Meta, the parent company of Instagram and Facebook, recently announced plans to launch their ‘Meta Verified’ subscription service, allowing users to pay a monthly fee for a verification badge and other benefits.
According to a release by Meta, the service will cost $11.99 per month if obtained through the website and $14.99 per month on iOS or Android. This feature will initially be introduced in New Zealand and Australia within days.
“This week we’re starting to roll out Meta Verified — a subscription service that lets you verify your account with a government ID, get a blue badge, get extra impersonation protection against accounts claiming to be you, and get direct access to customer support,” Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg announced. He also said that “This new feature is about increasing authenticity and security across our services.”
In addition to receiving verification, subscribers will receive extra perks including exclusive stickers for stories and reels, enhanced customer support, and recommendations in the explore page. To be eligible for Meta Verified, account owners will need to be over the age of 18 and submit photo identification that confirms the name and photos you have on Facebook and Instagram.
Meta believes that this new service will help up-and-coming digital creators grow their social media authority. “We want to make it easier for people, especially creators, to establish a presence so they can focus on building their communities on Instagram or Facebook,” the release states. Meta also shares insight into their overarching long-term goal, stating “Long term, we want to build a subscription offering that’s valuable to everyone, including creators, businesses, and our community at large.”
This new verification service is similar to Twitter’s ‘Twitter Blue’ subscription that charges a monthly fee of $7.99 for users to receive the coveted blue checkmark. It’s interesting to note that Meta’s marketing team copied Twitter’s blue checkmark color, an unoriginal move that is likely to drum up criticism. The primary difference between the subscriptions is that Meta appears to be more intent on preventing identity impersonation by requiring government ID verification. This add-on service is a sign that other social media platforms will follow suit and find ways to monetize their offerings as Twitter did through paid features.
‘Meta Verified’ won’t be available for businesses just yet, but they say it’s part of a future service’s strategy. This is noteworthy for business and nonprofits alike; the more services these and other platforms develop, the more likely it is that they will introduce even more professional, B2B features. Our hope is that the subscription service will eventually be used to help organizations optimize their search presence and provide increased opportunities for exposure and organic engagement.
Regardless of industry, whether you are in the education, nonprofit, or healthcare sector, organizations benefit from closely monitoring social platform changes and updates. Organizations should see themselves as digital creators looking to build an online community that benefits from the information they provide online. As platforms change, your strategy should, too. This will help you maintain a modern presence, strategically connect with new audiences, and keep followers and supporters engaged with relevant updates and actionable items.
Platform changes don’t have to be intimidating when you’re prepared to revamp your strategy to best fit your goals and the needs of your stakeholders. Rosica is here as a resource to keep you updated on all the digital marketing updates that you should keep an eye on. Recently, we published a complementary article about how to approach Instagram content in 2023 and utilize the Instagram story to frame your brand’s narrative.