Ever wonder what that little blue or grey check mark next to a Facebook business page’s name like these mean? Those are badges designating that the page has been verified by Facebook. Is this something worth doing for yourself?
The short answer: Yes!
It’s pretty straightforward. A verified Facebook page is one that, after a request by the page, Facebook has taken a look at the page and authenticated that it isn’t a phony or some kind of spammy page.
Getting your Facebook page verified is a great way to give your business a boost of credibility and lets your audience know the page is authentic, particularly important if you are just getting your page off the ground. Anything that helps legitimize your business is worthwhile, wouldn’t you say?
If the face-value perks aren’t enough to convince you, then you might be interested to know that Facebook puts verified pages higher in search rankings and pushes down unverified pages. Facebook wants to stay credible too and driving their users to pages they will get the most value out of is a way they try to do so.
So, while verification isn’t a mandatory step in your page set-up or the key to the success of your page, there really isn’t a good reason not to do it!
Types of Verification
You probably noticed that there are two different kinds of verification designations, a grey badge and a blue badge. Here’s the difference:
Grey Verification: The grey badge verification is reserved for small or local businesses and is the basic level of verification a page can apply for. For businesses with multiple brick and mortar locations, each one can be individually verified.
Blue Verification: The blue badge verification is reserved for large national or global businesses as well as pages for public figures. There is no way to directly apply for the blue badge, so Facebook has the sole power to add or remove the designation. They are also pretty vague about the exact requirements for blue verification… it’s frustrating.
How to Verify Your Facebook Business Page
Getting your Facebook page verified is actually really easy. There’s no long form to fill out and no line to wait in.
- Click on “Settings” at the top right of the page
- In the “General” tab, click “Page Verification”
- Click “Edit” then “Verify this Page”
- From there, you can enter the phone number associated with the business and click “Call Me Now”
- Facebook will call with a verification code you will then enter
Once Facebook has received the code they will take a look at your page. If they are satisfied, you will receive a notification and your name will given a grey badge within a couple days (unless you’ve satisfied their mysterious requirements, for which they can give you the coveted blue badge!).
Verification Tips
Hate rejection? Me too! Facebook doesn’t just look at what you are posting when they check your page. They have a list of criteria they are looking at. If the page checks their boxes it’ll be verified, if not you’ll have to start over. If you want to make sure your page gets a thumbs up on the first pass make sure you take care of these items.
Fill Out or Update Company Information
Go through your page with a fine-tooth comb, make sure you have provided as much information as possible, and that everything is up to date. In the “About” section, make sure you have provided an accurate address, phone number, website, and email as well as completing as many sections as you can such as “Mission,” “Company Overview,” or “Products.”
Stay Consistent
This is particularly important if you have multiple locations each with their own page. Make sure your page is consistent with branding and an official representation of your business. Make sure you have a logo and header that is on brand with your business, website and anything else Facebook might check into.
Keep It Professional
Posting unprofessional or personal content on a business page is a sure-fire way to get your verification denied or stripped away. Make sure your personal and business accounts are totally separate and all your filled out information and posts are as clean and grammatically correct as you can.
A verified Facebook page is a great start, but that alone won’t make or break your page. Are you ready to take it to the next level? Let’s talk about how you can utilize video, content variety, and advertising to dominate Facebook.
