How to Get Verified on Twitter? what is twitter verification ?

 Have you ever felt like a celebrity on social media?

When someone I truly like or admire reshares one of my posts, or when people from all over the world come across my work and like or follow it, I get a little excited.

Every now and again, social media has the uncanny power to force non-celebrities like me into the limelight.

Now Twitter has taken it a step farther. You can apply to get your Twitter account verified, which will result in a blue checkmark next to your name. To become verified on Twitter, simply update your profile with the most up-to-date information, verify your phone number and email address, and fill out a form requesting to be considered as a verified user.

The blue badge does give you a little ego boost and a star moment, but here's the real kicker: being verified on Twitter has huge business/brand benefits.

I'd delighted to show you how to get your business or brand verified on Twitter, as well as the benefits of doing so.

How to Get Verified on Twitter, Step-by-Step

1. Fill out your profile completely with profile picture, cover photo, name, website, and bio
2. Add a verified phone number and confirm your email address
3. Add your birthday
4. Set your tweets as “public”
5. Visit the verification form on Twitter

(Note: If you're applying for personal profile verification rather than business profile verification, you'll also need a copy of a photo ID, such as a passport or driver's license.)

In their announcement on verified accounts, Twitter mentioned a few factors that could influence which accounts they choose to verify and which they don't. The fact that the profile is of public interest is the most important factor in getting verified on Twitter.

Twitter goes on to say that “public interest” could encompass prominent figures and organizations working in the categories of:

• Music
• TV
• Film
• Fashion
• Government
• Politics
• Religion
• Journalism
• Media
• Sports
• Business
• and other key interest areas

As long as your profile meets the minimum requirements (such as having a profile photo and a verified phone number), the verification process appears to be subjective in determining what is of "public interest."

No worries if you go through the process once and don't get confirmed. You have 30 days to try again.

Here's a little more information on how to effectively complete each of the minimum criteria.

Verify your phone number on Twitter.

You can add a phone number to your account here; Enter the verification code that Twitter provides to your email to confirm the number. If your phone number is validated, it will appear like this:

Confirm your email address.

You can enter your email address here, and then click the link Twitter provides to your email address to confirm it. If your email address is confirmed, it will appear like this:

Add a bio, profile photo, cover photo, birthday, and website.

Visit your Twitter profile (in my example, twitter.com/kevanlee) to add or change this information. You should notice a "Edit Profile" button to the right of your Twitter stats if you're logged in.

The various features of your profile can be edited by clicking the edit button. You can alter your settings by clicking.

About Verified Accounts

The blue Verified badge  on Twitter lets people know that an account of public interest is authentic. To receive the blue badge, your account must be authentic, notable, and active.

Authentic
 

You must validate your identity with Twitter in order to be Verified, in order to build and preserve trust between users on the platform.

You can authenticate your identity using one of three methods:

• Official website: Include a link to an official website that mentions you (or your company) as well as your Twitter handle.
• ID verification: A photo of a government-issued identification document, such as your driver's license or passport, is required.
• Official email address: Provide an official email address with a domain that relates to the category of notability you've chosen.
   

Notable 
 

In accordance with the notability criteria outlined below, your account must represent or otherwise be affiliated with a prominently recognized individual or brand. Twitter will verify the following types of accounts based on the criteria provided, in addition to authenticating the identity of the account's controller. Twitter may independently validate qualifying affiliation in all areas via commercial relationships or direct outreach:

• Government: 
• Heads of state, elected officials, appointed ministers, institutional entities, diplomats, and official spokesmen provide accounts of current major government officials and offices. In several nations, official candidates for state or national-level public office may be Verified if resources allow us to do so honestly and equitably.
• 
  
• A public reference to the account on an official government or party site or publication, or repeated references in the news media, are required to qualify.
• 
  
• Official accounts of public utilities and other services, as well as people in positions of leadership and official spokespeople, may be verified.
• Companies, brands, and organizations: Corporations, brands, non-profit organizations, and their leaders and other prominent executives, as well as secondary linked accounts, including companies, brands, and non-profit organizations, as well as their leaders and other prominent executives. Accounts must meet two of the following criteria to be considered prominent:
  • presence in public indices, such as public stock exchanges, steady Wikipedia pages that meet the encyclopedia's notability criteria, and databases like GlobalGiving;
  • 3 or more highlighted references in Verified news outlets that fulfill the news requirements below within the last 6 months previous to applying; or
  • In the top ten, there are a lot of people who follow you. 5% of active accounts are located in the same geographical area.
    
    
• News organizations and journalists: Individual accounts of journalists employed by Verified news organizations, as well as official accounts of eligible news organizations, may be Verified if:
• their account is public (does not have protected Tweets)
• their account bio refers directly to the news organization's name and links to the official URL of that organization
• Individual journalist profiles must include a link to their associated news organization's website that acknowledges their work, such as a about page or bio,* as well as a description of their work.
• otherwise meets the criteria laid out in this policy.

Newspapers, magazines, broadcast, cable, satellite, and streaming TV and radio news networks, stations, and programs, as well as digital news publishers, podcasts, and other similar media, must adhere to recognized professional journalism standards such as those set forth by the Society of Professional Journalists, the Independent Press Standards Organization, and the International FCC.

*Independent or freelance journalists who can provide at least three bylines/credits in Verified publications published within the last six months may be Verified.

• Entertainment: Major entertainment firms' accounts, such as film studios, television networks, and music labels, can be verified. Official accounts of these entities' productions, such as films, events/festivals, or television programmes, may be verified if:
  • the connection to a Verified organization is clear on the account’s profile; and
  • A link to the profile can be found on the production or entity's website, or another official public source.
  • Artists, performers, directors, and others in comparable public-facing jobs linked with such businesses or their shows may have their accounts verified if:

• the website associated with a Verified entity, or similar official public source, includes a link to the profile; and
• they have at least 50 production credits on their IMDB profile, or

They have 3 or more featured references in news publications that fulfill the News requirement above within the last 6 months prior to applying.

If established digital content creators have continuously published original content (regardless of platform) for at least 6 months previous to submitting and meet the follower or mention standards mentioned below for other significant individuals, they may be Verified.

• Sports and gaming: Professional sports leagues, teams, rostered players, and coaches with accounts posted on the official team website with a link to the account, or in sports data services like Sportradar, as well as athletes competing in global contests like the Olympics and Paralympics, may be Verified. Verify the official team pages of club and collegiate teams. Amateur athletes competing at the collegiate level (or lower) or in official minor leagues will not be verified unless they match the criteria for influential individuals verification listed below.
  
  Professional esports leagues, teams, rostered players, and coaches whose accounts are published on the official team website or who have 3 or more highlighted mentions in news publications such as Kotaku, Polygon, or IGN within the last 6 months may be Verified. Official game accounts, as well as connected accounts, can be verified.
  
  
• Activists, organizers, and other influential individuals: 
• People who are using Twitter effectively to bring awareness, share information, and rally community members around a cause, to bring about economical, political, or cultural change, or to otherwise create community, may be Verified outside of the professional categories defined above.
• 
  
• Such persons' accounts, as well as those of others who do not match the particular criteria in the categories above, may be verified if they:
• demonstrate consistent usage of Twitter in the six months prior to applying;
• generally abide by the Twitter Rules; 
• do not primarily post content that harasses, shames, or insults any individual or group—particularly on the basis of race, ethnicity, national origin, sexual orientation, gender identity, religious affiliation, age, disability, medical/genetic condition, veteran, refugee, or immigrant status—or content that promotes the supremacy or interests of members of any group in any way.
• meet the following general criteria for notability – at least one from Column A and one from Column B*: 

Over to you

Does Twitter verification sound like something you might give a try?

If you’ve already tried it out, what was your experience? Any tips to share? Any questions to ask?

I’d love to hear from you in the comments and keep the conversation going there!