Tips That Will Help Your Brand Attain YouTube Verification

YouTube is a video-sharing app where users can upload videos, like, share and comment to engage with content posted. YouTube is a free to use service which used to watch music videos how-to guides, recipes and more.
YouTube assists brands in marketing to a broader target audience to increase brand awareness. Verifying your account on the app shows users that you are a real person. There is, however, a distinction to be made between receiving a verification badge and having your account validated.
The YouTube verification mark or badge used to be the grey checkmark or a music note beside a channel’s name which indicates an established or established entity. Since 2019, YouTube adjusted its policies and adopted a grey highlight behind the name as the new verification mark. It is a sign of legitimacy. This prevents imitators from stealing your content and its circulation.
When you verify your YouTube account it indicates to viewers that you are a real entity and will not spam their platform. When creating your account, you enter your phone number to verify your account and a message is sent to the number.
After this initial verification, users can upload videos that exceed 15 minutes in length and add customized thumbnails. Without this initial verification you cannot monetize your channel. But this standard verification will not earn you that highly desired verification mark.
The verification badge indicates credibility. It tells the world that a real human being runs your YouTube channel or legitimate brand.
For your brand to be considered for YouTube verification, a few basic criteria must be met. These are:

Have no less than 100k subscribers. However, YouTube may verify channels with less than 100k subscribers if it represents a well-known brand. And you may find channels below 100k not being well known but these are rarities.

Prove authenticity.  Your channel must represent the real entity it claims to be. It should not be an account dedicated to a fictional character. Different factors will be checked to help verify your identity, such as the age of the channel.The channel should be public, be active, have a content, description and a profile icon displayed. To get a YouTube verification badge considers these tips:

Be transparent about what you are sharing and create video content that will attract viewers. Ensure that this information is real and relevant to your audience. Do demonstrations on how to use products or services so viewers can have clearer instructions and possibly other uses.
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Reply to comments on videos or stories.  This is a good way to show your account is managed by a real entity and your brand values people’s feedback. This encourages conversation between you and your audience and encourages users to subscribe to your channel. Engaging with your viewers directly is also a great way to establish your brand’s authenticity. It helps build trust in your brand, and brand recognition and lets viewers know that you are exactly who you say you are.

Share videos consistently. Especially if you are just starting your YouTube journey, it is extremely important to upload as often as possible (at least once per week).

Creating quality content. Brands can attract the views they want by broadcasting quality videos that attract more views and foster repeat visitors or new subscribers to your channel.

unethical practices like buying views or spamming users should be avoided.

​It is important to note that getting YouTube verified does not mean you get to operate your channel without regard for the rules. You may lose YouTube verification status if:
Your channel name is changed- If your channel’s name is changed, you will have to redo the application process because the renamed channel will not have YouTube’s verification mark.
Community Guidelines and terms of service are breached- Your verification badge can be rescinded if you violate the terms of service

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