You probably already have a Pinterest account, and might even be using it for business purposes — but getting verified can help you ensure you’re getting the most out of it! When you have a verification badge, everyone who comes across your account will know you are an authentic, trustworthy brand or business.

So, how do you get verified on Pinterest?

Keep reading to find out:

• What Pinterest verification is
• Why you should get verified on Pinterest
• How to get verified on Pinterest

What is Pinterest verification?

Pinterest verification is similar to getting verified on other social media platforms like Twitter, Facebook or Instagram.

Source: Pinterest 

When you are verified on Pinterest, you will have a red check mark beside your account name and you will be able to display your full website URL right on your Pinterest profile (instead of leaving it hidden in the About section of your Pinterest page). This makes it easy for users to quickly learn more about your business and can even help you bring more leads to your site.

Why get verified on Pinterest?

Beyond being a status symbol, verification allows users to know you are a trustworthy source of information and helps them find the real accounts they are looking for. It will be much easier to spot the difference between official pages and fan pages, for example.

But aside from helping users navigate Pinterest, there are many other reasons businesses might want to become verified.

Other business perks of having a verified Pinterest account include:

• More eyes on your content. Search engines will recognize your Pins as relaying reputable information. This can generate more leads for your business and, ultimately, increased revenue.
• More engagement with your content. Users will know your brand or business is authentic when they see the red check mark, and will be more likely to save and share pins that come from a trustworthy source. Resharing will help increase your brand awareness.
• Drive more people to your website. Verified Pinterest users can display their website URL on their Pinterest profiles. This makes it even easier for users to find out more about your business without having to take the extra step of visiting the About section of your Pinterest page.
• Ensure you don’t lose followers to knock-off or imposter accounts. There are imposter accounts on virtually every platform, and verification is one of the easiest ways you can signal to users that you are the real deal.

How to get verified on Pinterest

Getting verified on Pinterest doesn’t take too long and it’s well worth the effort. Here’s how to get verified on Pinterest in 3 easy steps.

1. Make sure you have a business account

If you don’t already have a business account, you will need to complete this step before you will be able to become verified on Pinterest.

As a bonus, setting up a business account is free and will also give you access to analytics and other important tools that can help you maintain and grow your professional presence on Pinterest.

Business accounts can also be linked to a personal Pinterest account and you’ll have the ability to switch between both. You can link a maximum of four business profiles to a personal Pinterest account.

To get started, first ensure you are signed in to your account. Then, click the three dots at the top right corner of your screen.

Click Add a free business account.

Source: Pinterest 

Click Get started.

Source: Pinterest 

You will need to answer a few basic questions about your business including your business name, your website URL, your country/region and your preferred language. Then click Next.

Source: Pinterest 

Next, you will be asked to describe your brand, which will help Pinterest customize your recommendations. You will get to choose from:

• I’m not sure
• Blogger
• Consumer Good, Product, or Service
• Contractor or Service Provider (e.g. wedding photographer, interior designer, real estate, etc.)
• Influencer, Public Figure, or Celebrity
• Local Retail Store or Local Service (e.g. restaurant, hair & beauty salon, yoga studio, travel agency, etc.)
• Online Retail or Marketplace (e.g. Shopify store, Etsy shop, etc.)
• Publisher or Media
• Other

Source: Pinterest 

Next, you will be asked if you are interested in running ads or not.

Pinterest’s active user base grew 26% to 335 million last year, and it is the third-largest social network in the U.S. among other impressive stats. So, there are many reasons you might want to advertise on Pinterest, including:

• There are more than 2 billion searches on Pinterest every month. Pinterest is used as a social network and a search engine — and clearly, people are doing a ton of searching!
• Some 43% of Internet users in the U.S. have Pinterest accounts. That’s a ton of potential customers that have not been introduced to your brand yet.
• 78% of Pinterest users think content from brands is useful, and a 2019 survey revealed that three-quarters of users said that they are “very interested” in new products.

However, there is no pressure to choose right away if you need to think about it. You can choose between three options — yes, no, or not sure yet — and come back to this decision at another time.

Source: Pinterest 

That’s it! You’re ready to start the process of getting verified!

2. Claim your website

After you’ve ensured that you have a business account, click the dropdown arrow on the top right of your screen and then click Settings.

On the left-hand side navigation, under Edit Profile, select Claim.

Source: Pinterest 

Type in your website URL into the first textbox and then click Claim.

Source: Pinterest 

Next, you will have two options available to you in a pop-up box:

a) Claim your website by pasting an HTML tag into the <head> section of your site’s index.html file

b) Claim your website by downloading a file and uploading it to your website’s root directory

Here’s how to complete the first option (a):

Source: Pinterest 

It might seem like the process gets technical at this point, but it’s easier than you might think and most users have minimal issues. This is also the easier option since you will not need to use a File Transfer Protocol (FTP) which is the language that computers on a TCP/IP network (such as the Internet) use to transfer files to and from each other.

Once you’re ready, open a new tab and navigate to your website’s backend script area and copy and paste the HTML tag that Pinterest has provided. Finding the backend script area and pasting the HTML tag will vary depending on what provider you used to build your website.

If you are using WordPress, for example, you would open the content management system, click Tools, then Marketing and then Traffic. If you scroll to the bottom of the page, under the Site Verifications Services section, you will find a Pinterest field where you can simply paste the code.

Source: WordPress 

If you’re having trouble figuring out how to find where you should paste your HTML tag, Pinterest has created a page with instructions for popular website hosts like Big Cartel, Bluehost, GoDaddy, Squarespace and more. You can also contact Pinterest directly if you need more help.

Here’s how to complete the second option (b):

Source: Pinterest 

This option is typically a little bit harder than the first, but can still be done without too much effort.

First, download your unique HTML file. You can leave it in your downloads folder or move it to your desktop for easy access. Your file will be saved as a variation of pinterest-xxxxx.html, with each x being a random number or letter. Note: You can not rename this file or the process will not work.

Once you’ve saved the file, the next step is to upload the HTML file from your local computer drive to your website on your hosting account via File Transfer Protocol (FTP).

Make sure you transfer the file to your main domain (not a sub-folder) or Pinterest will not be able to find it and verify your website.

If you’re having trouble figuring out how to upload your HTML file, Pinterest has created a page with instructions for popular website hosts like Big Cartel, Bluehost, GoDaddy, Squarespace and more. You can also contact Pinterest directly if you need more help.

3. Submit your request for review

Now you’re ready to send your request in to be reviewed by Pinterest. Go back to your Pinterest tab and click Next.

Then, click Submit.

Source: Pinterest

You’re all set! You should hear from Pinterest within 24 hours.

With only a small amount of work, you’ll have your little red check mark and all the business benefits that come with it before you know it. Happy pinning.

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The post How to Get Verified on Pinterest: A Step-by-Step Guide appeared first on Social Media Marketing & Management Dashboard.