I signed up for Twitter Blue on a Friday afternoon. By Tuesday afternoon, the blue checkmark arrived.

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Previously, I discussed my experiment to improve my engagement on Twitter by paying Musk's blue checkmark ransom. The jury is still out on whether that will have a net positive effect.

But how do you get a Twitter blue checkmark? How does the process work? There are some simple steps that I outline below. But first, I want to show you how to tell whether someone is paying for a new verified indicator, as I did, or whether someone has had one for quite some time, was presumably deemed notable back in the day, and is now paying up to retain that indicator.

Also: Lost your blue check? These are the best Twitter alternatives

If you go to a user's profile and click the checkmark, you'll see a message that says "Verified since [date]". As you can see, I've been verified since pretty much now.

Screenshot by David Gewirtz/

But if you look at Mark Hamill's profile, it shows he's been verified since 2011. So presumably, he was considered notable by Twitter back when the blue checkmarks were cool. And, to be fair, Mark Hamill is Mark Hamill. The man is a geek entertainment god.

Screenshot by David Gewirtz/

So, now that you can distinguish folks like me, who are merely verified, from those who played iconic roles like Matt Evans in Room 222, Tobias LeConte in SeaQuest 2032, and Professor Arnold in Kingsman: The Secret Service (among a few other roles some of you might be familiar with), let's move on.

Quick aside: Take a look at Hamill's career filmography. Holy Joker, Batman, this man has had an incredibly hard-working career since he met his first Ewok!

How to sign up for Twitter Blue

Click 'Get Verified' Button

Signup is straightforward. At the upper right of your main Twitter page, right under the search box, you'll see the Get Verified button. Click it.

Screenshot by David Gewirtz/

Select individual verification

 You'll next be asked whether you're doing individual or business verification. In this article, we're talking about individual verification. If you want to know about other options, I wrote an article detailing the types and colors of available checkmarks.

Screenshot by David Gewirtz/

Select payment plan

At this point, you'll be given the opportunity to choose whether you want to sign up for a month-by-month plan or for a year. I chose monthly because I may stop using Twitter Blue after I finish this experiment.

Screenshot by David Gewirtz/

Verify and pay

Finally, you'll be asked to verify your phone number and provide your billing details.

Screenshot by David Gewirtz/

What happens next?

Once you've entered your billing info, you'll be welcomed into Twitter Blue.

Screenshot by David Gewirtz/

Now, under Settings, you'll see a new Twitter Blue pane. Tab into the Twitter Blue section and you'll see a settings pane.

Screenshot by David Gewirtz/

The most interesting setting is "Early access to select new features." Here, you'll see the edit tweet feature, the longer tweet feature, and the undo feature, which lets you set a timer ranging from 5 to 60 seconds.

Screenshot by David Gewirtz/

The one thing you won't see is the blue checkmark next to your name.

Where's my blue checkmark?

Instead, you'll see a notice in your Twitter feed telling you that Twitter is evaluating your status.

Screenshot by David Gewirtz/

I signed up for Twitter Blue on a Friday afternoon. By Tuesday afternoon, the blue checkmark arrived.

And there you go. Now, shouldyousign up for Twitter Blue? That's up to you. Check back in over the next few months and see if my blue checkmark results in any improvement in engagement.

What about you? Have you signed up for Twitter Blue? Did you see any improved engagement? Do you plan to sign up for Twitter Blue? What are your current feelings about Twitter? Let us know in the comments below.

Also: Meta is developing a 'sanely run' Twitter alternative: Here's what we know

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You can follow my day-to-day project updates on social media. Be sure to follow me on Twitter at @DavidGewirtz, on Facebook at Facebook.com/DavidGewirtz, on Instagram at Instagram.com/DavidGewirtz, and on YouTube at YouTube.com/DavidGewirtzTV.

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