What is Meta Verified, and how to get started on Instagram, Facebook, and WhatsApp

Meta is rolling out its subscription model to businesses. In the next weeks, Meta Verified will start rolling out for companies in select countries. So, what is Meta Verified exactly, what are the perks, how expensive is it, how do you get a subscription, and is it even worth getting it? In this business guide, we’ll explain what you can expect and answer the most important questions. 

After Telegram and X (formerly known as Twitter), Meta has also launched a subscription model for its platforms called Meta Verified. First, it was only available for creators, but now the company has announced that it’ll also launch for businesses on Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp. 

In the next few weeks, the subscription will roll out in select countries, first for Facebook and Instagram. WhatsApp is supposed to follow later after some tests with companies on the WhatsApp Business App and the WhatsApp Business Platform. 

Meta Verified is a monthly subscription model that is meant to give creators more visibility on Facebook and Instagram. Now, Meta is expanding this to businesses as well. At first, Meta Verified will be available for businesses on Facebook and Instagram, and later on WhatsApp as well. 

According to Meta, the subscription will help companies stand out more and build more trust around their businesses for customers, assuring users that they’re talking to a legitimate company. 

Businesses can choose whether they’d like to subscribe to one subscription on a single app, or a bundled subscription across Instagram and Facebook, and in the future WhatsApp. 

Monthly subscriptions for businesses start at 21.99 US dollars per month (per Facebook page or Instagram account). If you go with a bundle for Facebook and Instagram, it’ll be 34.99 US dollars a month when purchased through a desktop.

On mobile, subscriptions are 27.99 US dollars a month per Facebook page or Instagram professional account. At this time, businesses purchasing on mobile are limited to one business asset subscription (Facebook page or Instagram pro account).

Prices for WhatsApp subscriptions haven’t been announced yet. 

With Meta Verified, businesses will gain access to a toolkit for their subscribed Facebook page, Instagram professional account, or WhatsApp phone number. This kit will include

• A verified badge confirming your business is validated and authentic (as of now, this doesn’t include the green tick on WhatsApp!)
• Proactive impersonation monitoring for added brand protection
• Access to support and help troubleshooting account issues
• New ways to be discovered:
  • On Instagram and Facebook, subscribers will be featured as a Meta Verified business, including appearing at or near the top of search results and as a recommended verified business to follow in feed.
  • WhatsApp business subscribers will receive additional premium features, including the ability to create a custom WhatsApp page that is easily discoverable via a web search, and multi-device with chat assignment support so multiple employees can respond to customers.

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In order to get access to Meta Verified, businesses have to pass a multi-step verification process and various checks before, during, and even after they subscribe. For getting a subscription on Instagram and Facebook, your business must: 

• meet eligibility requirements, including minimum tenure of Business Account and selected Facebook page / Instagram account, minimum page / account activity, and have 2FA turned on.
• be validated and applicants must verify their connection to the business with methods such as phone number, e-mail, or domain verification.

Once subscribed, all Meta Verified businesses and content must respect Meta’s terms and community guidelines. 

Important: Once verified, businesses can’t change details like their name or profile picture. If you wish to do so, it’ll require a new review of your verification. 

As Meta is still testing the WhatsApp subscription, you can’t sign up for it yet. If you also don’t see the option to get Meta Verified for Facebook or Instagram, it’s possible that the subscription hasn’t been made available yet in your country. There’s a waitlist, however, that you can join to be notified when you can get Meta Verified, both for Instagram and Facebook. 

From what we know now, Meta Verified offers some interesting perks for small businesses on Facebook and Instagram. However, they mostly relate to making a business profile easier to find and to look more trustworthy to customers. 

While that might be interesting to small companies (large brands most likely will already have the verified badge and not get a lot of benefits from the subscription), it’s unclear if businesses get access to more features on the platforms as well.

Meta says that it’ll add more features in the future. However, it’s doubtful that a subscription (package) will give you any of the scalable business features that you get with Meta’s APIs. These actually might be a better alternative for your business right now.

Meta’s application programming interfaces allow you to directly connect to Meta’s interface and set up tools such as chatbots, automated broadcasts, templates for marketing campaigns, one-on-one chats, automatic forwarding of incoming requests to certain agents, and much more. 

If you’re looking to use Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp (and maybe even other messaging apps) for your business, and are serious about scaling your business through these channels, there are already existing business solutions for this. 

Sinch Engage, for example, is an all-in-one messaging platform where you can communicate with your customers on WhatsApp, Instagram Direct, Facebook Messenger, Telegram, Apple Messages for Business, and Viber. Your customers use whatever app they prefer, while you handle all conversations through one central inbox. 

There are also many additional functionalities, such as launching campaigns on messaging apps, adding chatbots to your conversations, ChatGPT integrations, and we also help you set up your profile, and even get the verified badge (green tick) for WhatsApp! 

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