If LinkedIn is a critical platform for you, it’s imperative to boost your LinkedIn presence: The Benefits of Linkedin Verification for Professionals & Businesses

Verification on LinkedIn can provide numerous advantages, including potential increased engagement. It is particularly good for professionals and businesses seeking to increase their visibility and credibility. Some of the reasons you may choose to verify include:

1. Increased Credibility: Verification adds a layer of authenticity to your profile and helps establish that your profile is authentic and represents a real person or organization. This can enhance your trustworthiness among peers, clients, and potential employers. 
2. Improved Visibility: Your visibility to professionals, potential business partners, and the number of people engaging with your postings can all improve if you verify your profile. This is because verified profiles may get special consideration in search results and suggestions.
3. Protection Against Impersonation: Verification can help protect your profile from being impersonated or misrepresented by others. It ensures that people know they are interacting with the genuine you.
4. Greater Trust: A verified badge serves as an indication to others that you are a genuine professional or business, potentially prompting increased participation in the form of comments, content sharing, and meaningful conversations that could foster beneficial connections.
5. Influence Professional Perception: Professionals and organizations can enhance their visibility and appeal to recruiters, clients, and potential collaborators by obtaining a verified LinkedIn profile. This can result in increased engagement and a greater number of valuable interactions and opportunities.
6. Access to Additional Features: LinkedIn may offer exclusive features or benefits to verified users, such as enhanced profile customization options or special badges that highlight your verified status.

Increased Engagement: A verified profile can encourage more engagement from your network, as people are more likely to connect with and engage with profiles they know are authentic.

While verification is not mandatory, it can be a useful step if you’re looking to establish a strong professional presence on LinkedIn and build trust within your industry.

The actual increase in engagement will vary based on several factors, including: 

• the quality of your content
• the relevance of your posts to your audience
• how active you are on the LinkedIn platform

Verification is only one component of a comprehensive strategy to enhance your LinkedIn presence. It is beneficial in all the ways we mention above, but it’s most effective when combined with creative, engaging content and active networking.

To get verified on LinkedIn, you’ll need to follow these general steps:

• Your Personal Profile Should be Complete: Ensure that your LinkedIn profile includes a professional photo, headline, summary, work experience, education, and any pertinent skills. Make sure you’re using keywords where you can.
• Build Your Network: LinkedIn is all about making relevant connections so carve out some time to connect with professionals that matter to your business or professional endeavours. 
• Showcase Your Work: It’s okay to use LinkedIn to show off a bit – this is what people are generally looking for. So include your certifications, special projects and achievements that highlight your expertise.
• Engage Actively: Post content related to your industry, share articles, and engage with others. LinkedIn is a social media platform with the keyword being ‘social’. Active engagement can increase your visibility and credibility.
• Request Recommendations: Google reviews are important to any business but don’t forget that you can also ask for recommendations on LinkedIn which can enhance your overall presence.

How to apply for LinkedIn Verification (if available in your region)

First, make sure you’re doing everything above, especially that your LinkedIn profile is complete. Then, grab your mobile (download the LinkedIn app if you don’t already have it) and use these steps as your guide:

• Go to the LinkedIn app and tap on your profile picture.
• Navigate to “Settings & Privacy” and look for the “Account” section.
• Check if there’s an option for verification under “Account” or “Privacy.”
• Follow the instructions provided to submit your verification request, which may involve providing identification or other relevant documents.
• In the U.S., Canada, and Mexico, CLEAR performs the ID Verification. CLEAR is a 3rd party ID verification service and will require a valid government-issued ID and a personal phone number (business phone numbers are not accepted) registered in either the U.S., Canada, or Mexico. 

You’ll know you’ve been verified when a verification badge appears on your profile, next to your name and this will not be immediately visible.

If you’re outside of the US, Canada or Mexico, click here to see more options in different countries and troubleshoot if you’re having issues following our process above. If you’d like to learn more about CLEAR and how it works, click here. To visit the CLEAR website and learn more about their partnership with LinkedIn, click here.