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ByFull Bio
Brian T. Edmondson was the online business expert for The Balance Small Business. He also covered topics on bitcoin and cryptocurrency for The Balance.
Updated January 04, 2018
It’s no secret. If you have a business these days, you need to be on Facebook. In many ways, if you’re not on Facebook you’re invisible.
With more than two billion users worldwide, and more than 200 million in the United States alone, this social network’s reach is unprecedented and its usefulness to businesspeople like you as a marketing tool is vast.
People are checking Facebook on their phones, tablets, and computers… at home, at work… and they’re not just keeping up with family and friends or watching funny videos.
Your customers expect to be able to get more information about your business and its products and services on the social network. They want to check out comments from other customers… and even communicate with you directly.
If you don’t join the conversation, you could be losing money.
So you need a Facebook business page, which is different than a personal page. To keep your audience (that’s potential customers) engaged enough so that they start following you (so your content shows up in their News Feed), there are some basic best practices you should follow: post regularly and often, post photos and videos, share useful and interesting information, post special offers and deals… and if a visitor comments or asks a question—be sure to respond.
Facebook makes it easy to market through the platform in this way. And it’s free.
But that’s just the first step to using Facebook as an effective marketing tool for your business.
There’s one more way to add “legitimacy” and increase trust among prospects and customers so that they patronize your Facebook page and also take action like buying your products and services. That’s why I’m going to show you how to get verified on Facebook. It’s not strictly necessary. But it can really come in handy to grow your business.
You may have seen verified pages before. For public figures, media companies, and “global brands” like Coca-Cola, it’s a blue checkmark next to the page name. Some people who are “Internet famous” are also eligible for the blue checkmark.
For small and local businesses, it’s a gray checkmark. Blue checkmarks, which are harder to get, are generally not available to small businesses. To go blue you generally have to be very well-known already have a lot of followers. In those cases, Facebook will automatically extend the blue checkmark.
Be wary of anybody you find online who says they can get you blue checkmark—Facebook is very selective and they’re not just handing them out. There are no “tricks” that work.
By being verified, customers will know you’re the real deal and they’ll be more confident in dealing with you. It also helps if there are businesses with similar names to yours or if somebody has set up an unofficial fan page to your business. When you get verified, prospects and customers will know you are the actual business—it’s official.
Another bonus benefit: being verified helps you page rank higher in the Facebook and Google search results. This means it’s easier for people to find your business.
The great news if you’re wondering how to get verified on Facebook it’s a painless process… an easy way to increase your credibility. There’s no need to hire a consultant or other provider to get this done. You can go through the whole process yourself in minutes.
Before you officially apply for your grey verified checkmark, there should be a few things in place first. This is vital in learning how to get verified on Facebook:
- You must be classified as a local business, company or organization
- You must have a profile photo
- You must have a cover photo
It also helps to have your page “in order,” so to speak. Make sure it accurately represents your business. It should be professional and the content should match your brand. No political posts or personal posts, for example. A handy tip here is to look at your Facebook through the eyes of a potential customer. Does it look professional?
Also, make sure all the business information on your page is up-to-date, including your website address, email address, description, and bio. You should also fill in the sections on your page’s About section, like address, phone number, mission statement, social media accounts, and company overview.
Bottom line: you can’t have a slap-dash page; it has to complete and comprehensive. You’ll want to do that anyway as it inspires trust in customers.
Once you’ve completed those steps, the administrator of the page, logged in as the admin, can go to “Settings” at the top right of the Facebook page. Then go to “General” and then “Page Verification,” which will be set at “Page is not verified.” Just click “Verify this page” and then click “Get Started.” It’s important to note that not all pages are eligible for verification. If your page is not – you won’t see the appropriate options.
You’ll then asked to submit some information about your business:
- A publicly-listed phone number for your business
- Your country
- Your language
If you don’t want to provide your phone number—or don’t have one—you can provide other documentation that shows your business is “real.” This could be a utility or phone bill that goes to your business address, for example, or a business license.
It’s important to know that Facebook only uses this information and documentation in their review process. They won’t show up on your Facebook page or be used for any other reason!
When you enter your phone number you click on “Call Me Now” and Facebook will then send you a four-digit verification code. You simply enter the code and you’re done.
If you’re using business documentation, you click on “Verify this Page with documents instead.” You’ll have to upload a photo of your document—make sure the full business name and address are clear and visible.
You should be verified a few days later after Facebook verifies your information via public records.
Please note that if you have multiple locations for your business, you can get gray checkmarks for each one following the same process.
If you’ve been wondering how to get verified by Facebook, now you’re all set. It’s a quick and easy process, with loads of benefits for your business… so why not get started now?