Are you a public figure, or do you represent a company? On Facebook like on other social networks, you can request the certification of your account. Materialized by a small blue circle next to your profile name, it allows many things. Brand image, improved professional impact, etc. We explain everything to you in this content.
Facebook certification: what is it?
If you get the Facebook certificationusers of the social network will see a colorful badge displayed on your profile. In principle, this badge appears next to your profile name, in search results or at the top of your wall.
The point of certification on Facebook is to show network users that your profile is authentic and professional. In fact, to obtain Facebook certification, the social network’s teams will first verify your identity. This allows your profile to be own is no longer confused with fan pages or with usurpations.
There Facebook certification is therefore a guarantee of confidence that you give to your subscribers. She adds credit to your wordand allows grow your Facebook account faster. It also allows you to stand out first in search results, when someone enters your profile name. And finally, in the context of a business, certification reassures prospects who can discover you via your Facebook page.
It should be noted that previously, there were two distinct types of certifications. There blue certification, which has since become universal, was once awarded only to public figures. There gray certification, on the other hand, was used to distinguish company pages. However, this was removed after an update in 2019.
Conditions for obtaining the Facebook certificate
First of all, it must be remembered that having Instagram certification does not automatically lead to Facebook certification. However, we would be inclined to believe it, knowing that the two social networks belong to the Méta group. If you already have your Instagram certification, you will still need to reapply for Facebook certification. This will be the case even if your profile, or your page, is linked to your Instagram account.
To agree to award you the Facebook certificationthe social network teams are based on four criteria:
1. Authenticity
The main interest of a Facebook certification is to prove that the account holder is who they say they are. To award their certifications, the Facebook teams will therefore ask you important guarantees of authenticity. Prepare to send copies of your identity documents!
See also: Facebook live complete guide
2. Uniqueness
In addition, the platform only allows itself to certify a single page, or a single profile per personality. If you have already received a Facebook certification, you will therefore not be able to double it. One notable exception, however: Facebook can allow companies to have several certified pages in different languages.
3. Celebrity
Furthermore, Facebook does not want certify that entities with an established reputation. So, we don’t know the exact certification criteria, which are private, but we do know that Facebook relies on appearance in the media or news journals to make its decision. In addition, the platform has already taken care to specify that it does not take into account in its research promotional or advertising content purchased in the media, even large-scale ones.
Also see: Facebook advertising: the complete guide to making your first ad
4. Completeness of the profile
Finally, obtaining Facebook certification requires that your profile or page is duly completed. Recent activity must be able to be observed. A profile photo must be loaded. And the “About” section must be written.
The benefit of certification on Facebook
There are four advantages to having a Facebook certified account:
1. Authenticate your account
Firstly, when Facebook awards a certification, it acts as a trusted third party between you and your audience. The latter recognizing Facebook as a conscientious and respectable entity, it knows that the badge on your profile attests to its authenticity.
So you are who you say you are. This will have several virtues. Already, your number of subscribers will increase faster. Furthermore, if you have a business, this will allow you to attract more traffic to your website, and/orincrease conversion. And finally, this badge will prevent identity theft. The behavior of someone pretending to be you can therefore no longer be a danger to your reputation.
2. Gain credit with your audience
Second, regular Facebook users know that the platform does not verify accounts only celebrities. By obtaining a Facebook certification, you benefit from a snowball effect. The platform will agree to certify you on the condition that you have a notoriety in the media. And in return, this certification will increase your credit, so that appearing in the media becomes more obvious. As part of a Marketing strategy long term, obtaining Facebook certification therefore constitutes an essential milestone.
3. Improve your SEO on the platform
Thirdly, it must be remembered that Facebook still does get your verified accounts to the top of searches. This simple fact can result in the much faster growth of your number of subscribers.
Also see: When to post on Facebook? Best hour and day
4. Create branded content
Finally, Facebook certification allows you to create branded content. This functionality of the platform is especially useful if you do affiliate or sponsor marketing. Your partners will be able to tag you, on a post taking a specific form.
How to apply for certification
To request the Facebook certification, it is necessary to access the dedicated space on the platform. There examination procedure is slightly different depending on whether you are a personalityor that you represent a business. However, in either case, the verification of your account is done by four steps :
1. Choose the page to check
At the start of the review, Facebook will first ask you to select the type of entity you want to submit for verification. You will need to check the box corresponding to “Profile” or “Page”, depending on your situation. Optionally, a drop-down menu allows you to select the page concerned by the verification.
2. Upload information to prove your identity
Then, the Facebook form allows you to upload documents useful for verifying your identity. If you are a public figureA passport or a CNI will suffice. If you represent a company, however, you will have to post its statutes. Load sound registration with the RCS could also facilitate the examination.
3. Write a description of your community
A section of the form will then allow you to write a description of your community. Completing this section is optional, but unless you are a high-profile celebrity, we advise you to fill it out. Your description will serve as an argument to make tilt Facebook’s decision in your favor. In a few words, you can explain how you brought together a community, and what advantages your subscribers find in following you.
4. Give information attesting to your celebrity
Finally, you will need to give information attesting to your celebrity. To do this, the Facebook form gives you room to insert multiple URLs. Now is the time to bring out the best articles about you or your business, published in online media.
5. Advice to apply before wanting to be certified
To give yourself the best chance of obtaining a certified Facebook account, there are a few tips to know. First of all, you should know that Facebook verifies the engagement of each community before making a decision. Having a lot of subscribers is therefore not enough: the important thing is that they share, like and comment on your content.
Secondly, Facebook judges the accounts to be certified based on the professionalism of their page. It is therefore essential to keep your information up to datebut also take care of your profile photo and your banner photo.
If Photoshop is not your specialty, this verification may be an opportunity to request a professional agency. A professional agency will know produce aesthetic contentwith a real brand imageemphasizing the seriousness of your activity.
Finally, we must still emphasize this point: Facebook does not authorize itself to certify that famous people and entities, at least in their field of activity. Get an account Facebook certified therefore assumes that you are clearly identified in at least one online media. So, we should be able to find information about you or your business with a simple Google search.
FAQs
If your request is refusedbe aware however that the decision to Facebook is not final. In fact, the Méta social network authorizes you to resubmit a request every 30 days. In the refusal message sent to you, Facebook will undoubtedly advise you to continue to develop your public presence. As we mentioned, the notoriety is in fact one of its main verification criteria.
To make your activity sufficiently known, you can launch web communication campaigns. A professional marketing agency can even help you oversee these types of campaigns. Be careful, however, any communication operation must aim to create natural content. Indeed, Facebook excludes taking into account, for assess the notoriety of an entitythe advertising space purchased.
Yes. Like on Facebook, it is possible to obtain certifications on other social networks. Every time, the interest and the principle are the same.
On Instagram in particular, acceptance criteria are similar, knowing that this network is also part of the Méta group. So, to obtain Instagram certificationyou will need to be known outside the network, have a active and professionally maintained profile.
The same is largely true for Twitter, which relies on a similar operation. In its documentation, the network specifies that having a Wikipedia page in your nameor a search history on Google Trends, are all arguments.
As for Youtube, its rules are slightly different. On the Google video platform, the number of subscribers is actually more important than your notoriety outside the network. Besides on YouTube, do having 100,000 subscriber accounts is imperativeif only to have his request examined.