If you’ve ever wondered how to get verified on Twitter or Instagram, a big change might be coming to that process. Twitter's blue, gold and gray verification check marks are coveted stamps that establish and boost brands’ reputations on the platform. Similarly, Meta offers users a blue verification check mark to online accounts that have been vetted and represent the actual person behind the account. For example, celebrity fan pages won’t receive Meta’s blue check mark, but the celebrity’s official profile will.

These badges have offered value to brands, public figures, content creators and consumers as they help identify genuine and trustworthy content. But how much are these check marks really worth to brands and businesses?

Twitter has been advertising a paid subscription plan to brands in order to keep or achieve their verified status. For $1,000 per month, businesses will be granted Twitter’s gold check mark. If the business pays an additional $50 per month, any affiliate handles associated with the brand will hold the same gold check mark. 

Meta is also exploring making their blue check marks for-purchase. It’s not yet clear how much they will charge for the blue badge, but a subscription model is on the table which could mean that a bundle of features would be for purchase.

For businesses and brands, this development isn’t cheap and could result in many of them forgoing their verified status all together. Additionally, because the badges are up for anyone to buy, the trustworthiness of the check mark and the “verified” accounts comes into question. An increase in “verified” spam accounts, misinformation profiles, and bot pages is a real danger as well.

On the other hand, brands who are truly successful and reputable who can afford the check marks may reap new benefits. A paid badge could result in new trust and loyalty from users and even boosts in the algorithms. If big brands see the benefit in this pricey badge and jump on board, small businesses may take a hit as many of them can’t afford the new verification.

It’s yet to be confirmed if these new paid subscriptions are truly on the horizon, but implementing paid features on social media would create seismic effects for brands, consumers, and casual users alike.

Final Thoughts

If your business or brand is verified or not, having a strong social media presence is important for consistent growth! RevLocal handles all things social media for small businesses and multi-location brands. To learn more about this service or any of our personalized digital marketing solutions, contact us for a free consultation or view our list of services.