In the age of the internet, you’ve obviously used or heard of such social media giants as Twitter. If you’ve paid attention, you would have probably noticed a blue checkmark associated with various accounts. These are to be found alongside names of popular brands, businesses, or personalities. If you are interested to have your own page or brand image, you might be wondering how to get that Twitter status as well. Being verified on Twitter is nothing less of a status symbol as it indicates that the profile is authentic. Twitter Verification is not easy to get through.
Verification can help build credibility, but it is not the only way for brands, businesses, and influencers to build a trustworthy presence on Twitter. Public applications for verification are temporarily closed. But let me guide you on how to build a credible presence on Twitter which might just lead you there!
The significance of Twitter verification:
The coveted blue verification badge that appears on Twitter and other social media spaces is a much-desired thing in today’s time. Verified profiles let people know that the account is of public interest and that it is authentic. Any account that is verified appears with the blue check mark next to the username both on Twitter and everywhere on the internet.
Twitter verification is the only authority that can provide verification badges. Any account that Imposes a verified account without authentication from Twitter can face suspension from the platform. So, accounts that are verified by Twitter are of public interest and verified as authentic. Generally, this includes but is not limited to interest areas such as Music, acting, fashion, religion, etc
(Note that, the verified badge does not imply an endorsement by Twitter.)
Twitter Verification Process so far:
For a while, anyone could send in an application to be considered for Twitter verification. The person/page would then be approved if they met the verification requirements. In 2017 Twitter decided to work on a new policy to improve the overall process and ensure verified accounts met their new guidelines. As part of this effort, Twitter temporarily stopped public submissions for profile verification.
This has left marketers wondering if Twitter will open up public applications for verification again and if so, when? What exactly can you do at the moment if you are looking to build your brand credibility on Twitter?
In August 2020, Twitter announced that they would provide people with more context, they would expand the types of political accounts they label. Twitter’s investment in public conversation and policy demonstrates that it sees value in verification. Brands can look at their Twitter presence for ways to build credibility rather than relying on verification as their only means.
- Optimize your profile
Your imagery and branding. Optimize your profile by updating your display picture and background image with relevant, high-quality images. You can use a professional photo or a custom logo of your brand/business.
Your Twitter handle. Make sure your Twitter handle name is unique to you or your brand/page. Whatever username you choose, make sure it’s the ubiquitous across all your social media networks for consistency.
Your Twitter bio. Your bio is a crucial field to keep up to date on Twitter. The bio should clearly state the purpose of your profile or your brand’s mission or services provided.
Your contact information. Twitter also requires users to set their specific location and add a confirmed phone number. Don’t worry, your phone number won’t be public. You’ll also need to update your website or blog URL so users can access your work. How else are you going to get traffic from Twitter to your site?
- Be active
A Twitter profile can serve public conversations. Leverage your value and voice on the platform by being active and engaging with your audience. And this isn’t just limited to regularly sharing content and engaging Tweets.
Here are the top three actions you should take to create an active Twitter presence:
- Keep the conversation going and respond to social mentions. Whether they tag you, you must build conversations around your brand.
- Utilizing the Twitter dashboard allows you to better understand your followers, what content resonates with them when they’re most active, and much more. Aggregated analytics allows you to take a deeper dive into metrics and understand what’s working in your Twitter strategy as well.
- To understand what time your audience is most active, it’s good to know the optimal time to post on Twitter. This is a general overview so it may vary slightly based on your audience, but it provides a great starting point.
Fortunately, these interactions not only increase your relevance, they’re also great ways to increase your brand presence on Twitter as well. Being active in conversations on the platform will help you drive more engagement, increase visibility and possibly gain new followers as well.
- Connect with other profiles
Credibility could be further established by connecting with other major profiles. In a sense, you’ll show your credibility or authority in a subject by associating with these major profiles.
For instance, share your publications in your Tweets or accredit your work with an organization. If you work for a university, hospital, or such an organization, tag your company in your bio.
Conclusion:
To get the blue check mark on your profile, you will have to wait for Twitter to reopen public applications for verification. But there’s no need to wait to create an authentic and engaging Twitter presence in the meantime. Until Twitter revamps its verification program, you can utilize some lockdown time to build your Twitter presence and base.