The well-known, blue, checkmark that has been a badge of authenticity for years now on social media has held a symbolic meaning of influence for most of us. I'm writing this article to humanize the real meaning of the Meta Verified Badge so people don't feel inferior to those who simply pay for it. I've directly linked Meta's Verified landing page here explaining their subscription package and how it no longer requires accounts to hold "unique" qualities or standard of fame.
Is that the true meaning of the Meta Verified Badge? I'm here to break it to you; it doesn't represent the elite exclusivity you think it does.
#letsnormalize Meta Verified Badges to balance the social media grounds a bit for those who don't want to, or cannot afford to, pay for monthly verified subscriptions. That's all it is! Watch my latest post on social media to discover 3 easy, reasonable ways to budget for Meta, monthly!
Read more to dig into the meaning behind verified badges on Meta, the beneficial reasons to pay for the subscription perks, and why it feels important to humanize.
Personal Reason(s) For Verifying
Look, I have paid for a Meta Verified Badge for months now, so this article is not to bash anyone who has the blue checkmark or call out any accounts for wanting to "stand out". That's also why Meta piloted this subscription, to support content creators and brand authenticity! Through time, the badge has grown more accessible for all users.
A personal analogy I created while reflecting on this topic symbolizes almost perfectly what I hypothesize will happen with verified accounts moving forward. Have you ever heard of Dr. Seuss' book, The Sneetches?
Ashley's Meta-Sneetch Theory (Dr. Seuss)
I view verified Meta badges similarly to the different power dynamics between the star-bellied and plain-bellied Sneetches in the story. An entrepreneur notices earning potential and creates a machine to normalize the vast social gap by selling a printing service for Sneetches wanting access to stars on their bellies. This essentially balances out the superiority and inferiority dynamic in their Seuss society. Eventually, this develops into a back-and-forth flip-flop mess between the biologically star-bellied and plain-bellied Sneetches. The original star-bellied Sneetches quickly realize that, by the plain-bellied Sneetches getting access to also having stars, they no longer received the benefits from their superior statuses in their Sneetch society.
In this story, eventually all Sneetches become different and surrender to this to coexist together, and the entrepreneur walks away rolling in cash. In our society, inevitably there will potentially be another social divider for those on top to stay on top. What this Meta subscription does is create another revenue stream for Meta, as users wanting to be the star-bellied Sneetches of our society pays to have that blue checkmark by their names to feel special and powerful. For now, sorry to break it to you, you're paying for a package of beneficial services to protect your (now mandatory) public account and unfortunately not a star bellied Sneetch status, afterall.
The reason I bring in my Meta-Sneetch theory is because this, right here, is the reason I feel normalizing this badge is important.
Straightforward, Meta is the entrepreneur rolling in cash, we are all Sneetches, and the badge is the star originating from high profile accounts wanting the initial divide. It is simply a Meta upsell method and a very intelligent financial strategy!
It doesn't make anyone better or more superior in the slightest, just very well-protected and proven to be the real "them" and not a duplicate, bot, or fake account. Both very valid reasons to pay monthly for the subscription! That's solely why you do not see every single influencer on Instagram repping a verified badge. Why would they pay for something if they don't have intentions on content creation or growing a brand, or need the extra account protection?
Before I knew about the true meaning of a Meta Verified Badge, I worked VERY hard to develop a genuine reason to have the badge to protect my brand due to a number of fake and hacked account situations during the pandemic (surprise, surprise!). Let's just say I had to apologize for the actions of others to some very uncomfortable people I never intended to reach out to. Finding quick and accessible support was another barrier to solving this issue.
That is until I subscribed to Meta Verified and became protected with immediate access to their support team! This is a huge benefit. However, I've always avoided the topic of my verified account with others because I can feel them applying a superior meaning to it. I face these situations with humility and now, I feel true meaning behind the Meta Verified Badge officially releases my discomfort since it truly is accessible to all accounts.
Rember, you can have 200, 4,000, 14K, or 2M followers and, as long as you have a public account and government identification to submit for approval along with a credit card to pay for the onset of your subscription, you can choose to have a Meta Verified checkmark next to your name within 30 days!
The Meaning of the Meta-Verified Badge
The Meta Verified Badge is simply a paid subscription package. That's it! It represents authentic accounts the creator chose to pay money, monthly to prove it. Ultimately, Meta wanted to test the benefits of having an open option for creators to subscribe to boost brand awareness, trust, and security so duplicated, fake accounts don't harm their business and image.
Read more about the Meta Verified Subscription test on their direct blog, here.
Here's the kicker; there isn't a numerical requirement of total followers needed for accounts to be approved for Meta verification!
What you do need to do is decide on whether or not your goal is to keep your account public. Switching too many times from private to public will eventually lose your badge, as it seems a bit fishy under the #pov of Meta security.
Nowadays, with how invested people are in social media, having a Meta Verified Badge is rather common if you can afford it.
Benefits of Paying For Meta Verified Subscription
The monthly Meta Verified Badge subscription is $14.99 per month. This is about as average as paying for a streaming service. Check out my social media for 3 ways to budget, monthly, to afford a badge!
So obviously there are benefits to subscribing. The low price for the services you're receiving is truthfully great! Not only is your account authentic to those looking at your brand, but you now receive quick access to Meta account support representatives and layers of deep protection from hackers and other security risks.
Other than that, there isn't any social division, fame, fortune, etc., so if that is what you're going for, the blue checkmark isn't going to impress many at this point in time; however, they'll know you are actually you and you get great service from Meta!
So, Why Normalize Meta Verified Accounts?
Let's normalize that a Meta Verified Account is no different from any other account, besides being public and paid for. These are all active choices made by account owners, so if you feel negative thoughts flood your mind about being inferior to anyone with a blue check next to their name, read this article again.
Read this article as many times as you need to in order to tend to any mental health needs from placing too much meaning on something you've been able to pay for and have access to for months now.
My goal in normalizing the Meta Verified badge is to:
Alleviate negative self-talk people may experience thinking they couldn't have the badge and therefore are inferior (not true at all).
Diminish the competitive nature of people having the badge to tend to their own insecurities or lower self-esteem #letsnormalizethat being a vulnerable alterior motive in a lot of cases.
Level the social media hierarchy that formulated from the original meaning behind the Meta Verified Badge, as it has developed into almost an entirely different meaning.
Honestly spread the word on Meta's amazing service and provide information for you to #takebackyourpower and choose to finally become Meta Verified, because now you really, truly can!
In conclusion...
Meta made Meta Verified Badges accessible, so if you'd like to pay for you rmonthly subsription and become approved right now, do it! Let's normalize that there will inevitably be a slight felt confidence and self-esteem boost, so if you can afford it safely then I say itch that scratch with that blue checkmark!
The prior requirements no longer exist, so get used to people you never thought would have one suddenly appear Meta Verified and think nothing of it except that it is their real account and they pay for you to know that and be protected. The only thing diving people a this point is choosing to pay $14.99 a month, or not.
Ultimately, I love that this is happening right now because our mental health needs some power leveling in this society! Be prepared for another symbol to develop, that's how our capitalistic society works and you get to choose the meaning you make of it in your life.
Author: Ashley Lynn Simon, MS, NASM PT | Founder of LNT
What was I listening to while writing this post?
Honestly, I was listening to my boyfriend snoring on the couch next to my cat and I while a YouTube video of basketball highlights played in the background...
Kommentare