Verification on any social media platform can give you a real performance boost. Pinterest is no exception, where that subtle red checkmark can make all the difference. But how do you get verified on Pinterest in the first place, and is it something anyone can do? The truth is, there are no specific restrictions on who can verify their Pinterest profile.
Businesses, celebrities, brands, or media companies can all apply for verification. That said, you do need to be registered as a business account user on Pinterest before applying for verification. Other than this, verifying a Pinterest page is actually quite straightforward.
Either way, it is something that is definitely worth doing. More than simply a badge of honor, the Pinterest verification badge indicates a trustworthy source of genuine quality and value. Something that could make all the difference to your performance on Pinterest without costing you a penny.
What is Pinterest Verification?
Pinterest verification is similar to verification on all comparable social platforms, like Facebook or Instagram. When you become verified on Pinterest, you get a small red symbol next to your account name. In addition, you are also able to include a URL to your primary website on your Pinterest profile.
The red verification symbol is there to indicate you are who you say you are. Meanwhile, the URL makes it much easier for people to find your website, resulting in more traffic being channeled to your home page. But aside from these two fairly obvious benefits, there are several other major advantages that accompany verification on Pinterest.
Why Get Verified On Pinterest?
The verified badge next to your name is there to show other Pinterest users that you are who you say you are. When a business, a brand, a celebrity, or anyone else is verified, you know you’re looking at them – not a tribute page, an imitator, or a copycat.
More importantly, verification makes a huge difference to the way your profile and your content are perceived by your target audience. Upon achieving Pinterest verification, you instantly (and permanently) benefit from the following:
1. Increased Visibility
Pinterest automatically shows a preference for content and creators that are verified. This means that upon achieving verification, your content becomes much easier to find using the platform’s search engine. Visibility is everything on platforms like Pinterest, where there are tens of millions of publishers all competing for the same attention.
2. More Engagement
As touched upon above, verification also has a direct impact on how your content is perceived by others. Posts that originate from verified sources are naturally seen as more authoritative, credible, and worth checking out than those from unverified sources.
Hence, verification can be a great way to transform the way your content is perceived by your target audience and drive more engagement, which can increase your chances of making money on Pinterest.
3. Drive More Traffic to Your Website
The simple addition of a URL to your website – right there on your profile – really can make a huge difference. On platforms like Pinterest, your job is to make it as easy as you can for people to find your website and take action. By presenting them with a URL in the most visible location possible, you stand to drive a steady stream of traffic to your website.
4. Improve Your Brand Image
Credibility is everything on platforms like Pinterest, where standing out from the crowd in the first place can be difficult. Again, the Pinterest verification badge is more than a basic badge of honor.
It shows the world you are who you say you are while at the same time adding credibility and authority to your output. If using Pinterest for branding, marketing, or business purposes of any kind, verification should be considered mandatory.
5. Increase Followers
Last but not least, you’re also far more likely to increase new followers to sign up once your account is verified. Pinterest users want to know that when they follow a person or a business, they’re following the right account.
Something that can only be verified by checking for the verification mark, which is, therefore, something you need. Plus, the fact that it doesn’t cost anything to obtain makes it a no-brainer.
How to Get Verified on Pinterest?
There’s a small amount of effort involved in getting verified on Pinterest, but the whole process is pretty simple. Again, there are no specific criteria that need to be fulfilled for verification, and nor is it something you need to pay for. Instead, it’s simply a case of following the basic steps outlined below and awaiting a decision from the Pinterest team:
1. Make Sure You Have a Business Account
You will need to set up a business account before applying for verification, which costs nothing and can be done by any brand or business. Pinterest allows its users to link up to four business profiles to their personal accounts, and you can switch between your accounts at the touch of a button after setting them up.
- Click on the three dots in the top corner of the screen and choose the “Add a free Business Account”option.
- Click “Get Started” and follow the on-screen instructions, which involve entering the URL of your website, your preferred language, your region, your language, and so on.
After which, Pinterest asks you to “Describe Your Brand” by providing a list of options as follows:
- I’m not sure
- Blogger
- Consumer Good, Product, or Service
- Contractor or Service Provider (e.g., wedding photographer, interior designer, real estate, etc.)
- Influencer, Public Figure, or Celebrity
- Local Retail Store or Local Service (e.g., restaurant, hair & beauty salon, yoga studio, travel agency, etc.)
- Online Retail or Marketplace (e.g., Shopify store, Etsy shop, etc.)
- Publisher or Media
- Other
Pinterest will then ask you whether you plan on advertising on Pinterest, but this is not something you need to commit to right away. You can simply choose the “I’m Not Sure Yet” option and consider whether paid advertising on Pinterest is for you at a later date.
2. Claim Your Website
The next step is to claim your website on Pinterest, which can be done by entering the “Settings” menu in your business account, then heading to “Edit Profile” and choosing claim Enter the URL of your website (very carefully) in the box and press the “Claim” button.
After which, Pinterest will present you with two options regarding how you can claim your website, as follows:
- Claim your website by pasting an “HTML Tag into the section of your site’s index.html file”
- Claim your website by “Downloading” a file and uploading it to your website’s root directory
Both of which are fairly straightforward, but it is at this point that you can contact Pinterest directly if you need further support. However, the first of the two options is technically the simplest, and Pinterest has created a dedicated page to guide people who use Big Cartel, Bluehost, GoDaddy, Squarespace, and similar platforms through the process.
3. Submit Your Request
After claiming your website, you simply need to hit the “Submit” button, and your application will be sent to the team at Pinterest. You will then receive a message stating that Pinterest will check your application and get back to you within the next 24 hours.
This is usually the case, as most requests for verification prompt response the next working day. However, it can take a little longer for Pinterest to process requests and respond, depending on how many people are applying for verification at the time.
Give things a day or two, after which you can always reach out to Pinterest directly if you don’t hear from them. While it’s not impossible for a request for verification to be denied, you’re almost guaranteed to receive the verification badge if you are indeed who you say you are.
Conclusion
Verification on Pinterest differs from the norm in that it is a comprehensively straightforward process. In addition, Pinterest does not hand out verification based on a long list of complex and demanding performance measures.
Instead, anyone looking to confirm to the world that they are who they say they are can apply for verification. Any brand, business, celebrity, or individual who wants to add credibility and appeal to their output can do just that. Again, don’t be put off by the fact that you need to set up a business account to qualify for verification.
This is something anyone with a legit business website can do and is a process that takes just a few minutes to complete. Verification brings instant and permanent appeal to everything you put out on Instagram. Given the fact that it’s easy to do and free of charge, it’s something every serious Pinterest user should do.
