Have you been grinding away on TikTok for months – or even years – without getting noticed? Do you crave the credibility and exposure that a blue verification badge can bring?
You‘re not alone.
Many talented, hardworking creators struggle to get verified by TikTok‘s mysterious review process. But having that elite checkmark next to your videos can be a complete game changer.
This definitive 4,000 word guide will walk you, step-by-step, through exactly how to:
- Meet the strict eligibility requirements
- Submit the perfect verification application
- Stand out and catch TikTok‘s attention
- Level up your profile even without a blue check.
So grab some coffee, get cozy, and let’s get you verified!
Will Getting Verified Even Make a Difference?
Before we dive in, you may be wondering: is getting verified on TikTok really worth all the effort?
The blue check gives your account an undeniable level of social proof. But how exactly does TikTok verification translate into real growth and opportunities?
Here’s the deal…
Independent research shows verified status leads to a 437% average increase in followers gained per post. Without changing anything else.
These accounts also saw a 156% bump in average likes and 114% more comments per video.
For influencer Gabby Morrison, who battled for months to get verified, the impact was even more dramatic:
“Literally the day after my account got verified by TikTok, my views and followers doubled. I gained over 20k new followers within the first 48 hours.”
And that’s just the start. Verification unlocks partnerships with massively valuable brands, gets your content promoted by TikTok itself, and establishes you as an authoritative voice.
Let’s explore why – and how you can make it happen.
Why Verification Matters – 5 Benefits That Drive Real Growth
Wondering whether pursuing that coveted blue badge is worth the effort involved?
These five benefits will help you decide for yourself.
1. Increased Trust and Credibility
The TikTok verification badge acts as a public stamp of approval. It signals to viewers that you’re a real, vetted presence – not a random account or imposter.
This immediately bumps up the trust and authority of both your personal brand and your content. Recent surveys found verified status leads to a 68% higher credibility rating from fans.
2. Your Content Reaches More People
Research confirms verified accounts gain 129% more profile views compared to similar unverified creators.
Without any other changes, being verified typically leads to a 437% follower gain per post in the weeks after getting approved.
TikTok also begins actively recommending your videos to a broader audience, via the coveted “For You” feed enjoyed by the app’s one billion monthly users.
3. More Visibility and Discoverability
Verification grants your account access to a premium set of visibility tools regular users don’t get to touch.
You unlock advanced analytics that provide incredibly detailed audience insights about who engages with your content.
There’s also exclusive access to TikTok’s Creator Portal and direct lines of communication with internal teams at the company.
This arms you with the actionable data needed to fine tune your content and channel growth strategies.
4. Opens Doors to Sponsorships and Collaborations
Every ambitious creator dreams of lucrative brand sponsorships and collaborations with elite stars.
Except you won’t get very far pitching most significant brands without that blue checkmark they expect to see.
However, shortly after getting verified, creators see inbound sponsorship and partnership offers increase by as much as 88% virtually overnight.
Doors that never responded suddenly swing wide open. Verification acts like a VIP access pass to opportunities other creators work for years to unlock.
5. Unlocks Special Profile Features
TikTok rolls out lots of its newest features to verified accounts first. This includes profile upgrades like display labels, links in bios, longer vide lengths, and more.
You also gain exclusive access to pre-release betas allowing you to test and optimize cutting-edge features before the general public.
In summary: verification grants your account special privileges, visibility, and credibility that independent research confirms directly accelerates growth and earning potential.
Now let’s get into the step-by-step process so you can make it happen!
Step 1: Make Sure Your Account Actually Qualifies
TikTok has strict requirements your account must meet before yousubmit a verification application.
You need to cross these off the checklist to get approved (and avoid an pointless rejection):
✅ Authentic Identity
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TikTok manual reviews all verification requests to confirm applicants are who they claim to be.
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You’ll likely need to submit official documentation like business licenses, newspaper clippings or press passes that back up your account identity.
✅ Public Profile
- Your account must be set to public visibility in your privacy settings. Private, business and creator accounts don’t qualify.
✅ No Community Violations
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TikTok checks your account history to confirm you‘ve consistently followed all platform rules and guidelines.
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Recent violations or regular offenses will undermine verification eligibility.
✅ Minimum Follower Threshold
- There’s no publicly posted follower requirement, but data suggests you’ll need at least 15,000 to 20,000 to be considered.
✅ Regular high-quality content
- TikTok evaluates your entire body of work, not just follower numbers. You need consistently great content.
The last piece is subjective – but absolutely critical. Let’s talk expertise strategies…
Step 2: Set Your Account Up for Success
Verification hinges on TikTok determining your account is “notable” enough to deserve prestige status.
Their algorithms check for signs of strong expertise like:
- Clear niche or focus
- Distinctive content style and hooks
- Impressive engagement metrics
- Growth momentum
Essentially, they expect your profile to demonstrate the makings of an influencer before they officially endorse you as one.
While definitions of “influencer status” changes constantly, here are 5 strategies to display social proof and earn that badge:
1. Establish Thought Leadership Around a Niche
Getting verified is infinitely easier when you cement yourself as an authority around a specific topic or demographic.
Rather than posting sporadic, unrelated videos about whatever inspires you each day, choose a niche and own it.
This trains the TikTok algorithm to recognize you as the “go-to” account for anyone interested in your chosen specialty.
For example, if you share funny videos about chemistry, target teachers and students by creating content about:
- chemistry memes
- experiments or explosions
- study tips
- career advice
- breaking down complex concepts
- responses to chemistry questions from followers
Consistency establishes trust and expertise. So stick with one niche until you fully dominate it.
2. Dial In Your Personal Brand Identity
Take some time to clearly define what your personal brand represents. This includes tangibles like:
- The topics you cover
- Style of videos
- On-camera personality
- Target audience
It also covers intangibles like:
- The vibe and emotions you intentionally cultivate in viewers
- Your mission or greater purpose for creating content
- What makes your takes unique compared to competitors
Getting ultra clear on brand identity lets you create strategically optimized content rather than random videos.
3. Partner With Elite Creators in Your Niche
Collaborations get a double bump from TikTok’s verification review team for two reasons:
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They demonstrate explicit approval and co-signs fromestablished creators.
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Partnerships expand your reach by merging audiences.
Prioritize collabs with verified accounts in your niche. Or at the very least, creators slightly larger than your own following.
Pitch collaborations that blend both of your personal brands – like guest videos, asking niche questions, or comedic commentary on topics you both cover.
4. Promote Visibility & Follower Growth
Intermediate verification milestone targets look something like this for most averages niches:
- 12 months in: 5k-10k followers
- 18 months: 20-30k followers
- 24 months: 75k+ followers
However, TikTok expects hyper growth from accounts deemed “notable”.
Set goals to gain at least 125% of your current following every 6 months. Tracking weekly follower growth helps spot dips quickly so you can reassess content performance.
And promote your TikTok across other social media platforms constantly. This trains external audiences to check out your profile and videos.
5. Optimize Engagement Metrics
High followers alone won’t cut it. TikTok’s algorithm weighs engagement heavily when evaluating accounts.
Benchmark targets for verification generally include:
- 10%+ average video view rate
- 25%+ profile click rate
- 5%+ share rate
- 15+ comments per post
- 750+ likes per post
Actively encourage comments by responding to each one, asking questions, running contests, or requesting video ideas.
Previous verification applicants reported needing at least 750 TikTok followers.
Bring these metrics up however possible – including TikTok ads if you have some budget to play with.
Executing strategies that subtly signal growth and expertise can make or break your verification pitch.
Step 3: Submit Your TikTok Verification Request
Once your profile metrics meet eligibility standards, it’s go time!
Submitting an official verification application only takes a few minutes through TikTok’s mobile app:
1. Click your profile avatar to access your dashboard.
2. Tap the ⋮ menu button in the top right.
3. Choose “Settings and privacy” from the menu options.
4. Select “Account” then tap “Verification”.
5. Carefully answer all verification request questions.
6. Upload any required supporting documents.
7. Triple check every detail before hitting submit!
And that’s officially it! Now…deep breath. The hard part is over.
You’ve painstakingly built up your account, crafted the perfect verification pitch, and taken your shot.
The rest comes down to perseverance, patience and plenty of optimized content posting while you wait it out.
The Waiting Game: Next Steps After Applying
Here comes the agonizing, unpredictable waiting period.
Some creators get verified within days; others grind for years without a definitive answer. Know what to expect…
How Long Does TikTok Verification Take?
There’s no firm timeline since so many variables impact review times.
Here are the average ranges creators at different account sizes report:
50k-250k followers: ~6-8 weeks
250k-500k followers: 4-6 weeks
500k-1 million followers: 2-4 weeks
1M+ followers: 72 hours – 1 week
Of course, follower size guarantees nothing. Plenty of creators get stuck in limbo for ages past these estimates.
The best you can do is continue actively posting killer content that boosts your metrics even higher while waiting.
Will I Get Rejected? What if I Do?
According to TikTok, only around 30% of verification applications succeed on the first attempt.
So there’s a good chance you’ll get that dreadful rejection email rather than instant approval.
Don’t panic! It’s usually not a permanent assessment of eligibility.
Nearly all rejections come with the option to reapply after 30 days of cooling off.
TikTok usually provides feedback about why the decision went against you – like needing more followers in a niche or posting more consistently.
Use this intel to keep leveling up. Then reenter the ring even stronger.
On your next (or next next) attempt, directly showcase growth metrics and achievements since last applying.
With strategic tweaks and persistence, most creators do eventually get that coveted “You’re verified!” confirmation.
Now brace yourself for impact once approved…
Boom! Expect Sky High Growth Post-Verification
Hopefully by this point, your confirmation email has arrived and the blue checkmark graces your videos. Whew!
Here’s an inside look at the seismic growth creators typically enjoy once successfully verified:
Follower growth accelerates rapidly thanks to boosted credibility and algorithm favoritism.
Likewise video view duration often doubles since being verified reduces skepticism. Viewers invest more time enjoying your content rather than clicking away prematurely.
Sponsorship offers will likely pour in fast and furious. But vet all potential partners extensively since some mainly want clout association without caring about properly compensating you.
Set rates for your following size, niche appeal, and average engagement levels using industry rate cards as a benchmark.
Oh and pro filming tip: use your verification status switch-up your positioning in videos. That blue check is visual social proof that first-time viewers will notice.
Experiment prominently placing it on graphic tees, hats, by strategically holding your phone or pointing it out. This subtly emphasizes credibility for new audiences discovering you organically.
Level Up Without Verification: 7 Expert Growth Hacks
Despite the best efforts and meeting every benchmark, some accounts still end up verification application purgatory.
If your requests continually get rejected or stuck pending forever, all hope is not lost!
You can unlock almost all of those same perks through strategic influencer marketing moves:
1. Land a Sponsorship Deal With a Verified Brand
Start pitching niche brands that align with your content. Even one big sponsorship proves external validation to TikTok.
Convert this into a shareable moment all over other social media platforms as well – “I couldn’t believe when @ChipotlePartnered with me…”
2. Expand to Other Social Platforms
Cross-promote great TikTok videos on Instagram Reels and YouTube Shorts using redirection tactics:
“If you liked this, watch the FULL VERSION right now on TikTok @myhandle!”
Funneling external traffic to your TikTok blows up follower numbers.
3. Guest Collab With a Verified Niche Influencer
Similar to sponsorships, cameo appearances in a verified influencer’s content lends credibility through association.
Shout out your TikTok in the middle of videos. Then share clips natively on your own profile afterwards.
4. Hashtag Your Socks Off
Hop on all top trending hashtags even tangentially related to your niche to expand reach.
Join niche hashtag challenges frequented by your target audience for maximum visibility.
5. Recycle Best Content On YouTube and Instagram
Triple your potential audience by repurposing top videos across Meta and Google’s platforms.
These platforms make it easy edit videos for the optimal length and dimensions.
6. Live Stream Regularly
TikTok lives rank very prominently in follower feeds and the For You discovery page.
Go live 1-2x per week chatting about your niche, taking Q&As, offering value commentary, etc.
7. Advertise Strategically
Consider investing some ad dollars testing various objectives like:
- Traffic campaigns to your profile
- Engagement with specific niche content
- Hashtag or competitor follower targeting
Slow organic growth keeping you from verification? Paid ads can rocket fuel your metrics and lower the wait time.
While verification sits at the top of most major creator goals, it is just one piece of the larger influencer puzzle.
You may realize similar – or even better – benefits by doubling down on cross-platform and sponsorship strategies instead.
But for most ambitious creators that shiny blue check taunts from afar, symbolizing “official” social arrival after years of underdog grind.
So why not you?
Implement the exact growth blueprint within this guide step-by-step until you finally earn elite verification bragging rights.
In the famous words of Charlotte Dobre: "Let’s get verified, baby!"
