Following Elon Musk’s abrupt move to make Twitter’s blue tick paid, Meta followed suit with a paid monthly subscription for Facebook and Instagram. This change comes with the promise of premium benefits for users. It has been met with mixed feelings and not everyone’s on board.
And then, Zuckerberg went from following in Musk’s footsteps to challenging him with the new addition, ‘Threads’. Some users have gone as far as to call it the ‘Twitter killer’.
In this climate of constant change in the social media sphere, digital marketers and brands now find themselves at crossroads.
Should you be investing in the paid model which could change the social media game completely or plan strategies based on things that are more concrete?
Let’s explore whether we need to get on the verification bandwagon or if it’s just another short-lived change.
How it all began
The Twitter blue tick was introduced in 2009, Facebook in 2012, and Instagram in 2014. It was reserved for accounts with several followers like celebrities, influencers, and brands. It was social proof, giving authenticity to its holders.
Before we delve deep into the pros and cons, it’s important to understand why this new change was introduced in the first place.
What has changed now for social media platforms?
Recently, the common theme that seems to pop up is the drop in revenue and layoffs happening with social media platforms. ‘Meta’s profits plunge more than 50% as ad revenue dwindles’ is the title of a blog by the Economic Times in October 2022. Obviously, Twitter is in no way doing any better with its stock prices plummeting continuously. Elon Musk acquired it with hopes of ‘saving it from bankruptcy’.
Elon Musk made the first move, followed by Meta’s Zuckerberg. Officially, Twitter Blue has been branded as an effort to combat fake accounts, bots, and spam accounts. But it’s clear that Twitter Blue and Meta Verified were introduced as an effort to generate new income and break free from the networks’ financial instability.
What is Twitter Blue and what does it offer?
Twitter Blue is a paid subscription service that was introduced by Elon Musk after he took over.
The Blue check was earlier a symbol of authenticity, given to accounts verified by Twitter, like that of celebrities and public figures. It is now within anyone’s reach with the introduction of Twitter Blue. You just need to be willing to pay.
Paid social media seems to have been a strategy that has been in consideration long before it came into effect. It had to at least have been kept on the sidelines as a potential new revenue source if things don’t look good financially.
It boasts the following features:
A verification badge with a checkmark
It comes in three colors -Golden (or Yellow), Grey, and Blue.
The gold tick is for verified companies or official business accounts, Grey for verified government accounts, and the standard blue for individuals.
Protection from impersonation
It offers extra account security with two-factor authentication via SMS or authentication apps.
Subscribers who change their profile information, including display name, profile photo, and username, will temporarily lose their blue checkmark until those changes are reviewed by Twitter.
Accounts created within the last 90 days, inactive accounts, accounts without a verified phone number, and accounts with recent changes to their profile information will not be able to subscribe to Twitter Blue.
Increased visibility
Tweets and replies from a verified Twitter Blue account will have priority across the app. This includes the search results.
Also, users are more likely to associate a verified account with authenticity and trustworthiness. Verified accounts are likely to have more interaction and followers.
Edit and Undo Tweet options
Users can edit their tweets as many times as they want within the first 30 minutes of posting.
Within one hour of posting a tweet, paying users can edit it a limited number of times with the Edit Tweet option.
Access to new and premium features
Currently paid users have access to features like custom app icons, custom navigation, longer, higher-quality video uploads, and longer Tweets.
What is Meta Verified and what does it offer?
Meta Verified, like Twitter Blue, is a paid subscription service for Facebook and Instagram.
Benefits include:
Verified badge
A blue tick mark is given to the user after they are Meta verified.
The purpose of this feature is to ensure the authenticity of your account - proof that you are who you claim to be.
Protection from impersonation
Active account monitoring that targets impersonators.
Access to support agents
Paid users have access to live chat customer support.
Real-time customer support agents are available even for the most common issues.
Exclusive Stickers and stars
You will have access to 100 stars each month to support your favorite creators.
Exclusive stickers on Facebook and Instagram Stories. Also on Facebook Reels.
Increased reach
This means that you’ll do better with the algorithm.
Improves organic visibility with increased exposure in search results, comments, and recommendations.
The cons of paid verification
When we talk about the benefits, it’s important to assess the downsides as well. At this point in time, these are the observable cons of paid social media.
People can no longer completely trust the authenticity of the Blue Tick
The previous process of awarding the blue tick was quite rigorous, including multiple layers of cross-checking. Blue Ticks used to give a sense of authenticity since it was only awarded to people who had a good following. Now, it has been turned into a status symbol and just signifies that they were ready to pay up.
It is difficult to distinguish between people who have paid for the checkmark and notable public figures now that the blue tick can be bought.
Limits on unverified accounts, especially on Twitter. This might push existing users away.
There are a lot of changes and updates happening which seems to aggressively push users towards paid subscription, such as limiting the number of Tweets that unverified users can see.
The only way to get proper security and support is to pay.
The problem arises when the most basic of functions now have a price tag on them. People are further compelled to find alternative networks as a result.
Issues related to data security
The Meta Verification process requires a government-verified ID. We are essentially handing over sensitive data and paying for its protection. This data needs to be strongly safeguarded from attackers and this poses a potential security risk.
No clear statistics for increased visibility and reach.
These two social media platforms claim to provide increased reach and visibility for paid users. But no statistics from users who have chosen to pay are currently available to support this claim.
What should you do as a business owner or marketer?
The era of selective social media presence
A seasoned digital marketer knows that it’s not about how many social media platforms you are on. Identifying the platforms that hold the target customer base is an important part of effective marketing.
In this climate where paid social media is taking over, users, brands, and businesses are likely to concentrate only on the networks that serve them best. Rather than trying to be active on all of them, chances are, they will be more selective. It is after all, no longer just a matter of time but of money as well.
Identify your audience and observe their behavior. It is so much more important now to develop platform-centric marketing strategies and curate content separately catering to different social networks. There won’t be a one size fits all anymore.
Change as the change happens
As far as reach and visibility go, the jury is still out on whether a verified account is actually getting more visibility.
It’s worth a shot to try out the paid versions, or research as much as you can to understand their scope. If it’s here to stay, it’s better to know what you are stepping into. The focal point should be whether it works for you as a marketer or a business owner.
As always the budget and expected ROI is an important factors to consider as well. It’s best to understand it before investing heavily.
Understand features and use them effectively
Twitter’s affiliate badge allows anyone who is involved with your organization to represent it on Twitter. A small image of the company’s profile photo from their Twitter account is displayed next to the affiliate's name whenever they Tweet, DM someone, or come up in a search. This can be utilized to extend reach if deployed effectively.
Since this change is still in its infancy, more features are likely to show up. This is where strategic marketing moves can put you ahead.
The recurring theme here is that businesses may need to put in a little extra work, but it is likely to be worthwhile going forward. After all, early adopters of some marketing trends have sometimes struck gold, when they keep up.
Let us know your take on this new change.
FAQs
Why do the verification ticks on Twitter appear yellow on some pages?
Twitter has rolled out a grey tick verification mark for government-related accounts and a golden tick mark for companies. The other verified accounts will retain a blue tick mark.
What is a legacy verified Twitter account?
A legacy verified Twitter account is an account that was verified before Twitter changed its verification policies in April 2023.
What is an affiliate Twitter account?
Organizations can connect any Twitter account that represents them as an affiliate. An affiliated account will be verified (with either a blue, gold, or grey checkmark) and will have an affiliate badge next to its checkmark. This badge is a small image of the parent organization's profile picture. Clicking or tapping on the badge will take a user directly to the affiliated organization's Twitter profile. This is a great way to drive followers from your entire Twitter network to the affiliated organization.
Do you have to separately verify Facebook and Instagram?
Even if your Facebook page is verified, you still need to apply separately for a verified badge on Instagram. If you don't have a verified badge on Instagram, you can link to your Instagram profile from your official Facebook page to show that you are authentic.
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