Did you know that you don’t need the #1 song in the country to get verified on Facebook and Instagram?
That’s right! The elusive blue checkmark, which was once reserved for only the most popular and successful, is now available for a small subscription. In recent months, Meta rolled out a Verification program that almost every Canadian content creator and business owner can apply for.
In today’s blog post, we’ll be covering Meta’s brand-new Verification process, and how businesses like yours can benefit from the prized blue checkmark. To start, we’ll begin with a basic definition, followed by Meta’s eligibility requirements, the benefits for businesses, and finally, how you can apply yourself.
So, if you’ve been interested in boosting your business’s professional credibility online, continue reading to learn how a simple blue checkmark can benefit several aspects of your business.
What is Verification on Meta?
In the real world, we prevent impersonation with government-issued IDs … But in Mark Zuckerberg’s MetaVerse, we use a verification badge instead!
Essentially, Meta Verification is an official title that prevents impersonation from occurring on Facebook and Instagram, just as a driver’s license or passport would in the real world. However, unlike an official government-issued ID, Meta verification comes as a digital checkmark… So you shouldn’t expect to get a laminated card in the mail!
While this may seem simple, this official checkmark will ensure that every single person who searches for your business on Facebook or Instagram, is directed to the right profile.
Who is Eligible for Meta Verification?
You don’t need to walk the red carpet or earn a billion dollars in revenue to get Meta verified anymore!
In the past, Meta verification was typically reserved for top-tier celebrities and major corporations, but today, any content creator over 18, and even businesses on the local level can apply for Meta verification. So, whether you’re a creative who simply enjoys capturing and sharing your passions, or you’re trying to take your business from a shaky start-up to a certified company, you can apply to be officially verified by Meta.
What are the Benefits of Verification?
For both creators and businesses, getting officially verified on Facebook and Instagram comes with a number of benefits.
Checkmark of Credibility and Authenticity
The first benefit that comes with meta-verification is the coveted “verified checkmark”. While the visual change may be minor, the benefits that come from a verified checkmark can be quite significant.
As we mentioned earlier, the verified checkmark was previously awarded to famous celebrities and powerful corporations. As a result, the verified checkmark comes with an intangible sense of legitimacy and status. So, if you’re a local business owner, a simple checkmark by your username can make your humble business feel significantly more credible.
In addition to the professional credibility that comes with a verified checkmark, it also acts as a sign of authenticity. So, if you have competitors with a similar name, or fraudulent accounts impersonating you, your new blue checkmark will ensure that your leads visit the right social media profile.
After you get approved, your official verified checkmark will display on your business page and profile, and by your username on comments, as well as search results.
Impersonation Protection
While an official checkmark from Meta can already prevent leads from visiting the wrong social media profile, Meta Verification also comes with an extra layer of protection, which they call “proactive account protection”.
Although Meta has not explicitly outlined what their “proactive account protection” entails, we can assume that they are expanding upon their existing systems that prevent impersonation, and other “community standards”
In regards to their standard protection, Meta states…
So, we can assume that content creators and businesses that are officially verified by Meta will get an even higher level of automated protection when it comes to being impersonated online. In addition, we can also assume that Meta’s “proactive” approach to online security implies that their AI will work to continuously protect your page/profile, instead of waiting for a manual report.
Exclusive Account Support
Meta Verification also comes with account support, which is typically reserved for advertisers.
In other words, Meta verification also comes with exclusive access to their live agent customer support portal. So, if you face any issues related to your Facebook or Instagram account, you can quickly get support and guidance from actual humans that can help you troubleshoot and resolve your problems.
Improved Discovery
Finally, in addition to everything else that we’ve already covered, the last benefit that comes with Meta verification is improved discovery.
After you get your official blue checkmark, Meta will make your business more discoverable in several ways:
– In search results, your business will be more likely to appear as the top search result, or a recommended one.
– In comments under posts, your comment will be more likely to appear towards the top of the list.
– On the Facebook and Instagram feed, your business will be more likely to appear as a recommended profile to follow.
So, after you get official verification, Meta will make your business more likely to appear in several locations throughout Facebook and Instagram. As a result, your business page and profile can become significantly easier to stumble upon, which means that more leads can discover your business on Social Media.
How to Apply for Meta Verification?
Currently, you can only apply for Meta verification through the Facebook or Instagram app. Below are the iPhone instructions for each app. At the moment, you can’t apply on a desktop device, but this is expected to change in the near future.
Before you begin we recommend that you have all of your business information, as well as a government ID, ready to go.
Instagram App (iPhone)
– Log into Instagram.
– Go to your Instagram profile by tapping your profile picture on the bottom right corner.
– Tap the navigation menu at the top right corner.
– Tap “Settings and privacy”.
– Tap “Business tools and controls”.
– Tap “Request verification”.
Facebook App (iPhone)
– Log into Facebook.
– Go to your Facebook business page by tapping your profile picture on the bottom right corner.
– Underneath your profile picture, there will be a button menu. Tap the 3 dot menu that is either underneath or beside this menu.
– Tap “Meta Verified”.
In conclusion, in today’s blog post, we covered Meta’s brand new verification process, which gives Canadian business owners like you, benefits that were previously reserved for pop stars, politicians, and powerful corporations.
To be more precise, we covered how official Meta verification comes with impersonation protection, exclusive account support, and improved discovery features, in addition to Meta’s blue checkmark of credibility. Plus we included instructions on how to apply!
So, whether you’ve been facing impersonation issues, or you really just want the shiny new checkmark, by following our instructions above you can take the first steps to legitimize your social media presence.
