Melanie
Welcome to the Monday Morning Marketing podcast for all decision makers and action takers. Take it away, Esther.
Esther
And welcome back to another episode of the Monday Morning Marketing podcast. Today we're talking about getting verified on social media. Is it really worth it? Now, this is something that has been around for years, the whole verification process. It has changed a lot over the last few years. And obviously, with new platforms come new rules and regulations. But we're just going to cover a few of the basics of what it is, what it means, and how to do it. So Melanie, you have a couple of verified platforms, don't you?
Melanie
I do.
Esther
So tell us which ones they are.
Melanie
I'm verified on Meta, so on Facebook and Instagram, and I'm also verified on X.
Esther
Okay, so we'll talk first about the X one, because that one used to be easier in a way. When it was still called Twitter, back in the good old days, not that they're bad days now, but you know what I mean. Before the takeover, before the name change and everything, being verified on Twitter X, was for personalities, celebrities, journalists, and people that had over a certain number of followers, I want to say as well. So how was it... Because you've been verified on that for years and years and years, and it was first through your journalism.
Melanie
Yeah, that's right.
Esther
That you became verified. And we know our friend Samantha Kelly, Tweeting Goddess, got verified because of the number of followers that she has over there. So what changed apart from the ownership?
Melanie
Well, that was the reason. Everybody lost their verification when it was taken over. It didn't happen immediately, but it did happen over time. Elon Musk said it was important that the right people were being given verification, and he saw it as a monetary model, which I can see now, looking Coming back makes a lot of sense.
Esther
So now it's a paid-for model, and anybody can pay for it and get the blue tick.
Melanie
Yeah. Because that's effectively what it is. Now you get the check. Yeah, now you get the checkmark and you get verified. A., it makes sure that you're saying who you are. You're not claiming to be somebody you're not, so I'm not putting myself out as the next lady gaga or something like that. So I can see the point in that. But because you're also paying for it, you get extra protections and you get, apparently, more visibility, different access to special features, that sort of thing.
Esther
And do you get less ads thrown at you? Or is that a different thing?
Melanie
You do. You do get less ads.
Esther
Maybe I should pay for verification. Is it a simple process? Is it, again, just pay and go? Or do you have to prove you've, with identification or anything, that you are who you say you are?
Melanie
Gosh, you got me on the spot here. I can't remember. I've got it a couple of years now. Now it just rolls over. So I believe I did. Yeah, I believe I did the first time, but no, I can't remember.
Esther
And one of the other things I think you get with verification is, or maybe it's a different payment or membership model with Twitter is it? Sorry, X. You get longer posts, you get to write much longer than the 280 characters that the rest of us are starting.
Melanie
You can do blog posts in there now. You can add videos and images is. You can schedule just like you can with the free model. But you do get a heck of a lot more space to post. And as I said, you apparently reach a much larger audience.
Esther
Okay. You say that, apparently. Do you not notice?
Melanie
Well, I've never lived in a world where I wasn't verified. But I found the overall reach. For me, personally has dropped significantly, and I've lost a lot of followers as well.
Esther
Okay. But could that have been with them going to a different platform rather than you being verified?
Melanie
Yeah, there's several reasons, potentially. Now, some of them are good and some of them are bad. The good part is Elon Musk made it a big deal that he was going to get rid of all the bots and all the people that shouldn't be there. And that's good. But it wasn't overnight. It wasn't like I lost 500 one day and then 300 the next day or anything like that. It was a drop off, slow. Occasionally, there'd be a wipe and I'd lose 200 in one go, 300 in one go, and that would be the bots, completely happy to let them go. But I think some of it is down to people moving to other platforms. That could be because They don't enjoy their time on X anymore, or it could be all their friends and family have moved over to a different platform, or even their audience has moved over to a different platform. So who That's the only downside is it's very difficult to get decent statistics as to why people are leaving your platform. However, the statistics are still extremely good.
Esther
That's a positive then.
Melanie
Yes.
Esther
So moving over to Meta, Facebook and Instagram, have you always been verified over there?
Melanie
I have been for nearly three years now. I've been told by a couple of people who are in the know that it doesn't actually help as much as you would like it to. I mean, you do get access to help faster and support, apparently, but they can't help with everything. So do you remember when we were over in the US and we went to Mari Smith's Boot Camp? We met a lady there who had experienced a quite severe hacking. And she found that She got very little support from Meta, which was quite disconcerting because I'm paying this premium every month.
Esther
For our audience, is it a Is it not that you have to pay or is it relative?
Melanie
It's pretty expensive, I'd say. I pay €25 a month for it.
Esther
To not receive the help then that you need at the end of the day, is it really worth it?
Melanie
Now, that's just for the personal one, by the way, because you can do a personal one or you can do a business one. So it's only Melanie Boylan that's got the checkmark, the verification mark, not STOMP Social Media Training.
Esther
Okay, so you've always paid for that one. That one's never had the free model.
Melanie
We say always because it sounds awful.
Esther
No, no, but since you got it. When When we were saying about Twitter and X, it used to be free and you just had to prove either you were a journalist or celebrity or have a certain number of followers. With Facebook meta, it's always been a paid model.
Melanie
Yeah.
Esther
Okay, so then we have LinkedIn verification. Now, neither one of us is verified over there on LinkedIn. But we were talking-.
Melanie
Well, so I can't get it. I'm trying to get verified.
Esther
Okay, so why can't you get verified?
Melanie
Because it won't take my passport.
Esther
Why? What type of-.
Melanie
I don't know. A British passport, it just won't take it for some reason.
Esther
But it's got the biometric little camera thing in front of it.
Melanie
I know, it just won't take it.
Esther
Really? Okay, because we also talked with our friend Louise Brogan, who is very proficient on LinkedIn, and she can't get verified because the name on her passport is different to the name she goes by, because she goes by her middle name, which has always been known as her middle name. It's not just like a celebrity thing. But her passport has her birth name, the first name as in her birth certificate. So it's interesting that some people who want to get verified can't get verified because of technical issues and other people that can't get verified because of naming issues. But do you know of anybody who's verified that thinks it's worth it or has known of an increase in anything over there?
Melanie
I think Hanna is, isn't she?
Esther
I think so. I want to say so. But does that... Okay, so we maybe need to get her on to ask her the questions, but does that help bump them up? Do you see more people on your feed that have the blue checkmark? Because it always seems to be a blue checkmark across all platforms. This is the one thing that says.
Melanie
I don't see that many people with a blue check in LinkedIn. And you and I, I'd say we would be connected to a lot of people in our industry between us. I don't see that many people with a blue checkmark.
Esther
No, and I don't see them at the top of my feed because usually you think, push out the ones with the checkmark. Because again, over in LinkedIn, it's not a monetary thing. You don't have to pay to be verified. You just have to prove that you are who you say you are through your identification. So it's one of those things that, what difference does it make? It keeps popping up in my feed. It keeps popping up to say, get verified.
Melanie
Every time I post, it says, you should be verified. I'm like, I'd love to be.
Esther
So LinkedIn, if you're listening, sort it out. But once you get verified on Facebook, then it automatically goes on to all the Meta platforms. So you're talking Threads, Instagram.
Melanie
Well, definitely Instagram. I still, to this day, at the time of recording, still don't have threads.
Esther
Oh, because you're in the EU.
No I can have-.
Oh, you can have it now? Yes.
Melanie
It's just I'm so exhausted keeping up with all my other flipping platforms. I'm not going to add another one.
Esther
Well, maybe after our recent discussion with Andy Lambert, you should consider it.
Melanie
I think I should consider a Substack after our chat with Andy Lambert.
Esther
Do you need to be verified over there? Anyway, we're getting slightly off topic, but this is just a quick podcast today to inform you that the options are there to be verified. The options are available to you, both paid options on some platforms and free options on other platforms, if you're able to meet the requirements of name and identification means. But whether or not it makes a difference is still up in the air.
Melanie
Well, that's not fair. This is just our opinion. For all we know, it could be transformative to some of you out there. So maybe this has got the conversation started. If you have a different opinion to myself or to Esther, I'd love to hear from you. So send us a DM and let us know what you think. Hey, if you've got something to add, we'll bring you on to the podcast and we'll get your opinion live on air to everybody globally. Because we've got a big global audience these days.
Esther
We do.
Melanie
We do. And don't forget, we also have an Etsy store as well. And so you can get our merch and tell other people about how wonderful and great we are.
Esther
That's it for today, guys. We'll be back next week with another episode of the Monday Morning Marketing podcast. Until then. Bye-bye.
Melanie
Bye.
