever that may appear on the platform.
The requirements for Youtube verification are cut and dry: You can apply once you have 100,000 subscribers. After that, Youtube looks at two other criteria.
- Authentic: Your account must represent the real influencer or brand that it claims to be. Youtube says they’ll look at channel creation date and your icon/bio to evaluate this. They may also ask for additional documentation.
- Complete: Your account must be active and public, and have a description, banner, icon and content.
If you choose to apply for verification, go to your account settings and find the verify button. Youtube will require a phone number. This way, they can send you a verification code via text or call, and make sure your number hasn’t been used for a slew of other channels. These codes can sometimes get delayed, so make sure you check Youtube’s help center if you have any problems.
If you get verification, you’ll unlock some new Youtube features, like live streaming, custom thumbnails, and videos that are longer than 15 minutes.
How to Get Verified on Twitter
A verified badge on Twitter is almost identical to Instagram’s. Just look for the blue badge next to a user’s name.
Twitter recently announced that they’re going to reinstate their verification feature. The network put this process on hold a few years back, after complaints from users about its helpfulness. The brand is now asking for user feedback to help draft their new verification policy.
This new policy, shaped by Twitter’s users, will decide who can get verified. To start, the platform has outlined basic requirements: that an account is notable, active and of public interest.
Twitter has also suggested six types of Notable Accounts they’ll start with once they launch the new verification feature:
- Government
- Companies, brands, and NPOs
- News
- Entertainment
- Sports
- Activists, organizers, and influential individuals
Twitter’s draft policy also notes that verified status can be lost, for example for repeat violations of things like impersonation, inciting hatred, or glorifying violence, which are not permitted pursuant to the network’s Terms of Service.
How to Get Verified on TikTok
TikTok’s verification badge is a blue circle with white check, similar to Instagram and Twitter.
TikTok is a bit tight-lipped on the topic of verification. They don’t advertise their specific requirements. However, several media outlets have suggested the following as the requirements for TikTok verification:
- Consistent growth: Accounts should be getting new followers per day.
- Increasing watch time: Accounts that show growth in the amount of time watched.
- Viral videos: Accounts with videos that regularly go viral.
- Verified accounts on other platforms: Accounts that already have verification on Instagram, for example.
The network also mentions that, of course, any account that wishes to get verified must adhere to the Community Guidelines and Terms of Service.
Conclusion
Even if how to get verified differs a little bit depending on the network, the concept and requirement is the same throughout. Verification is a way to show that your brand or image is authentic. Verification builds trust in your followers and easily identifies you to new ones as the real deal.
