By Neil Farquharson
For years, ordinary mortals have coveted the white-check-mark-on-blue-background icon that seems to have been reserved for big brands and the ultra-famous. However, Twitter does not differentiate between superstars and ordinary mortals: instead, the icon is used to confirm that the account to which it is appended has been verified. That is, Twitter has confirmed that the person or organization posting (tweeting) to that account is the person or organization it purports to be. Hence, for example, @Oprah is under the control of the real Oprah Winfrey, and @bostonpolice really is the Boston Police Department. So if you regularly post information that is of interest to large groups of people – that is, you’re a subject matter expert of some kind – then the chances are your Twitter account could qualify for the icon.
Twitter introduced account verification in 2009 and so far, has around 187,000 verified accounts. However, according to Tina Bhatnagar, Twitter’s vice president of User Services, “We want to make it even easier for people to find creators and influencers on Twitter so it makes sense for us to let people apply for verification.” In the press release shown below, Twitter announces that it has created an online application process for Twitter accounts to receive the verified status.
To be considered, you will need to have an associated website and write a bio about yourself. This Twitter help page give more details.
If you manage a business, it is worth noting that there are a number of on-line activities that can increase you visibility, in addition to, say, Google AdWords and YouTube. To learn more about science-based Internet marketing, it is worth speaking with someone who knows how to do this effectively – a Premier Google Partner. Call us to schedule an appointment with a marketing expert.
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