Is it worth becoming verified on Twitter? Since Twitter opened the verification process in 2016, some say it has taken away its desirability and status. However, Twitter has a proprietary system to evaluate which accounts should become verified and verification requests can be denied.

Before 2016 becoming a verified account on Twitter, i.e., having a “blue badge” next to your profile name, was a badge of honour. The process of becoming verified was shrouded in mystery and it could not be initiated by users themselves, no matter how many millions of followers they had.

Twitter decided that accounts of public interest should become verified, based on a number of factors, most of which were unknown.

2020 UPDATE: TWITTER CEO JACK DORSEY EXPLAINS HOW TO BECOME VERIFIED

In a 2020 interview with WIRED, Jack Dorsey, CEO of Twitter, explains how to become verified. You can find the information from 6 minutes and 30 seconds from the start of the video.

My Experience of Becoming Verified on Twitter

I discovered that someone was impersonating me on Twitter: they downloaded my profile picture and cover picture, copied and pasted my biography and pretended they were me. I was not sure why they did it, and to be honest I didn’t even want to know. I reported the fake account to twitter and it was taken down within a few hours, which was excellent.

Because of this impersonation attempt, I decided to apply to Twitter to become a verified profile, to assure my existing followers and future followers that mine was the official account.

Twitter’s policy for verified accounts mentions that, if someone is impersonating you on Twitter, you are more likely to become verified.

 

The steps needed in the verification process include:

• Emailing a scanned copy of your identity document
• Reasons why you should become verified
• Links to external websites mentioning you and/or your business.

 

You can find the full explanation here:

https://support.twitter.com/articles/20174631

Advantages and Disadvantages of Becoming Verified on Twitter

The key advantage of becoming verified is a noticeable rise in the number of followers, as the “blue badge” or “blue tick” gives a profile more credibility.

It is also easier to filter through notifications, with a clear division between mentions and followers notifications, with a separate column for verified profiles following you.

With great power comes great responsibility: it is the job of a verified profile to maintain its bio information as accurate as possible and not change it frequently or it will risk losing its verified status.

The main disadvantage of having a verified Twitter profile is that, by being more visible, it may be more prone to attack, so Twitter advises to have a two-factor authentication at login (password plus a verification code sent separately via text message).

Another disadvantage in the future will come from having most of the profiles on Twitter as verified, which will dilute the value of the verified status.

How Long Does It Take To Become Verified on Twitter?

From my initial request to the email notification from Twitter that my profile had become verified went about two weeks. Twitter will not disclose how long it takes for them to reach a decision.

Was It Worth It?

Was it worth becoming verified? In my case it definitely was, considering the previous impersonation attempt and having noticed a surge in the number of followers as a result of getting my blue tick, therefore I would be inclined to think becoming verified was a silver lining after being on Twitter for 7 years. (See also: becoming verified on Facebook).

Did You Know?

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