All Facebook profiles are equal, but some Facebook profiles are more equal than others. Just like Orwell’s Animal Farm, Zuckerberg’s social network differentiates between several ‘levels’ of users.
110,192 Quiz Leads From Facebook?
The members of the ‘highest levels of the Facebook society’ can be recognized by those little blue and gray check marks on their profiles. Those are usually public figures and interests with a significant number of fans.
All social status and literature-related references aside, that blue check mark really does look good, doesn’t it?
Among other things, it shows your followers that you’re someone with enough credibility, reputation, and status to be verified by Facebook. Have you ever wondered how to get that tiny symbol next to your personal or business name?
Facebook allows both Facebook pages and Facebook profiles to get verified. According to Facebook’s own Help Center…
The blue verification badge lets people know that a Page or profile of public interest is authentic.
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.
Who Can Get Verified?
In theory, anyone. In reality… not so much.
According to their own support team, profiles and pages in the following categories are most likely to get verified on Facebook:
- Popular Brands or Businesses
- Government Officials
- Celebrities
- Media
- Entertainment
- Sports Companies
So, if your page falls under one of these categories, you’ve got a much higher chance of getting verified with the blue badge. If you’re looking to verify your personal profile, it may be almost impossible, unless you have a ton of friends/followers.
Extra tip – If your personal Facebook page doesn’t fall under any of these categories, you can always go to About > Category and change it to “Public Figure”. This is expected to increase your chances of getting verified.
The Benefits of Facebook Page Verification
With its 2.19 billion monthly active users in the first quarter of 2018, Facebook offers multiple benefits to businesses and persons with a verified page/profile:
- It will rank higher on the list of searched items
- You’ll ‘steal’ a certain number of views from fan pages, unofficial pages, and your unverified competition
- A higher chance of interaction from your audience. Not only will it be easier for them to find your page, but they will also be more inclined to like, comment, or buy a product from you.
- Your page looks more trustworthy, while your audience is sure that they are receiving genuine information
5 Tips on How to Improve Your Chances of Getting Verified on Facebook
1. Follow the basic Facebook guidelines
To qualify for a blue verification badge, your profile or page must be compliant with Facebook’s terms of service. It needs to contain the following:
- A profile photo
- A cover photo
- A name in accordance with Facebook’s guidelines
- Content posted
- The “Follow” option needs to be enabled (only for profiles)
2. Keep it professional
Always keep in mind that your Facebook page is the official representation of your brand. So, make sure Facebook easily recognizes it as such. How to do so?
For starters, only share brand-relevant content and avoid anything that may have an adverse effect on your credibility. You should avoid posting things like personal posts, low-quality images, unprofessional-looking content (e.g. posts containing incorrect grammar or spelling), and anything else that doesn’t agree with your brand voice or doesn’t represent it in a professional light.
The best way to check if you’ve got everything right is to examine your Facebook page through the eyes of potential clients and eliminate everything that doesn’t look good in your eyes.
3. Keep it up to date
All that professionalism is not going to mean a thing if your last post is dated 2016, while the email address listed on your page is no longer in use. As Facebook will review the accuracy of your data in order to validate your profile/page and award you with the verification badge, you need to make sure all of your information is kept up to date.
That being said, you need to ensure that at least your website, email address, bio, and description data is accurate and up to date.
4. Link to your official website
What better way to prove that your Facebook page is professional-looking and up to date than to link to your official website (which is also professional-looking and up to date)?
Links to your other forms of online presence are obviously important if you want to get verified on Facebook. It’s not only vital to include a link to your official website on your Facebook page but it’s also largely beneficial to link back from your own website to your Facebook page.
5. Make sure your ‘About’ section speaks volumes
The About section is your place to shine (and maybe even brag a bit). The more relevant information you provide, the better. Some of the details you should include in your Facebook page’s About section are your address(es), phone number(s), your mission statement, your other social media channels, and a company overview.
How to Get Verified on Facebook
Once you’ve made sure your profile or page meets the mentioned initial requirements (profile photo, cover photo, compliant name, content posted, the “Follow” option), you canrequest a blue verification badge by filling out this form.
In order for you to submit (and for Facebook to validate) a verification request, you need to provide a photo of your ID. It has to be a government-issued ID that clearly shows your name and date of birth, such as passport, national ID card, or driver’s license.
In case your account represents an organization rather than an individual, you need to provide a document that contains your organization’s official seal or watermark (such as a certificate of formation, articles of incorporation, tax documents, or phone or utility bills).
You’ll also be asked to include some additional information on why your account should be verified. This part could be a deal-sealer, so make sure to include a few convincing sentences on why your account should get the blue badge. This will help the Facebook verification team better review your request and make a more informed decision.
After submitting the request, all you have to do is wait for Facebook to review it. Upon their review, you’ll receive a notification informing you if you’re verified or not. You’re not allowed to submit more than one request at a time, while, in case you get denied, you’re allowed to submit a new request after a 30-day period.
Gray Verification Badge
In case your Facebook account is not eligible for a blue verification badge, it may still be eligible for a gray one. Gray verification badge is reserved for those pages recognized by Facebook as an authentic page for an organization or a business.
So, if you didn’t get the blue check mark, you may still be eligible for the gray one – follow these directions to find out. Keep in mind that depending on the type of page you own or your location, this feature may not be available to you right now.
If all else fails…
If your profile didn’t get the blue badge, there are alternative ways to show to the world that you’re authentic. For instance, you can still link to your official website, Twitter account, Instagram profile, and so on.
If all else fails, don’t…
Don’t try to buy a Facebook blue verification badge. Facebook’s own disclaimer says:
“We don’t sell blue verification badges, and any accounts associated with selling blue verification badges will have their badges removed.”
They also advise never to engage with those who offer to secure you a badge in exchange for money.
Facebook and Quizzes – A Love Affair
Once you’ve got yourself that shiny blue checkmark that affirms your online reputation (and, admit it or not, probably boosts your ego a bit), you may want to use this newly-acquired Facebook superpower to even further advance your business. How to do it? Two words – online quizzes.
Did you know that Facebook and online quizzes are practically best buds? Just like Yin and Yang, bread and butter, wine and cheese – quizzes and Facebook go together extremely well.
And with that blue badge on your Facebook page, it should be easier than ever to get your fans to take your quizzes!
110,192 Quiz Leads From Facebook?
