Verification has been a major issue among social media networks today. Twitter relaunched its verification process last May, but it stopped it after a week. This is because of the influx of accounts longing to be verified. Facebook expanded its high-reach profile verification last June. It included accounts with a large number of followers, patterns of inauthentic behaviors, and viral posts. Recently, Instagram will now be asking for the birthday of their account holders as part of the account verification process. Today, Facebook adopts a new verification approach.
What is Facebook and Instagram Verification?
Facebook’s new verification approach clearly shows who qualifies for a blue tick. First, Facebook defines verification as a way for users to know that an account is exactly who they say they are. The blue tick is not an endorsement or symbol of importance for the platform. Rather, it is a sign that an account is authentic and notable.
How to Get Verified on Facebook and Instagram
Facebook has made it easier for accounts to get verified both on Facebook and Instagram. The first step to verifying an account is to fill up an online verification form. To get verified on Facebook and Instagram, an account must meet the following criteria for verification:
- Authentic. Must represent a real person, registered business, or entity.
- Unique. Must be the only presence for a real person, registered business, or entity.
- Only one account per business, entity, or person may be verified. The only exception is the need for language-specific accounts.
- Complete. The account must be “Public,” with an about section, bio, profile photo, and at least one post.
- Notable. The account must represent a highly-searched for or well-known brand, entity, or personality. Facebook does not verify pages or profiles under general interest unless they are high- searched or well-known.
To clarify the last requirement, Facebook notes that they verify accounts feature in multiple news sources. These new sources may include diverse outlets from Black, LGBTQ+, Latinx Media, and other similar outlets around the world. As such, Facebook suggests that they share information about their audience, niche, and region. Adding up to 5 news articles on the page can also help the Facebook team to get more context about an account during the verification process.
On top of the criteria for verification, the accounts must follow Facebook’s Community Guidelines and Terms of Service. Facebook further notes that a blue tick is non-transferable to another account.
Facebook adopts a new verification approach on 02 September 2021.
Implications for Marketers:
Facebook’s new verification approach clearly shows that an account is authentic and notable. For marketers, having a blue tick signals audiences that an account is a legitimate brand or business. This gives them the assurance and confidence to deal more with verified accounts. As such, it may mean better conversion and engagement on Facebook and Instagram
Reference: https://www.facebook.com/creators/understanding-verification-on-facebook-instagram
