For brands and businesses, establishing trust with your online community should be an integral aspect of your Facebook marketing strategy. Finding out how to get verified on Facebook is an excellent approach to achieve this.
A blue check mark on Facebook signals to your audience that your Page is authentic and reliable. This is essential for public figures, brands, and companies that are prominent and prone to being imitated or mocked.
This article will provide you with crucial steps on how to obtain Facebook verification. We will also discuss some additional details to help you grasp the entire Facebook verification process.
Let’s dive in.
What does Facebook verification mean?
Facebook verification is the process of confirming that your Page authentically represents you. A verified Facebook Business Page or account displays a blue checkmark next to the name, clearly differentiating the official Page from those created by fans or impersonators.
Source: BarkBox on Facebook
It’s common for businesses and public figures to find that others create Pages and profiles that resemble theirs. This could be an attempt at imitation or forming a fan base. Regardless of the lack of harmful intent behind those accounts, there remains a significant danger of users confusing them for the authentic versions.
Moreover, Facebook favors verified profiles and Pages in its search outcomes. Thus, obtaining verification guarantees that your Page appears prominently in relevant searches, which can further enhance your reach. Take a look at how the official verified Page for Workday ranks at the top when searching for the company on Facebook.
Source: Facebook
Who qualifies for Facebook verification?
Theoretically, anyone can achieve Facebook verification by utilizing one of the following two methods:
- By enrolling in Meta Verified
- By applying for a verified badge
This is contingent on meeting the rigorous eligibility requirements established by Meta for verifying Facebook Pages and profiles.
In both instances, adherence to the company’s terms of service and Facebook Community Standards is vital. Moreover, Facebook will contemplate your verified badge application only if your account is:
- Authentic: It must represent a legitimate person, entity, or business.
- Unique: It must be the singular presence of the individual, entity, or business it signifies. Facebook only verifies one account per business or individual, with exceptions for language-specific accounts. Note that it does not verify accounts focused on general topics. For instance, it won’t verify a Page centered around healthy food, but would verify a Page representing a registered publication dedicated to healthy food.
- Complete: It should be active and contain essential information, like an “About” section and a profile picture. Additionally, it must contain at least one post.
- Notable: The person, entity, or business it signifies must be well-recognized and frequently searched. Facebook is more inclined to approve your request if it is mentioned in various news sources and publications.
The listed requirements are merely the basics and do not guarantee that verification will be granted. To boost your chances, ensure your account conveys a strong sense of credibility. Start by sharing informative and engaging content rather than just meeting the basic requirement of a single post.
The eligibility requirements for a Meta Verified subscription are more lenient. However, a fee is necessary for any of the Meta Verified plans, beginning at $14.99 monthly. To qualify, you must:
- Be at least 18 years old
- Reside in a region where Meta Verified is accessible
- Exercise full control over a business portfolio on the Meta Business Suite
- Not exceed the allowable number of alterations in your business portfolio within the specified duration.
What are the advantages of getting verified on Facebook?
There are several compelling reasons to seek verification—let’s outline them.
Enhances credibility for your brand
Gaining verification demonstrates that you’re a legitimate and trustworthy brand. The process can be challenging (as you’ll learn soon), and numerous individuals or brands have attempted to get verified and failed. Even if you opt for a Meta Verified subscription, you still need to fulfill certain eligibility criteria and provide a government-issued ID.
So, when Facebook users notice that blue checkmark, they can trust its authenticity.
Safeguards against counterfeit accounts
Some users create fake accounts, while others establish fan pages. Gaining verification helps delineate your Facebook Page from others, assuring customers that they are following or contacting the legitimate entity.
Facebook prioritizes verified profiles and Pages
The Facebook algorithm affords preferential treatment to verified Pages and profiles of public figures. Holding that blue check signifies your Page will appear higher in search results. This boosts the visibility of your brand’s Facebook Page.
8 steps to obtaining Facebook verification
The majority of the process for achieving verification is straightforward, but certain elements can be more intricate. If you choose to go with Meta Verified, you can easily register via the Meta Verified for Business page. Be aware that you’ll need to provide a government-issued ID during the verification process.
If you seek a verified badge, the procedure entails some additional steps. Let’s guide you on how to secure your Facebook verification.
Step 1: Access the verification request form
Initiate the verification process by signing into Facebook and ensuring you have admin rights to the Facebook Page you’re attempting to verify.
From there, navigate to Facebook’s verification request form. This is where you will complete all subsequent steps.
(Note: the link to the Facebook verification request form will be non-functional unless you’re logged into Facebook with admin permissions to a Facebook page.)
Source: Facebook
Step 2: Select your verification type
You have the choice to verify your personal profile if you are a public figure. Alternatively, if you’re logged into your Facebook account, you can choose from a drop-down menu which business Page you want to verify. Each business Page you manage will appear, facilitating completing this process for all your businesses or clients.
Source: Facebook
Step 3: Establish authenticity
The subsequent step involves demonstrating that your Facebook Page is genuine. Remember, verification serves to confirm to your audience that it is authentic. Hence, it’s vital for Facebook to find verifiable documentation to approve your verification.
You can upload copies of various documentation, including:
- Driver’s license
- Passport
- National ID card
- Tax filing
- Recent utility bill
- Articles of incorporation
Source: Facebook
Click the Choose files button to upload the relevant document.
Step 4: Confirm notability
This next stage is termed “confirming notability,” but in essence, you’re selecting a category for your business Page or profile. This is particularly crucial when verifying profiles. Facebook seeks to ensure that your profile or Page is of considerable interest to the public.
Categorie options include:
- News/Media
- Sports
- Government & Politics
- Music
- Fashion
- Entertainment
- Digital Creator/Blogger/Influencer
- Gamer
- Business/Brand/Organization
- Other
Source: Facebook
Step 5: Specify your country
The following step is to identify the country where you or your business is most recognizable. Even if you operate globally, select the country or region where your most substantial audience resides. If you’re uncertain, you can easily determine this through your website’s Google Analytics or your Facebook analytics.
Source: Facebook
Step 6: Include your audience and other known names
This step is entirely optional. However, providing more details can aid Facebook’s team in validating your verification. It’s advisable to share basic information about your audience demographics. If you lack additional “AKA” names for your business, you may leave that section blank.
Source: Facebook
Step 7: Provide 5 articles that demonstrate your Page or profile’s public interest
This step is also optional; however, it is strongly recommended not to skip it. This is one of the most effective ways to substantiate your case. Include evidence that people are interested in, following, or discussing your brand. This could range from prominent social media accounts to articles covering your business or Wikipedia pages. This significantly strengthens the argument for your Page to receive the Facebook blue check mark.
Source: Facebook
Step 8: Submit the request
Click the “Send” button, and you’ve successfully submitted your application for Facebook verification. Now, all that’s left is to wait.
What if Facebook denies my application?
Bear in mind that satisfying the basic verification criteria does not ensure that you will receive verification. Facebook may reject your request without providing a reason. Should this occur, you can reapply for verification after 30 days. Make sure to exert extra effort to improve your chances of successful verification next time.
Here’s what you can do if Facebook denies your request:
- Contact Facebook support to gather more information about the rejection. If you can obtain this information, you’ll know precisely what steps to take for a successful application in the future.
- Create high-quality content and consistently post to enhance your Facebook marketing efforts. If necessary, use Facebook automation to maintain your posting schedule.
- Enhance your presence on other social networks if you have brand accounts there. This will also aid in boosting your chances of achieving verification on those platforms.
Top 4 recommendations for obtaining and maintaining Facebook verification
Experiencing difficulties in securing verification? Here are four essential tips to assist you. Once you achieve verification, continue these best practices to ensure you remain verified.
1. Keep your business information current
We emphasized earlier that having a complete Facebook profile is one factor for obtaining verification. However, consistently updating any changes is also necessary. If you acquire a new website, change store locations, modify store hours, or introduce new product lines, ensure these updates are reflected on your Facebook Page.
2. Strategize your posting schedule
If you haven’t shared any new content on your Facebook Page for months, you’re providing little incentive for the platform to grant you verification status. Stay active on Facebook and regularly share new content to engage your followers.
However, merely posting regularly isn’t enough to enhance engagements, according to the latest Facebook statistics.
Instead, timing is crucial. You should release your Facebook posts when your audience is most active. This increases the likelihood that they will see and engage with your content.
The optimal posting times on Facebook commence from 9 a.m. on weekdays, though this may vary per Page. Review your content’s performance to identify when your audience is most engaged, and schedule your posts accordingly.
Third-party Facebook tools, like Sprout Social, even include suggestions for optimal send times. Sprout’s ViralPost® technology automates the entire process, identifying the best times for your brand to post and publishing your content at those times.
3. Engage with your community
A well-engaged Facebook audience shows the platform that you are a notable brand and that people genuinely want to follow you. This amplifies your chances of getting verified.
Enhance your Facebook engagement strategies to create a vibrant community. Respond to comments, share content that resonates with your audience, and host live broadcasts for real-time interaction.
4. Adhere to community guidelines
Just because you’ve secured verification doesn’t guarantee you will maintain it. Persistent violations of community guidelines may lead the platform to revoke your verification.
At the very least, ensure ongoing compliance (which is not overly difficult). Additionally, engaging in strategic marketing for your Page will also help you retain your verification status. Don’t forget to secure your account with two-factor authentication to prevent unauthorized access from individuals who might breach community guidelines.
Achieve Facebook verification now
Fulfilling all the eligibility criteria is merely the initial step. Want to know the best secret for obtaining your Facebook verification? It’s all about enhancing your presence on the platform. Ensure you are effectively marketing on the platform and organically expanding your reach.
Utilize Sprout’s marketing tools to spark growth on Facebook. Sign up for a free trial to discover how the platform can fortify your chances of obtaining Facebook verification.
The post How to get verified on Facebook: Your step-by-step guide originally appeared on Sprout Social.
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