Going Gray on Facebook Can Move You Up in the Results!

I’m sure you have heard about Facebook Live Audio by now … are you excited about it? What I really should ask is whether or not you have figured out a way to use it for your business. From all the materials I read from Facebook, they do want to have quality videos, but the reality is that if you have a personal page, you can create a live broadcast.

The (sort of) bad news is that you may be able to use it for your business page, but that’s a really BIG MAYBE. Only those pages with a Blue Check Mark (Verified Badge) can use Live Audio on their Pages. Select people, sports, media, entertainment and government Pages may be eligible for verification if they can prove their authenticity and meet Facebook’s requirements for having a Verified Badge. There are only certain Pages that meet the eligibility for the blue check mark (their Verified Badge). They are:

• Select People
• Sports
• Media
• Entertainment
• Government Pages

They do not “support verification requests for other types of Pages (ex. Businesses, brands, organizations). That means if you are an author, entertainer, a publisher or publication, you have a much better chance than if your Page represents your business as a butcher, baker or candlestick maker.

If you do qualify, here’s what you have to do:

Before you throw your hands up in frustration because you aren’t eligible for the blue check mark, remember that you CAN use Live Audio on your personal page. I’m not going to go into all the details of how to actually create a video here, because I want to give you a little tip on how to get your business page a little more exposure and reach by getting a lower level verification from Facebook.

Verify Your Page with a gray check mark

Even though your Page is probably not eligible for the coveted blue check mark, you can get a gray check mark which indicates that Facebook has verified your Page as an authentic entity. I have one on my Grow Your Business Coaching Facebook Page. You can see it right there under my profile photo and next to Grow Your Business Coaching. (Why don’t you like my Page while you’re there!)

You can get your own gray check mark in two ways – and both are easy. But before you begin, there are just a few things that have to be included on your Page first:

• You have to be an admin
• You have to have a profile picture
• You have to have a cover photo

If all those things are in place, you can proceed to see if you are eligible for the gray check mark verification.

Here are the steps:

• Click on Settings on your Page.
• If your Page is eligible for the gray verification, under the General Tab there will be a listing for Page Verification.
• Click Verify this Page, then click Get Started.

• Enter a publicly listed phone number for your business, your country and language.
• Facebook will call you ON THAT NUMBER with a 4-digit code number.
• Enter the 4-digit code and click Continue.

Now, if you would rather obtain that gray check mark by submitting documents, here are the directions for that:

The difference this makes will be in the fact that Facebook says right in your settings that “Verified Pages show up higher in search results.”

Keeping on top of social media platforms and all the changes is never-ending, I know. You do what you can do, a little at a time, and eventually it builds into something bigger than you expected. Remember, social media is about building relationships and a group of loyal followers and fans. We also like to give people links back to the Grow Your Business Coaching website and my blog where I consistently offer information and insights that can be implemented right away.

If you, too, give your followers consistently valuable ideas, insights, fun and information, you will be on your way to achieving the brand recognition you want. It’s like making friends and building relationships face-to-face. In fact, it’s just like your mom told you when you went off to school:  Be authentic, kind, respectful, helpful, and caring, and you will have lots of friends.

To your success!

B^{3 –} Be Bold, Brilliant and Boundless!