What's the quickest path to feeling like Pablo? Getting your previously struggle AF Twitter account verified, of course. That tiny blue badge has been freed from its former trappings of mystery and confusion, with Twitter announcing Tuesday that anyone (even you and that aforementioned struggle account!) can now quickly and easily apply for that highly coveted verified status.
"We want to make it even easier for people to find creators and influencers on Twitter so it makes sense for us to let people apply for verification," Tina Bhatnagar, VP of Twitter's User Services division, said in a press release Tuesday. "We hope opening up this application process results in more people finding great, high-quality accounts to follow, and for these creators and influencers to connect with a broader audience."
So what does this mean for the average, non-famous Twitter user? It means quit hitting @Verified with the spam approach and listen up. A verified account, though still not a guarantee, could possibly be yours by simply following a few laughably easy steps. First of all, maybe don't crowd out their verification department with requests unless you have a decent reason for needing that blue badge of approval. Still rocking an egg as your profile pic and struggling to surpass 8 followers? Maybe you should sit this round out.
Here's what Twitter says about prepping your account for the process:
"We approve account types maintained by users in music, acting, fashion, government, politics, religion, journalism, media, sports, business, and other key interest areas."
If that kinda sorta maybe (definitely!) sounds like you, then fire up the wishful thinking machine and get moving on your application. You'll need a few things first though, such as a birthday and a verified phone number, in addition to a website. Those seeking verification are also required to detail, in 500 words or less, why exactly their account deserves this esteemed honor. But don't sweat it. If your application gets denied the first time, you can always try again with a fresh approach just 30 days later.
Of course, the best part of this whole updated verification process is that it will now be easier than ever to compare your worth to the approximately 187,000 other verified accounts. Feeling good with 1,000 followers and that one tweet that popped off with 23 RTs? Meet Katy Perry, who currently has just under 91 million followers and regularly rocks a cool 68,000 RTs just for posting a well-timed GIF:
