If you've seen that white checkmark in a blue cloud on somebody's
Twitter profile, that means they hold a "verified account." Twitter uses
verification to establish the authenticity of tweeters, and does so
proactively—they concentrate on "highly sought users in music, acting,
fashion, government, politics, religion, journalism, media, advertising,
business, and other key interest areas." If you (or your boss/client)
fit the bill, here is how to go about getting your Twitter account
verified.
Steps
1
Determine if you qualify for a verified Twitter account.
Twitter verifies as few accounts as possible and only for legitimate
reasons. Reasons for asking Twitter include being a highly recognizable
public figure (athletes, artists, public officials, public or government
agencies, etc.), or if your name and likeness is parodied or
impersonated on multiple Twitter accounts, leading to identity
confusion.[1]
- Though Twitter does not have an official stance on this, several
Twitter-verified companies have indicated that spending $5000/month on
Twitter advertising will also get (and keep) your account verified.[2][3]
- Twitter will not consider you for verification based on your number
of followers. Twitter urges Tweeters to "Please note that follower count
is not a factor in determining whether an account meets our criteria
for verification."[1]
- Twitter recommends embedding a Twitter "Follow" button on your
official website as the best alternative to verification. You can learn
how to do this here.
This allows you to obtain followers directly from your official site,
which is very helpful if there are multiple Twitter accounts that use
your name.
- Twitter also recommends including a link to an official website as an alternative to verification.
2
Read the Verified Account terms.
These terms explain what a verified account is, what it means to be
verified, who has the verified badge, identifying a verified account,
etc. They can be found here.
3
Find out how to apply for a verified account. Send a direct message to this address and be sure to have the following information ready.
- Account name
- Full name
- Location
- Official website (you will be given a suggestion to put the Twitter
logo or badge on your official website to speed up verification)
- Bio information (information about yourself in fewer than 160 characters)
- Primary contact name (referring to the individual who manages the account)
- Additional Contact Information
4
Wait for Twitter to respond. If you don't get a reply shortly, you can contact Twitter
by snail mail or through Twitter. Keep in mind that Twitter deals with a
high volume of verification requests, and that it focuses first on the
most "highly sought users."[1]
5
Follow Twitter's instructions for verifying your account.
If Twitter decides that you qualify for a verified account, they will
reach out to you via direct message. Click the link in the direct
message to be taken to finish the process.
- The final part of the process has 3 parts, Learn how to Tweet effectively, Connect with other Interesting Twitter Users, and Protect your Account.[4]
- Learn how to Tweet effectively gives you a choice between 2
tweets and asks you to choose which one is better. It has the form of a
quiz, but there will be no negative effects if you do not answer
correctly.[5]
- Connect with other Interesting Twitter Users gives you the
option to follow other verified accounts. Twitter believes that this
gives you more legitimacy as a verified user.[6]
- Protect your Account asks you to enter a phone number that
Twitter can call if there are any problems with your account. Once you
have completed this step, your account will be verified.[7]
6
Do not change your account information.
Once you have received a verification badge, it is important to keep
your account information the same. Changing information, such as your
profile image, can cause Twitter to remove the badge, forcing you to
contact them again.
