How to Tell if Your Facebook Business Page Is Verified Blue or Gray

Are you wondering how to get one of those pretty little blue checkmarks next to your brand's name on Facebook? You're in the right place.

For both emerging or established brands, getting verified on Facebook is a big deal. It proves you're someone authoritative enough to receive the verification, as the blue tick isn't handed out to just anyone.

Many public figures and companies with a sizable following who want to get verified on Facebook never actually do, so getting that coveted blue checkmark bumps you up to an elite status that customers are sure to appreciate.

Keep reading to find out how to get your Facebook Page verified, why verification is so important, and how to increase your chances of getting and staying verified.

What is Facebook verification?

Facebook verification is the process of getting your Facebook Page verified. The verified blue badge on a Page means that Facebook has confirmed that the profile does, in fact, belong to a particular public figure, creator, or brand — rather than a fan or impersonator.

Verified badges on Facebook (and Instagram) appear next to the Page or account's name, both on the profile page and in search.

For instance, not to brag, but we have our Facebook page verified with the blue badge.

The Facebook verification team meticulously reviews all requests to decide whether an account is eligible to get the highly sought-after checkmark.

Why verify your Facebook Page?

If you or your business have achieved a high level of influence and authority, the real question is: why not verify your Page?

The first and obvious reason for getting verified on Facebook is the prestige and credibility associated with it. Seeing that blue checkmark next to your account, people will consciously or subconsciously acknowledge that you're someone established enough to be verified.

The verification badge proves that many people know about you, look for you, and might even try to impersonate you with fake accounts.

In other words, the checkmark works as immediately visible social proof.

The verification badge also lets your prospects and customers easily find and follow your real Page and get up-to-date, accurate information about your brand.

Without the badge, it can be challenging to know whether a Facebook Page is authentic. So the ability to differentiate your official account from fan accounts, similarly-named brands, and imposter accounts is crucial.

But there are more reasons why the Facebook verification badge is much more than a nice-to-have.

For example, Hootsuite and AdEspresso have a few Facebook groups for niche purposes like support and learning. So it's helpful for our Facebook audience to find the more general, official Pages separately at the top of search results when searching "Hootsuite" or "AdEspresso."

Finally, Facebook verification gains you early access to some new Facebook features that aren't yet available to all accounts. So you can have an edge over your competitors who may not have the same access.

How to verify your Facebook Page

The process of getting verified on Facebook is different for business Pages and personal profiles.

Note that you need to fill out the same form linked below if you wish to verify a personal profile (as a public figure or celebrity). Additionally, you'll be asked to upload a copy of your official government-issued photo identification such as a passport or driving license.

Here we describe the steps to verify a Facebook Business Page.

Step 1: Head over to the verification request page

To get considered for Facebook verification, you'll need to fill out and submit this request form.

Source: Facebook

As this is for a business Page, select Page under Verification type.

Next, click the Select Page to verify drop-down to find your business Page on the list. Note that you need to sign in as an admin of the Business Manager account to submit this form.

Step 2: Select the right category for your account

Categorizing your account correctly is important because it helps Facebook establish if you have relevant influence in a certain industry to warrant verification. So make sure to select the right category and the country your business operates out of.

Source: Facebook

Step 3: Attach identifying documents

Facebook needs rock-solid proof that you are exactly who you say you are. So the next step is to upload pictures of identifying documents.

Source: Facebook

As you can see above, for a business Page verification, you'll need to attach a copy of your company's phone or utility bill, certificate of formation, articles of incorporation, or tax exemption documents.

Step 4: Explain why you're pursuing verification

This is a critical step in receiving the blue verification badge from Facebook. You must provide a compelling reason for why you're seeking verification.

Source: Facebook

Here are some sample reasons why your business need to get verified on Facebook:

• We have a large following across multiple platforms, and there are many fan accounts. We need our audience to instantly know that this is the official account so there's no confusion.
• As a renowned business publication, we've been featured in several media outlets and considered an expert in our niche. Verifying our Facebook account will help us maintain credibility and help our audience find us easily.
• We're a large corporation with many franchise branches and verifying the core brand account will help our customers view it as the central source of branded information.

To boost your odds of getting verified, be specific about how the blue badge could benefit both your business and Facebook's users.

Step 5: List your other social media accounts and add comments

Link to your other social media accounts. Perhaps your business is verified on Twitter, so you can leverage that verification on Facebook, too.

Source: Facebook

Feel free to add any additional comments that you'd like Facebook to consider at this point.

Step 6: Send the request and wait for a decision

Finally, review all the information you've entered, and when you're ready, click Send.

Then, you wait. Facebook says: "Once we review your request, you'll receive a notification letting you know if your account has been verified or not. If your request is denied, you can submit a new request after 30 days."

There's no particular timeframe in which you can expect to hear back. You could get a response within 48 hours, or it could take 45 days or longer.

Verification for large multinational businesses and corporations may take longer, as Facebook's team may need to dig deeper to manually review the supporting documents to confirm the claim is authentic.

If you get rejected, supply additional information that you think may help in your next attempt.

Why can't I verify my Facebook Page?

Even if a business page fits the bill, Facebook often denies the verification request. Here are a couple of common reasons for rejection and how you can set things right.

1. There's an issue with the documents you submitted

The documents you submitted could have a few issues that are holding you back from getting verified.

For example, your document may:

• Not be of an accepted type — learn more about correctly uploading official documents here.
• Be a self-filed document — Facebook needs documents with an accompanying official signature or seal.
• Be blurry, low resolution, expired, unviewable, or corrupted — ensure you've scanned your document in high resolution.
• Not contain your full business address.
• Be in an unsupported language.

Source: Facebook

2. Your business information doesn't match up

Attention to detail is the name of the game.

For instance, your request can be rejected if the business name listed on your Facebook Business Settings is different from the name you have on your submitted documents. If that's the case, update your business name in Business Settings or submit a new document that has the business name matching the one in your Business Settings.

Keep the following things in mind:

• Your business website and email domain must match.
• Your website should feature your business's name and logo.
• Your business name must be listed on your submitted documents. For example, if a utility bill doesn't have the business name included, it would be rejected.
• Your documents must include your business headquarters address and business phone number.

5 tips to increase your chances of getting verified on Facebook

Here are a few best practices to boost your odds of being verified on Facebook.

1. Build a complete profile and post regularly

You should fill out your Facebook profile in its entirety. This means having a profile and cover picture, a detailed About section, a link to your official business website, mission statement, contact info, etc. — leave nothing blank.

Ensure your account is deemed active by posting frequently. If you post once every couple of months, Facebook likely won't bother verifying you.

2. Have a clear reason for why your business needs a verification

The stronger the case you build for getting the blue badge, the more likely you are to receive approval. Refer to the sample reasons we shared earlier, and in essence, be upfront in the application form about why the checkmark is a win-win for both your brand and Facebook users.

3. Talk about your brand's mentions in well-known publications

Has your business been mentioned in any major publications? Did a company executive recently make an expert appearance in a news article on a reputed publication? Is your brand often mentioned or linked to on Facebook?

If so, ensure you mention these points in the form as it can help you get approved.

4. Know the additional requirements for certain accounts

While this may not affect your business account's verification, it doesn't hurt to know about Facebook's additional verification requirements for law enforcement agencies, city governments, politicians, and elected officials.

Source: Facebook

5. Keep your Facebook account professional and relevant

To ensure Facebook instantly recognizes your page as a serious contender for verification, your account should be an official and authentic representation of your brand.

So make sure to share on-brand content and delete anything that negatively affects your credibility, such as:

• Off-brand logos, personal posts, or low-quality images
• Posts with poor grammar, spelling, and unprofessional copy
• Content that doesn't match your brand voice

Review your business Page through a customer's eyes and update/remove anything that looks out of place.

How to stay verified on Facebook

Once you get that hard-earned blue badge, the last thing you want to do is throw it away.

So make sure never to do any of the following, which could cause your verification status to be revoked (and your account itself may even be suspended or deleted):

• Providing false or misleading information during the verification process
• Violating any industry-specific guidelines that are part of the agreement to granting verification
• Violating Facebook's Terms of Service or Community Standards

Also, this may go without saying but never engage with anyone offering to sell you a verified badge. Facebook doesn't sell verified badges, and any Page or profile found doing so will have their badges removed, as per the Help Centre.

Other important things to know about Facebook verification

If you also wish to get verified on Instagram (a Facebook-owned platform), the process is quite similar.

Source: Facebook

If a Facebook Page linked to your Instagram account is already verified, you will still need to get verified on Instagram separately. And if you don't have the blue checkmark on Instagram, you can link to your Instagram profile from your official Facebook page to let people know that the profile is authentic.

Lastly, if you can't get verified after multiple attempts or aren't yet eligible, here are a few ways to showcase your business page's authenticity:

• Use the description in your bio to tell users about who you are.
• Use Stories to provide a behind-the-scenes look into your business.
• Encourage followers to tag you so your audience can see your branded interactions.
• Link to your Facebook and Instagram account from your official website, YouTube channel, or Twitter account.

Time to get verified

Facebook looks at many factors when verifying accounts. Even if you're eligible for verification, submitting a request doesn't guarantee a blue tick.

Still, considering the credibility, social proof, and other benefits that come with the badge, there's no harm in giving it a try.

Follow the steps and tips outlined above, and consider combining all your pages that could be regarded as "duplicates" to improve your odds of getting verified. That's about it!

So, have you had your Page verified? How long did it take you to get the coveted badge? Let us know in the comments below.

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Source: https://adespresso.com/blog/verify-facebook-page-step-step/

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