It pays to be authentic.
But being the growth hacker that you are, you probably already know that.
One of LinkedIn’s cool ways of showing people are authentic is through LinkedIn verification.
And, in this week’s quick guide, we’ll show you how to go about LinkedIn verification and how it can help you make the most out of your profile.
Let’s get this party started!
Why get LinkedIn verified?
Authenticity matters.
It doesn’t matter how good your content feels if you don’t feel authentic or a real person. I mean think about it, even with the rise of AI, people still like talking to real human beings.
The best way to build authenticity on LinkedIn is through proper LinkedIn profile optimization, which we have extensively covered in the past. And now, with LinkedIn verification, you can take that authenticity up a notch by showing people that you’re verified by the platform itself.
For employees in critical roles in large corporations, getting verified on LinkedIn helps them connect with other people easily since it tells the potential contact that their association with an organization is valid.
This works both ways, for lead generation specialists, this also allows you to verify that a person still works with an organization and they’re not trying to connect with a bad lead.
It doesn’t matter if you’re looking for new prospects, pining for the heart of a recruiter, or just trying to make yourself look like the thought leader you are, getting that additional verification on LinkedIn all contributes to getting you to look great on the platform.
Who’s Eligible for LinkedIn Verification?
As of now, LinkedIn verification is only available to certain types of profiles from select companies or from profiles that are based in the United States. LinkedIn’s rollout isn’t instantaneous so we should all wait and see who else will be covered and if other countries and organizations will be included in their list.
Three Types of LinkedIn Verification (and, how to get them)
As it stands, there are three types of LinkedIn verification that you can use.
Work Email verification
Verifying your work email relies on you providing LinkedIn with your work email and then sending you a code to that email’s inbox that you can enter back into the platform. It’s one of the easiest ways to verify your profile and it’s highly recommended if LinkedIn provides you with the option.
All you have to do is head to your profile, click on “More” and then “About this profile”. Once you’re done, click on “Verify your work email”. Send yourself a code to your inbox, hop back on LinkedIn and you should be good to go!
You will need to verify your email every 365 days as per LinkedIn’s guidelines. Also note thatif you choose to delete your verification, LinkedIn won’t be able to restore it.
ID verification
If you’re from the United States, you can verify your identity using CLEAR. As of the time of this writing, LinkedIn is working to expand its availability of ID verification to more countries, so stay tuned.
For you to start ID verification, you need a valid government-issued ID and a phone number in the U.S., it will also help to keep your smartphone handy as you won’t be able to execute this verification using your computer.
It’s advised that you verify your work email first before going through with this process or this option won’t be available for you.
Head over to “About this profile” and click on “Verify with CLEAR”, this will take you through a series of steps to get your account verified with CLEAR and you will be required to enter other details.
Now smile, because they’ll ask you for a quick photo and once you’re done with that, you’ll need to take a photo of your ID.
After this, they will ask you if you want to share this verification with LinkedIn, and the answer is “Yes, share”
Note: if you don’t have a CLEAR account, you will be creating one in the process.
Workplace verification
This type of LinkedIn verification is used if your company is participating in the LinkedIn pilot and using Microsoft Entra for verification.
Microsoft is actually gathering feedback from 70 organizations that are rolling out this capability, so this looks to be a big thing in the making.
LinkedIn Verification is Just Part of the Process
If you want to build authenticity on the platform it doesn’t just stop with LinkedIn verification, as there is so much more that you can do to build trust.
At the end of the day, it is just one of the many things that you can do that all add up to make a holistically trustworthy profile.
Apart from verification, look at getting more recommendations from your current and past colleagues, gaining LinkedIn skills badges, and positioning your profile in a way that shows you’re someone that your prospects can take seriously.
Even little things such as how your profile photo looks and little logos of the companies that you have worked with in the past all deserve a quick run-through to determine if they elicit a feeling of trust from prospects.
Takeaways
LinkedIn verification is becoming critical as a lot of the professional connections you make will either be on LinkedIn or will be made through the platform.
Having verification is an added trust signal for people who are currently not in your network to join it.
At BAMF, we’re all fans of trust signals, whether it’s creating trust by association through displaying old work or showing prospects that you’re a bonafide member of the community.
This is because we believe that real connections are made on the basis of authenticity.
The more authentic you are, the more connections you’ll make.
So, how are you going to build more trust in your profile today?
That’s the million-dollar question.
Read more: LinkedIn Skills Assessment: Add Badges and Gain Trust Signals!
