How to Get a Twitter Verification Badge

One great way to add prestige to your brand is by getting a Twitter verification badge. That’s because people who see that blue checkmark next to your Twitter name will immediately think that you’re somebody who’s important in your industry.

Unfortunately, though, it’s difficult to obtain a verification badge.

That’s not to say that it’s impossible.

With a little bit of effort, you can get a Twitter verification badge that will impress people in your target market. Here’s how to do it.

1. Hire an Agent

If you’ve got a little bit of extra cash from some of your recent marketing successes and you’re looking for ways to invest it, consider hiring an agent who will contact Twitter on your behalf to get you verified.

Although hiring an agent costs money, it saves you time. You won’t have to do a whole lot of the heavy lifting to get your badge.

Also, if your agent is successful, you might find that the investment was worth it over the long haul.

NPR host Guy Raz hired Eric Kuhn, an agent with the United Talent Agency, to get him a Twitter badge. Clearly, the agent was successful.

2. Get a Job With a Company That Offers Verification for Employees

If you’re trying to promote a personal rather than a corporate brand, you might be able to get a job with a company that offers verification badges for employees.

Yes, some companies do that as part of their compensation package.

For example, you might notice that almost all of the senior writers and editors who work for BuzzFeed have verification badges. That’s one of the perks of working for the company at that level.

Keep in mind that you might not even have to get hired as a full-time employee with some companies to earn the badge. Some companies might be willing to bring you on as a contractor who’s also a contributor and offer you the badge anyway.

3. Contribute As Someone Who Should Be Verified

If you act like someone who should be verified on Twitter, you’ll increase the likelihood that you will be verified.

When Twitter determines that you’re “worthy” of the verification badge, you’ll receive a DM from the @Verified account. That message will tell you the steps you have to follow to get verified. One of those steps is to follow other verified users.

So, instead of waiting for that DM, just go ahead and start following other verified users right now. While you’re doing that, tweet valuable information that only people who are experts in your space would be able to share.

4. Network

Another great way to get verified on Twitter is to ramp up your online networking game until you start rubbing virtual shoulders with a person who’s got some pull at Twitter, Inc.

The old adage certainly applies here: “It’s not what you know, it’s who you know.”

If you get to know the right person who works for Twitter, you’ll give yourself a better shot at getting verified.

Once you do make the right connection, send an email letting that person know that you have people asking if your Twitter account is really you. Politely request the verification badge to make it easier for your customers to identify you online.

5. Advertise on Twitter (Maybe?)

According to the rumor mill, you can get a Twitter verification badge if you advertise on Twitter.

There’s a catch, though.

You have to do a lot of advertising.

Some people say if you advertise $5,000 a month for three months then Twitter will give you that coveted blue check mark.

Obviously, if the rumors are true, it’s a policy that Twitter doesn’t want to advertise.

It might be best to keep this option on the backburner until you were planning on running a Twitter advertising blitz anyway. Then, see what happens.

6. Have Your Fans Start a Campaign

Hopefully, your brand has some raving fans on social media. Why not ask them to help you get verified?

If your Twitter followers pester the @Verified account enough times to demand that you get your badge, you might find that Twitter eventually caves just to avoid being inundated with mentions.

Once you get your badge, be sure to publicly thank your fans and launch a PR campaign about how you got your verification checkmark. Use the episode in advertising copy (“Our fans love us so much, look what they did on Twitter…”). Write about it in your content marketing articles. Milk it for all you can.

Get you Badge, Get Verified!

A Twitter verification badge, although difficult to obtain, gives your brand the appearance of authority.

This is important, though: once you do get your verification badge, go out of your way to follow Twitter’s terms of service. Twitter has been known to remove the important blue checkmark from users who have stepped out of bounds.

Even worse: if Twitter does remove your badge, the company won’t tell you why. That might not seem fair, but it’s what you can expect.

Bottom line: make sure your tweeting efforts are above reproach so that you can keep the Twitter verification badge that you worked so hard to earn.