Forget pimpin’… tweetin’ ain’t easy these days – even if you’re an international superstar with over 20,000 followers on the social networking site.

Shontelle Layne found that out the hard way – as imposter after imposter created accounts on Twitter claiming that they were the real Shontelle. But, there’s only one (@Shontelle_Layne), and now that is undisputable, as Layne’s account is “Verified.”

Twitter Verification is the process by which Twitter puts its official stamp of approval on an account’s claim that he/she/it represents what the user claims. A baby blue and white “check mark” along with the words “Verified Account” appears in the upper right hand corner of the profile. There’s only one form of verification, yet a number of methods to obtaining it. Layne broke it down during an interview on “The Ralphie Radio Show,” prefacing the story by admitting the processes can be both complicated and frustrating.
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Download the interview

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“There’s two ways you can do it – if you know people on the inside, like you can contact Caroline or whoever that are on the inside,” Shontelle revealed, with a quick name-drop in the process. “Or you can just do what everyone else has to do, which is go to (Twitter’s) support on-line, and submit one of those verification request forms.”

Layne admits her management took care of the process, although she has a hunch that her “twarmy” – passionate stable of fans on Twitter – played a role in the outcome.

“My management had been on it for a minute, and then suddenly my followers got really annoyed ‘cause of all the imposters,” she recalled. “They literally did this thing called a ‘twitition.’ I don’t know what that is, but it spams everyone out.”

Shontelle said that the Twitter petition spread quickly, and soon her followers were “at replying” the artist, requesting that she check her profile to see the change. Layne finally received her blue and white check mark, and suddenly tweetin’ became a little easier for the Barbados-born singer.

The artist is currently finishing up her sophomore LP, No Gravity. “Impossible” is gaining airplay on mainstream stations across the country.