If you’ve been on TikTok very long, you’ve probably noticed the blue checkmark on some accounts. But what does that blue checkmark mean on TikTok?
The checkmark is simply an account verification badge, and it proves that the account is genuine. Verification badges confirm that the celebrity, public figure, media, or brand accounts are legitimate. Without it, you could be looking at a fake account.
Are you interested in getting verified on TikTok and earning that blue checkmark? Here are some things to consider and steps to take.
What are the benefits of getting verified on TikTok?
There are benefits to getting verified on TikTok. Getting a TikTok Verified Badge can be one of several decisive factors to your efforts on the platform.
A verified badge gives weight to your content, providing the extra edge needed to elevate your results from simply “good” to “great”. Here are some examples:
- Verification gives authority because your account becomes officially endorsed by Tiktok, strengthening your brand.
- Verification provides authenticity and credibility, elevating how users perceive your account.
- Verification demonstrates trustworthiness, which builds solid relationships among high-profile accounts and followers.
- Verification increases exposure because TikTok’s algorithms focus on verified accounts, helping increase your likes and organic follows.
Does getting verified on TikTok really matter?
TikTok verification matters. TikTok was the seventh most downloaded app of the decade between 2010 and 2019.
Verification of your TikTok account helps you take your presence and influence to the next level. Instead of blending in with the crowd, you’ll stand out in your industry.
The blue badge indicates the trustworthiness and authenticity of both the content and the person behind it. This suggests to potential fans that the content they can expect will be of consistently high quality and free of spam.
What types of accounts does TikTok verify?
You may be asking, “How do I get a blue checkmark on TikTok?”
TikTok provides verified badges to help users make informed choices about the accounts they chose to follow. A verified badge means that TikTok has confirmed the account belongs to the user it represents.
Verified badges can only be applied by TikTok and will appear in the same place every time.
TikTok considers several factors when granting a verified badge, including whether the notable account is authentic, unique, active, and – of course – adheres to TikTok’s Community Guidelines and Terms of Service.
That said, a verified badge does not imply an endorsement by TikTok.
Let’s go into more detail on each of these criteria.
What does TikTok mean by Unique when it comes to verification?
A “unique” account represents the one-of-a-kind presence of the person or business. Only one account per person or business may be verified, with exceptions for language-specific accounts. For example, @apple is a “unique” account because it represents the one and only Apple Inc.
Note that TikTok will not verify general interest accounts, such as @puppymemes, because this does not possess a sufficient level of uniqueness (it is also a meme account, which is another disqualifier).
What does TikTok mean by Active when it comes to verification?
An “active” account means you have posted at least one video. It also helps to put at least some type of caption on the videos you post, which demonstrates that you are a real account, not a bot or spammer.
What does TikTok mean by Abides By Their Terms of Use when it comes to verification?
An account that abides by TikTok’s terms of use is one that adheres to TikTok’s Community Guidelines and Terms of Service.
TikTok considers that it’s important for users to adhere to their guidelines to ensure that TikTok remains a safe, fun platform for everyone, and verified users are no exception to that.
In general, users must refrain from behaviors that involve harassment, violence, pornography, bullying, threats, and posts of a similar nature. There are also guidelines around the use of copyrights, the use of TikTok for commercial purposes, and other activities.
What Could Cause Your TikTok Verification to Be Denied?
You could apply for TikTok verification and have your request denied. Here are some reasons why this could happen:
- You violated TikTok’s Community Guidelines and Terms of Service
- You misused hashtags, spammed accounts, or posted questionable content
- Your account is not official
- Your profile is not unique, complete, or sufficiently active
- You are promoting a business that TikTok doesn’t like
- You aren’t noteworthy enough as an entity
Keep in mind that if you receive a verified badge using false or misleading information during the verification process and TikTok discovers this, it will remove your verified badge and may take additional action to disable your account.
What steps can you take to make it more likely to get verified on TikTok?
You may be wondering, “How do I get verified on TikTok in 2022?” While there are no hard and fast criteria, here are some actions you can take to help increase your odds of being granted TikTok verification.
- Consistent daily follower growth, which means accounts that are consistently gaining around 500–2,000 followers per day
- Growing watch time, which means accounts that are getting more and more views and watch time
- Media coverage, which means accounts of users who are featured in prominent and respected media platforms, such as newspapers, TV shows, and magazines, and if you have contacts in the media, it can’t hurt to leverage those
- Consistently viral content, which means accounts that are putting out content that consistently goes viral
- Consistently produce high-quality content, which means making them viral-worthy by using high-quality gear, incorporating popular music, having a good background and lighting, and using tools such as the Boosted app to make your videos look more professional
- Engage and collaborate with others by liberally following and interacting with other accounts
- Account verification on other social media platforms, which means accounts of users who are already verified on Facebook, Instagram, and/or Twitter
If you’re chasing that blue checkmark, your best option is to post consistently and engage with others on the platform.
Do you have a blue checkmark? Do you want one? Let us know about your experiences with getting verified on TikTok in the comments.
— Sean