What’s the point of certifying your social network account ? 💠

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Certification badges are an integral part of social networking. While their use and mode of acquisition have evolved in recent years, many wonder what they’re good for. We answer them in this week’s Ask Griots.

Visibility & reach 🚀

On some platforms, like Twitter or Instagram, certified accounts benefit from greater visibility in search results and in users’ news feeds. Some platforms like Twitter or Facebook grant additional options (analytics, promotional tools, etc.) to verified accounts.

A certified account can also give a brand or public figure a more professional and serious image.

Authenticity not guaranteed 🎭

Historically, a certified account was used to prove that the account holder was the person or organization he or she claimed to be. This enabled users to distinguish between the official account and fake or parody accounts that might try to deceive them.

But since the introduction of paid certifications on Twitter (now X), the certification badge has lost this meaning. All you need is a monthly subscription to receive a certification badge. Meta has followed this trend, offering similar subscriptions.

If you have any questions, don’t hesitate to ask us in comments. Your favorite griots will answer them 😁