This Is Why You Should Have That Verifying Blue Checkmark on Your Social-Media Accounts Social-media verification is more accessible than ever before, and it can work wonders for your business or personal brand.
By Leyes Edited by Amanda Breen
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A small blue checkmark means something significant to most people these days. There's a certain reputation and level of respect that comes along with social-media verification. Considering that in 2020 Facebook reported that 5 percent of accounts were fake — about 137 million users — verification is an important way to show authenticity. For a business or personal brand, it's even more important.
How social media-verification impacts your business
Although celebrities were the first to be social-media verified, it's now much more common. Today, we see businesses, bloggers, personal brands, political figures and governments verified, which brings them a certain level of respect and several benefits.
Related: 10 Laws of Social-Media Marketing
Authenticity and social proof
Most importantly, being social-media verified gives you instant authenticity. If a platform deems you authentic, other users will view you the same way. This also leads to accumulating social proof. Social proof is the idea that if others are approving or taking part in something, it must be right. It's based on the idea that there's safety in numbers. Have you ever looked up reviews for a restaurant before going there for the first time? You were searching for social proof. The same can be applied to social-media verification. When you search for a celebrity on Instagram, you likely scan his or her page for the blue checkmark to make sure the account is legitimate. The platform approves of this user, so you do too.
Related: How to Get Verified on Twitter: A Complete Step-By-Step Guide
Industry leaders and influential users
The blue checkmark translates to more than just authenticity though. Since any big celebrity worth his or her salt and any successful, large-scale business is verified nowadays, there's a reputation that comes with being social-media verified. Similar to how we used to browse magazines and take note of which celebrities were included, verification shows you who is important. By just being included in the paparazzi photos in the magazine, you knew a celebrity was socially significant. The same can be said for verification. Personal brands show that they are significant because they have the blue checkmark. If you've never heard of a blogger and you see that he or she has the checkmark, you instantly know that he or she must be influential.
Similarly, businesses that are verified are seen as industry leaders. Previously, it was less common for businesses to be verified. To be verified meant that you were truly tuned into social media and understood the importance of being verified. While it's much more common for businesses to be verified today, it still comes with an air of leadership.
Related: 10 Instagram Accounts Every Entrepreneur Should Follow
Building trust
To be verified, a business or personal brand must go through a process to prove that it should be verified. The verification process varies from platform to platform and changes often, so it can be uncertain. However, most social-media verification processes require the business or person to provide things like press or media references. Many (but not all) even require proof of identity. Additionally, to be verified, you must show relevance in the digital world and presence on social media. Some platforms also require you to prove the uniqueness of your account, which is especially important as there are so many duplicate accounts on social media.
Networking and engagement
Being social-media verified also makes a person or business more appealing to other brands or influencers. To grow your business, joining forces with other verified users will greatly help your business's performance. To network with them, the verification symbol shows that you are authentic and have a certain status. Since your account is genuine, you'll also get more engagement from customers. They will feel safe knowing you are who you say you are and will be much more likely to interact with your account.
Confidence
There's a certain level of confidence that comes with verification — especially for individuals and personal brands. Knowing that you've been verified will make you feel more confident in the content you post and the interactions you have. Being able to show that you are a genuine leader will rub off on your social-media presence.
Social-media verification is becoming more accessible than ever — it's no longer just for celebrities. As a business or personal brand, it's incredibly important to build social proof and trust within your audience. Getting social-media verified is a simple way to showcase that you are an authentic leader.
