Instagram is so much more than a mere photo-sharing social site. With over a billion monthly active users , this platform is a powerful tool for growing your business .
In recent years, the platform has expanded the ways of Instagram growth in which content creators, business owners, and marketers can garner attention for their products and services.
Having a verified Instagram account opens up even more opportunities to grow your business by giving you more exposure on the platform. However, the coveted blue check isn’t handed out to just anyone.
This article covers everything you need to know about getting verified on Instagram, the benefits of having the blue checkmark, and what you can do to get it on your account.
So, if you’re committed to taking your Instagram game to the next level, read on to discover everything you need to know about obtaining that famous blue badge.
What does the Instagram Blue Checkmark mean?
Also known as the Instagram verified sticker, the blue checkmark appears next to the account name, as well as in searches, and when the Instagram account owner comments on posts.
The verified badge has one simple purpose, and that is to show that the user is an official profile. Instagram verification prevents impersonation, which is why it’s reserved for celebrities, global brands, and public figures.
Instagram offers a verification check for accounts representing well-known brands and influencers where there is a high likelihood of the account being impersonated. This is to help ensure that Instagram users are dealing with authentic brands and people that they want to follow.
Instagram first allowed users to request for verification in August 2018. And for those that have the sticker, it means that the account has gone through a series of manual verification checks by Instagram itself.
When someone makes a verification request, Instagram takes into account a variety of factors in determining whether or not to grant the verified badge.
One of the main factors they consider is if there’s a high probability of the accounts being impersonated. Applicants need to be public figures, such as brands, celebs, or influencers in order to receive the blue checkmark verification.
Advantages of Instagram Verification
If you, your business or brand is at risk of being impersonated, then you should request verification as soon as possible. There are many advantages to getting the Instagram verified sticker, some of which are listed below:
- The checkmark on Instagram helps to showcase the exclusivity of your brand
- It’s an easy way to increase brand awareness and grow your follower count
- It is an effective strategy to protect your brand and it’s reputation from imposters
- It increases trustworthiness between your brand and your followers
- Brands prefer to work with influencers or marketers with verified accounts
- The blue verification badge also helps users to easily find your brand on social media
- Your account will usually appear at the top of the search results when someone is looking for your brand
Accounts with the verified badge also get early access to other special features on Instagram, such as the “swipe up” feature on Instagram stories which requires a brand to have upwards of 10,000 users in order to gain access to the tool. Verified accounts are exempted from this rule.
As you can see, having this simple checkmark on your Instagram business profile can make a massive difference in your efforts to build brand awareness and increase your Instagram followers.
Now that you understand the advantages of Instagram verification, it’s time to look at who is eligible to request verification on the social platform.
Am I Eligible for the Instagram Verification Badge?
Instagram are transparent with the verification criteria they use to determine whether an account is eligible to receive the blue verification badge.
In order to meet the eligibility criteria to apply for the blue checkmark, your Instagram account must meet the following criteria for verification:
1. The Account Must Be Authentic:
In order to be considered for verification, your Instagram account must represent a registered business or entity, or it must belong to a real person or public figure.
2. The Account Must Be Unique:
Instagram only allows one account per person to receive the blue verification badge. Hence, if you have multiple business account, you will have to choose the main one to undergo the verification process.
There is an exception for language-specific accounts, but you won’t be able to verify general interest accounts. This includes fan accounts, feature accounts, and meme accounts (e.g. @puppymemes).
3. The Account Must Be Public:
The blue Instagram verified badge is only for public figure and celebrities, which means that you cannot have a private profile on the platform.
4. The Account Must Be Complete:
When evaluating Instagram accounts, Instagram checks if you have a profile photo, bio, and at least one Instagram post in the feed. The account should be actively used at the time of requesting verification.
5. The Account Must Be Notable:
In order to become verified, your Instagram account needs to represent a well-known figure or brand. It must be highly searched and/or featured in multiple news sources. Instagram does not consider promotional or paid content associates for account review.
In addition to meeting the criteria outlined above, you must also follow Instagram’s Terms of Service as well as the platform’s Community Guidelines. This means that if you have been banned in the past for not abiding by these guidelines, you are unlikely to get accepted as a verified profile.
Important Note: If you provide misleading or false information during the process of verification, Instagram will remove your verified badge. They may also take additional action, such as deleting your account.
So make sure that you are honest in your application.
Include only accurate, relevant, and truthful information during all the stages of the account verification process.
- Use your real name
- Choose an accurate account category
- Use real documentation and photos to prove your identity.
Related post : 377 Best Instagram Captions to Copy and Paste in 2024
How to Get Verified on Instagram (Step-by-Step)
Anyone can apply to get verified on Instagram. Below are the steps you should take in order to enter the verification process for getting the blue checkmark next to your name on your Instagram profile.
Step 1: Log Into Your Account
Log into your Instagram account from the mobile Instagram app. If you own more than one account, make sure that you log into the one that you want to verify.
Step 2: Request Verification
- Once in your Instagram profile, tap the Menu button located in the top right corner and then tap the icon for Settings (it’s the one that looks like a little gear).
- Tap Account
- Tap Request Verification located near the bottom to access the form.
Step 3: Fill in the Request Verification form
1: Confirm Authenticity
Your full, legal name should be written exactly the way it appears on your government-issued ID.
You will then be required to upload an official identification document.
If you are an individual, you can use your passport, national ID card, or driver’s license.
For businesses, you can use a utility bill with your company name, your articles of incorporation, or a tax return. Make sure that the name you entered above matches the name on your documents.
2. Confirm Notability
There are various categories to choose from, and it’s important to ensure that you pick the one that is most accurate for your Instagram account.
Categories include: News/media, Sports, Music, Fashion, Entertainment, Digital creator/blogger/influencer, Gamer, Global business/brand/organization and Other.
You’ll also be asked which country/region you are most notable in. You can only select one country, even if you are a global brand or internationally known public figure.
You also have the opportunity to add optional text to describe your audience, and share any alternative names you may be known as
Instagram 3. Provide Links [optional]
This is an optional, but highly recommended step which helps to support your application for Instagram verification. You can add up to 5 links which show your notoriety.
Instagram suggests adding news articles and other social media accounts. However, paid or promoted content won’t be accepted as part of your application.
4. Tap Send when you’ve completed your application.
And that’s it!
Once Instagram has reviewed your request, they will let you know whether or not your application has been approved. The official reply will come within a few days.
If at first you don’t succeed, don’t give up after the first try.
There are many reasons why Instagram may decide to reject your application for the verified badge.
If your first application is denied, take the time to find out how you can improve your profile, grow your audience, and further establish yourself as a noteworthy person or brand online. Having a professional profile picture can be useful.
Once you’ve made those changes, simply apply again. You can submit the next request 30 days after the previous request was denied.
How to Increase Chances of Getting a Verified Badge
Instagram is very clear on the fact that even if your Instagram account meets the criteria for verification, it’s still not a guarantee that you will get the blue checkmark. In order to give yourself the best chance of getting approval, it’s a good idea to implement the following tips:
Complete Your Bio
One of the first things Instagram looks for when determining whether or not to verify your account is a complete profile. Make sure you fill in all the information required in the bio fields.
Include a photo, at least one post, and accurate information about yourself, your business, or your brand. Adding a link to your website and location information can help. Be careful not to add false or misleading information to your bio.
For a unique and professional profile, try using an Instagram Bio Generator to help you create the perfect bio.
Become Newsworthy
Yet another core requirement for getting verified on Instagram is that your account must be newsworthy. One way to achieve this is by getting your name in the news from multiple news sources. You can send out press releases and media kits to get your name in the media.
You can also connect with local news agencies and other large publications for even more visibility.
Optimize Your Online Presence
Work on grooming your wider online presence to make it highly searchable. If your name only appears on Instagram, it makes it less likely that your account will be verified.
Increase your visibility online by optimizing your own website with a tool like Thrive Themes , as well as your presence on other social media profiles so that you have a notable presence in web search. You can also guest post on different authority websites and appear as a guest in videos and podcasts.
Due to Linkedin being a very important professional network, it’s a good idea to connect with all professional folks you’ve worked with in the past. When you do this, some of these LinkedIn message templates can help you connect with those individuals and add personalization to your outreach campaign.
Grow Your Instagram Following
Many social media marketing experts claim that you need to have a minimum follower count in order to get an Instagram verified account. However, this has not been proved or specified by Instagram.
Although there isn’t a required number of followers for Instagram verification, a higher number of followers does make you seem more notable. Continue to build your reach and grow your followers if you want to secure the blue check on Instagram.
Post Regularly
The guidelines state that you only need one post to be considered for blue check verification, but ideally, you don’t want to apply until you have an Instagram presence that is more robust.
To be a notable person online, you need an active account with lots of followers. This is a key indicator of how noteworthy you are, and it will greatly boost your chances of being approved.
Vary the types of posts you make with a selection of carousels, images, videos, reels and Instagram stories. Adding popular hashtags to your posts can also help to boost their reach.
Increase Engagement
Another way to increase your chances of approval for the blue checkmark on Instagram is to get your followers involved. On most social media channels, engagement rate is considered a strong signal of authenticity.
Instagram suggests encouraging your customers to tag your brand in their posts so that other people can see posts from customers who use your products or services. Take advantage of the latest Instagram story features like polls and Q&As to encourage your audience to interact more with your account.
You can also increase engagement by using relevant Instagram hashtags.
Instagram Verification Mistakes to Avoid
When trying to get the blue checkmark on Instagram, there are certain mistakes that should be avoided at all costs.
Here are some of the things that you should not do if you want to get approval:
Don’t use third-party services to apply
There are a lot of people online who will attempt to sell you social media services for a fast and easy Instagram verification. These are all scams. The steps to apply for blue check verification are very simple. Anyone can follow them, and there is no need to attempt to verify your Instagram account using a third party service.
Don’t add links in your bio to other social media channels
Don’t use your Instagram bio to cross-promote other social media accounts. Also, don’t ask your followers on Instagram to follow you anywhere else. Instagram will not approve your profile if it contains “add me” links to other social media channels.
Don’t give false information
Ensure that all of the information you’re providing is honest, truthful and accurate. This means uploading genuine documents and not lying abour your identity.
If it’s found that you gave false or misleading information, Instagram has the right to remove verification, and you also risk your account being deleted.
Don’t buy Instagram likes or followers
Make sure that the engagement you’re fostering on Instagram is genuine. A like from a real person is always going to be more worthwhile than one from a bot or a fake account.
Don’t break Instagram’s rules and policies
The last thing you want to happen is to lose your verification badge after you get it. To avoid this, you must continue to follow Instagram’s Terms of Service as well as the platform’s Community Guidelines.
Some of the things that may result in your badge being taken away include: transferring or selling your badge, using your bio, profile picture, or Instagram name to market or promote other services, and so on. Only one account can receive a verified badge.
Instagram verification FAQ
How many followers to get verified on Instagram?
There is no required number of followers that you need to get verified on Instagram.
Having said that, one of the core requirements for getting approved is having a notable account. This means that your account must represent a well-known and highly searched-for person, brand, or business.
So while there is no official number of followers you need, the more followers you have, the more notable Instagram considers you to be.
Can You Create The Blue Checkmark For Your Profile?
You cannot create the blue checkmark for your Instagram profile. It needs to be granted by the Instagram team after they have manually reviewed your profile and information to verify that you meet all the criteria for verification.
When Do You Get the Blue Checkmark on Instagram?
There is no specific timeframe as to when you get the blue checkmark on Instagram. It is chosen by Instagram staff and they determine when you receive the blue check if your application is approved.
If My Instagram Account is Verified, Will I Automatically Receive Facebook Verification?
Even if you successfully receive your Instagram verified badge, you will need to make a seperate request for Facebook Verification to get Meta verified.
Being verified on one social media platform does not automatically mean your verification request will be accepted on the other. However, as the verification criteria is quite similar, there is a high likelihood that you could get accepted for both, and you’ll have verified badges on both platforms.
Can I Still Show That I’m Authentic if I Can’t Get Verified?
Getting verified is not the only way to prove that you’re authentic on Instagram . There are many other ways that you can establish a strong and credible presence on the platform.
Here are some ways you can show your authenticity to your audience if you fail to get Instagram verification:
Leverage Your Bio
One of the most important things you can do to show your audience that you are authentic is to use your Instagram bio effectively. Taking the time to complete your bio in full will not only increase your chances of verification, but it also helps you even if you do not get verified.
A great description of your business or brand will go a long way toward showing your audience that your account is credible and authentic.
Link From Official Sources
Link to your Instagram account from other official sources, such as your Facebook page, Twitter account, YouTube channel, and website. Doing this is especially helpful if you already own a verified account on any of the other channels. Just remember not to link to any of your other social media profiles from your Instagram bio.
Use Instagram Stories
Yet another effective way to show your authenticity on Instagram is to go behind the scenes with Instagram stories. This will give you a chance to give your audience a peep behind the scenes so they can get to know the people behind your brand.
Giving your followers this type of insight is something that is very hard for anyone else to imitate and it will definitely boost your authenticity on the platform.
For instance, if you’re like me and focus on making money from blogging , you may want to include numerous screenshots and “proof” images showcasing the earnings you’ve acquired. This helps to build your credibility and solidifies your credibility.
Summary
Getting verified for Instagram certainly has its perks. Use the information in this article to help you increase your chances of getting approved so you can start enjoying the many benefits that come with having the blue checkmark next to your name on Instagram.
And remember, whether you get the blue check or not, you can still experience phenomenal results on the platform by focusing on producing high-quality, engaging content that your audience will love and appreciate. For best results on Instagram, you can also try out tools like Instagram automation tools and social listening.
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