Looking to learn how to get verified on YouTube? Wondering what the benefits are of getting that little grey checkmark? If so, you’re in good company, and you’ve definitely come to the right place. In order to qualify for a YouTube verification badge, you need to prove your credibility and value to YouTube.
Something that takes time and effort to pull off but is essential for any creator, brand, or entity looking to make money on YouTube. Sadly, there are no shortcuts to fame and fortune on YouTube.
Nor is it possible to buy your way to the top or use any combination of ‘hacks’ to make things happen. Getting verified on the world’s number-one video sharing platform isn’t easy. But it’s something you can accomplish if you’re willing to put in the work.
What is YouTube Verification?
YouTube verification confirms that the channel in question is run by an established, reputable, and credible creator. For business users, verification confirms your channel is the official channel run by your actual brand or business. It is an essential mark of authenticity and credibility, telling the world that your YouTube channel is legit.
Making an effort to verify your YouTube account, therefore, comes highly recommended. Where a YouTube channel is unverified, there are no assurances it is being run by whoever claims to be running it. It could be a fake channel, a cloned channel, or a tribute channel – all resulting in stolen traffic and sales for the original channel.
Being verified on YouTube does not pave the way for any specific perks or privileges. It is simply the quintessential badge of honor for your channel, indicating you are who you say you are. At which point, every YouTube video you publish carries significantly more weight and value.
YouTube Verification Badge vs. Verified Account
Is YouTube account verification the same as getting your channel verified? The answer is no – they’re completely different. Verifying your YouTube account is not the same as verifying your channel, as the two processes serve very different purposes.
YouTube Account Verification
When first opening an account on YouTube, you will be asked to verify your account. You will be prompted to submit your phone number, after which a verification code will be sent to you by SMS. Upon entering this code, you confirm to the platform that you are not a bot but an actual human being.
After verifying your account, you will be able to upload longer videos, broadcast live, create your own custom thumbnails, and more. Hence, you cannot set up or run a successful YouTube channel without first verifying your account.
The YouTube Verification Badge
With the YouTube verification badge, you’re able to showcase yourself (and your content) as something special. This little grey checkmark is an important mark of authenticity, which is only handed out to those who earn it. As YouTube explains in its own words:
If a channel is verified, it’s the official channel of a creator, artist, company, or public figure. Verified channels help distinguish official channels from other channels with similar names on YouTube.
Earning the verification badge is about more than simply confirming you are who you say you are. It’s an ongoing process of showing YouTube you’re worthy of one of the platform’s most coveted accolades. Again, one that could make a huge difference to the way your channel and your content are perceived.
Why Get Verified on YouTube?
Getting verified on YouTube helps you stand out from the crowd as an authentic, credible, and established creator. It tells the world they are looking at your official channel and confirms your content is legit. As channel verification has to be earned through hard work and commitment, it indicates someone who takes their activities on YouTube seriously.
Fake channels – often branded as tribute channels – can cause nothing but headaches for those they impersonate. Millions of YouTube channels are set up each month for the sole purpose of stealing traffic and revenues from other creators. Unless your official channel features the grey checkmark, nobody knows which channel is the genuine article.
But even if people aren’t attempting to steal your traffic or revenues, it’s still worth working towards verification. With this simple badge of honor in place, the credibility, and appeal of your content skyrockets.
What Are the Requirements for Getting Verified On YouTube?
In order to qualify for verification on YouTube, you need at least 100,000 subscribers. In addition, you need to run an active YouTube channel and publish quality content on a regular basis. At this point, you can apply for verification.
Previously, the only requirement to qualify for verification was having 100k subscribers or more. But as YouTube reached a conclusion this was too easy to accomplish, they extended the criteria in October 2019.
Now, according to YouTube, a channel must meet the three specific requirements below to receive verification:
- Have at least 100,000 subscribers.
- Be authentic, which means you need to be the person, business, or brand you say you are.
- Be complete, which means making your channel available publicly, regularly publishing quality content, and completing all aspects of your channel page.
Either way, YouTube will always have the final say in who qualifies and who doesn’t. Fulfilling each of these requirements doesn’t guarantee verification – it simply gives you the right to apply.
Is There Any Shortcut to Getting YouTube Verification?
Sadly not – shortcuts and hacks to YouTube verification don’t exist. Worse still, any attempt to cheat the system could result in action being taken against you. The only way to achieve verification on YouTube is to earn it.
Of course, this doesn’t prevent spammers and scam artists from doing their bidding all over the web. Some of them will ‘guarantee’ fast verification for payment, while others claim to have cracked the code to make things happen overnight.
In all instances, you’re looking at a scam that could do more harm than good. Complying with YouTube’s published guidelines is a prerequisite for verification – blatantly breaking them is the last thing you should be doing.
How to Get Verified on YouTube?
Getting verified on YouTube is a two-step process. You first need to fulfill YouTube’s channel verification criteria (including 100,000+ followers) and then complete the online application form. Here’s a breakdown of how to apply for verification in a little more detail:
1. Head to Google’s Support Page
Use the link below to access the Google support page with the verification application form:
https://support.google.com/youtube/answer/3046484?hl=en
In the Apply for channel verification section, click on “Apply Now” to activate the application form. If you do not currently meet Google’s eligibility requirements for verification, you will be presented with a message informing you as such. Otherwise, you will be taken to the application form after clicking Apply Now.
2. Fill in the Form
Complete the application form as instructed, which involves entering your “Channel Name” and “Channel ID.” If you are not sure what your channel ID is, you can find it by heading into your YouTube account before going into Settings and Advanced Settings. Your channel ID will be clearly displayed in the information on the screen.
After you have entered this information, simply hit the “Submit” button, and you will receive confirmation of your application’s submission. It’s then simply a case of waiting for Google to make its decision, which can take anything from a few days to several weeks.
Don’t be tempted to chase them up in the meantime, as it never works. But if you’ve still not received a response several weeks after applying, feel free to reach out to Google with a request for an update.
How to Improve YouTube Verification Chances?
After you submit your application, YouTube will keep a close eye on your channel for some time. They’ll be watching everything you do and tracking your activity, so you need to show them you’re worthy of verification. Specifically, improving your chances of verification (before and after applying) can be accomplished in three ways:
1. Create Quality Content
Nothing matters more than the quality of the content you produce. This is the main thing YouTube will examine when considering your application for verification.
Not only does your output need to be of the highest quality, but it also needs to be regular and consistent. Publish new videos of genuine quality, value, and relevance on a regular basis, and you’re sure to qualify.
2. Build a Recognisable Brand
Making every effort to build brand recognition on YouTube can also help. If it’s clear you are a standout name in your niche with an established track record, you’re golden. YouTube is far more likely to grant verification to those who have already established their credibility, authenticity, and appeal on the platform.
3. Engage with Audience
Being active and building a strong brand image is about more than publishing quality content. It’s also about engagement and interaction with your target audience. YouTube expects to see evidence of continuous engagement, communication, and interaction between creators and their target audiences.
Subscribe to their channels, watch their videos, leave likes, write comments, share their videos, promote them and make every effort to engage them.
How to Stay Verified on YouTube?
In order to stay verified on YouTube, you need to ensure your full compliance with YouTube’s community guidelines and terms of service. Break the rules at any time, and it could cost you your verification badge, with little hope of claiming it back.
After the verification has been granted, YouTube takes a step back from monitoring a channel’s output. Having proven your credibility, authenticity, and value, you’ve earned the right to showcase yourself as the real deal. In which case, Google will no longer be watching your every move.
However, violations of the platform’s community guidelines will not be tolerated. It’s also prohibited to change the name of your channel, which will result in the automatic loss of your verification badge. To hold onto your little grey checkmark indefinitely, keep putting out quality content and ensure you play by the rules at all times.
Conclusion
Is it easy to achieve channel verification on YouTube? No. Is there a way of speeding up the process or buying verification? No. Is YouTube verification worthwhile? Absolutely, and in a very big way.
Verification on YouTube adds priceless credibility, authenticity, and appeal to your channel. It strengthens the message of every video you publish and helps you stand out from the crowd. However long it takes you to fulfill the qualification criteria, the rewards more than justify the effort.
Just be mindful of the fact that 100,000 followers alone will not automatically grant you verification. You still need to show YouTube you’re worthy of being verified, which will be established on the quality of your content.
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