I was curious if Meta Verified was worth it, so I gave it a try on Instagram for three months and wasn’t very impressed. My engagement, followers and exposure didn’t change. In fact, it went down! So, here’s the pros and cons of getting Meta Verified, and the reason why I cancelled after three months.

12/2023 Update: As of today, I’m giving it a try again! People are now saying it helps raise visibility by about 30%. I’m skeptical but will see. I plan to do another test for a couple months. I wasn’t impressed the first time.

1/2024 Update: Cancelled again already! It did nothing. My followers and engagement did not benefit. Still not impressed.

My Instagram: @SewGeekMama

What is Meta Verified?

Meta Verified is a new feature that allows users to verify their identity and reputation on the Meta platform (Instagram and Facebook). Meta Verified users are supposed to get rewarded with increased visibility, trust, and access to exclusive opportunities and communities.

Meta Verified is based on a combination of factors that are used to calculate your Meta Score, which is a measure of your contribution and influence on the platform. Your Meta Score ranges from 0 to 100, and it is updated regularly based on your actions and interactions.

To apply for Meta Verified, you need to have a minimum Meta Score of 80. You also need to complete a verification process that involves providing your personal information, such as your name, email, phone number, and photo ID.

Getting Meta Verified Was Fast and Easy

Years ago, I was pretty excited when Facebook awarded me with a little blue check. I didn’t even apply for it, it just showed up one day. I’d had the blue check for many years when I decided it would be nice to have one on Instagram too, so I applied there.

Instagram turned down my verification application three times before I finally gave up and decided to stop wasting my time. Fast forward to 2023 and suddenly they’re dishing them out to whoever wants to pay for them! Of course since I was used to having a free one on Facebook, I was not all that happy I’d have to pay for one now. And especially not $15/mo, which equals to $180 a year!

But I wanted to test it out and see if it was really worth the hype. They promised access to exclusive features and benefits, such as:

• Higher ranking and exposure for your posts and comments
• Ability to create and join verified-only groups and events
• Access to premium content and resources from Meta and its partners
• Invitations to participate in surveys, feedback sessions, and beta testing
• Opportunities to connect with other verified users and influencers

So I clicked “apply” and the whole process took less than 30 minutes before my profile was approved and the check added. I did have to make one little change. They needed a profile picture where they could clearly see my face, as me. I had one in a costume, so I changed it to a regular photo.

A Few Notable Pros and Cons of Meta Verified

The Pros
There are two main benefits that I could see from my three month test run:

1. Your comments get moved to the top, even in a crowded conversation. So this means your comments get seen more. This only helps you if you have time to regularly seek out and comment on accounts with large followings.
   
2. If your page gets impersonated, you can easily report it. I haven’t had to deal with this much, but a friend got verified mainly for this benefit and said the process is way easier.

The Cons
There’s a lot more cons on my list, which is why I decided to cancel.

1. You have to use your real name on your profile. This isn’t really an issue for me, since I’ve always used my real name. But if you want to keep your identity a secret for any reason, being verified is not for you.
   
2. I went to change my photo back after verification and learned you can’t change your profile photos more than once every 30 days. When you do, you have to re-verify and send your ID again! It has to be a photo showing your face clearly. A bit of a challenge for someone with a costume-heavy page, lol
   
3. It’s pricey! I think $15 a month really adds up. ($180/yr) With all the streaming services (tv, movies, music, books…) the last thing I want is yet another subscription to something. (Unless of course my account exploded with exposure and views, which unfortunately it did not)
   
4. They are more strict about what you do on the account. Occasionally I like to connect an app that goes through my followers and lets me know who unfollowed, who’s not following back, etc. It helps me weed out the accounts that do the follow/unfollow thing, or accounts that I followed years ago and no longer interact with. I tried running it and Instagram popped up with a warning, saying connecting to third party apps is NOT allowed and I will have my verification taken away if I try it again.
   
5. Nobody is impressed with your purchased little check. Every time I see a blue check now, I just wonder what benefit they’re getting to make them want to pay for it.

The Final Numbers

Over the past three months, my followers went up and down, but mainly ended up at the same amount, but a bit lower. My engagement overall has been down as far as likes and comments. My Reels views are up and down, but mostly down.

In the end, being Meta Verified just didn’t live up to the hype for me. If you’ve tried it, drop a comment and let me know what you thought.

About the Author

Candy Keane is a digital content creator and long-time cosplayer, most well-known for being on the cover of the Star Wars documentary Jedi Junkies. After making costumes professionally for over a decade, she now writes about geek culture and mom life, and continues to cosplay for fun, while sharing her love of costumes on Instagram @SewGeekMama. Her first children’s book, I’m Going to My First Comic Convention, was published in 2020 and won a Story Monsters Approved award for Excellence in Literature.

Learn more