What Does It Mean to Be Verified on TikTok? [Main Benefits]

Have you ever seen a blue check mark next to a TikTok account? Then, you know you are looking at a celebrity’s or brand’s official account!

But what does it mean to be verified on TikTok exactly? Well, apart from knowing you are looking at a real person, brand, or institution, the TikTok verified symbol offers several benefits for both the account holder and casual users stumbling on such an account.

Keep on reading as we tell you all about that!

Why Do You Need the TikTok Verified Status?

Accounts eligible to get the TikTok verification mark, and even those who do not yet meet the criteria, should always strive to get the blue tick!

But why? Basically, to utilize the advantages that come with it, especially since there are no downsides to speak of, including but not limited to:

• Authenticity & Credibility—most users are reluctant to interact with a celebrity, brand, or institutional account unless they see the blue check mark since the number of impersonators, fake influencers, and scammers is steadily rising;
• Authority & Trustworthiness—to add to the previous benefit, verified accounts also come with a layer of trustworthiness that the content found on them comes from a credible thought leader, which enhances the brand authority;
• Better brand exposure—it goes without saying, but the exposure verified accounts get is much greater than standard accounts; therefore, the potential to reach TikTok’s every nook and cranny and grow organically is assured.

At the end of the day, businesses will most likely contact verified accounts with a large following for sponsorship deals since brands know that verified thought leaders can get their message across better than any other paid advertisement.

What Does It Take to Have the TikTok Verified Status?

While TikTok does not outline specific criteria to get the verified symbol, they still list the following general requirements for granting verification:

1. Authentic—the account holder must be the same unique individual represented by the account or the spokesperson of a legitimate business or institution;
2. Complete—users must have a public and fully completed account, including a bio, profile picture, at least one video, and a full name;
3. Notable—individuals must have been featured in independent news outlets without any paid press releases, sponsorships, or other media;
4. Secure—the account holders must have verified their emails and activated multi-factor authentication for login purposes;
5. Active—verification will not be granted to inactive or rarely active accounts.

Remember that TikTok does not consider the applicant’s number of likes or followers when granting a verified badge. That said, the prominence of any user or legal entity inadvertently goes hand in hand with how popular they are.

However, you can still increase your chances of getting verified by following a few sound strategies, such as posting consistently, creating viral videos, following the latest trends, interacting with diverse users, and collaborating with verified accounts.

Note: Verified accounts that repeatedly violate TikTok’s terms of service and/or community guidelines will lose their verification badge and may be banned as well.

How to Get Verified on TikTok?

If you are confident you meet the above criteria, you need to complete a few steps to submit your request for verification to the TikTok support team:

1. Turn off the ‘private account’ setting;
2. Tap on the ‘Profile’ icon at the bottom;
3. Select the hamburger settings menu on top;
4. Tap on ‘Settings and privacy’;
5. Navigate to ‘Account’ and click on ‘Verification’;
6. Follow the app’s prompts to finalize the procedure.
7. a) You are not required to pay a verification fee.

You will get the blue tick as soon as TikTok confirms that you are a notable person or brand who meets the aforementioned requirements and the platform’s community guidelines.

Note: If you transfer your account to another user or change your username and/or account type, you will lose your verification badge and will have to reapply.

Benefits of the TikTok Blue Tick For Businesses

Similar to how celebrities can reach an even greater audience and build their brand, businesses that get verified on TikTok also reap several benefits.

1. Better Brand Authority

In today’s day and age, businesses with a strong social media presence are very ahead of their competition, especially on platforms such as TikTok, which has close to 1 billion users. In essence, brand verification is free advertising and customer reach since verified businesses are, by default, credible, authentic, and reputable.

2. Better Communication

Verified businesses are open to reaching out and communicating with their followers. Therefore, instead of going through official channels when encountering an issue with a product, contact the brand via social media and get the assistance you need. In most cases, companies will help you out since there are only upsides to doing so.

3. Better Reach & Engagement

Needless to say, verified companies reach the most people on TikTok since the platform’s algorithms are designed to present such a brand’s offerings on TikTok’s ‘For You’ page, especially to users searching for a specific product for a while. Also, customers that have an issue with a product will always contact the company’s verified account.

Bottom Line

Similar to the verified symbol on other platforms, the TikTok blue tick is an essential feature since it indicates whether or not you are looking at a genuine brand or celebrity account. Since impersonation accounts often fool and take advantage of other users, the verification symbol effectively puts a stop to it. That said, businesses also reap several benefits if and when they get verified, from increased brand awareness to better engagement.