Facebook verification is the process of getting a profile or page verified to show other users that it represents your authentic presence on the platform. A blue checkmark appears next to the name of a verified account.
Considering Facebook is the biggest social media network, it makes sense if you want Facebook verification on your page. We’ve put together the steps required to get your business verified.
The audience on Facebook is massive
Facebook has 2.91 billion monthly active users as of 2022. This is actually a 6.2 percent increase from its 2.74 billion users in 2021, which was already a year-over-year growth of 12 percent from 2019.
Facebook verification validates your brand
With the potential to reach so many users, Facebook verification can help your page build credibility and a trusting relationship with your target audience.
What is Facebook verification?
Facebook verification is the process of getting a profile or page verified to show other users that it represents your authentic presence on the platform. A blue checkmark appears next to the name of a verified account.
Ensures authenticity of content
In addition to building trust, Facebook verification helps public figures, brands and companies who are susceptible to being impersonated with fake pages establish that they actually are who they say they are. A common example is the real Facebook page for a celebrity versus pages run by fans or imposters.
Prioritized in search results
Facebook also prioritizes verified profiles and Pages in its search results, which can improve your brand’s reach.
How to get verified
While anyone can technically get verified on Facebook, there are strict verification requirements you must meet in order to get approved. However, these are only the bare minimum and are no guarantee that you’ll get verified.
Steps to apply for Facebook verification
To officially apply for Facebook verification, you would:
- Open the Facebook verification request form.
- Choose your verification type, whether you’re looking to verify your personal profile (if you’re a public figure) or your Facebook page.
- Confirm your authenticity with credible documentation, such as a driver’s license, passport, etc.
- Confirm your notability by selecting a category for your business page or profile so that Facebook can ensure that your profile or page is something people are interested in or searching for.
- Add the country where you or your business is most well-known.
- Add your audience and “also known as,” which is an optional step, but keep in mind that the more information you give, the easier it is for Facebook to confirm your verification. For your audience, you can enter basic information about your audience demographics. If you have no other “aka” names for your business, though, you can leave that blank.
- Add up to five articles that show your Facebook page or profile is in the public interest. This is optional as well, but by including popular social media accounts, articles that talk about your business, Wikipedia profiles or anything else, you’re proving that people are interested in, following or talking about your brand.
- And submit!
Verification is not guaranteed
But again, Facebook verification is not guaranteed. Fortunately, you can reapply after 30 days if you get denied.
Recommendation for how to get verified
The following are four tips to help you get verified the first time on Facebook (and stay verified).
Be professional
When it comes to being professional on Facebook as a brand, there are a few things to consider, including:
- The overall impression of your Facebook page or profile matches the image your brand presents elsewhere.
- You’re only sharing on-brand, related content to your page or profile. No off-brand logos, personal posts (depending on the context), low-quality images, incorrect grammar and spelling, anything that doesn’t reflect your brand voice, etc.
Put yourself in a customer’s shoes when looking at your page or profile. What do you see? Better yet, ask a colleague for an unbiased opinion with a fresh set of eyes.
Maintain up-to-date business information
Before even applying for Facebook verification, you want to make sure that your entire Facebook business profile is complete. This includes working links to your website (and working links from your website back to your Facebook page).
But on top of that, you want to keep that information as up-to-date as possible. Perhaps you created a new website, moved store locations, changed business hours, added new products or services or something else. Regardless of what might change with your business and offerings, you’ll want to reflect that on your Facebook presence.
Post engaging content regularly
Content (and engaging content in particular) is everything on social media. Without it, your Facebook page is a shell business listing that likely will not receive Facebook verification.
Of course, when it comes to content creation and publication, you want to keep your audience in mind, as well as their needs, challenges and interests.
Consistency is critical
When it comes to frequency, consistency is critical. You don’t want to publish several posts in one day and then not post again for weeks.
Consider using a content calendar
A content calendar can help keep you organized, but also check out how often you should be posting on social media, especially Facebook.
But beyond providing engaging content, you’ll want to engage with your followers as well. Reply to comments and direct messages, comment on relevant posts from other users, offer Facebook Lives that are specifically an opportunity for you to answer questions from customers and potential customers, etc. An engaged audience shows Facebook that you’re a notable brand that people follow. This contributes in your favor for Facebook verification.
Follow Facebook’s community standards
Do you know what Facebook’s community standards are? In short, they’re a robust list of guidelines that you should get familiar with (if you’re not already) that outline the acceptable use of the Facebook platform.
If you’re violating these standards, you obviously risk not getting verified. If you do get verified and then violate the community standards, Facebook can revoke your verification.
Reviewing the guidelines, turning on two-factor authentication and staying true to your Facebook marketing strategy will help you get (and stay) verified.
In conclusion
If you don’t get verified the first time that you apply, you can apply again in 30 days. However, we do recommend that you use those 30 days to review what you can improve about your Facebook presence before applying again. In fact, you may receive from Facebook at least part of the reason that you weren’t verified. If this is the case, you’ll want to address those issues as soon as possible.
