If you follow a celebrity, influencer, or a large brand on Instagram, you may have noticed a blue check next to their Instagram username. Nope, that symbol is not an emoji, that blue check mark is an Instagram verification badge and is a converted status symbol for many.
While having a verified check mark doesn’t increase your chances of being seen in social feeds, it does help your followers distinguish your account from a clone or a fake account. And, that’s the whole point of the badge: the badge is a signal to Instagram users that this account is the brand, celebrity, or influencer’s true account.
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Verified accounts assure the authenticity of the users or brand. Having an Instagram account with a verified check mark will help build brand credibility and prevent fraud. Additionally, some features on the social media network are only available to verified or business accounts.
sports stars,
actors,
CEOs,
politicians,
and brands.
This is because they’re more likely to be impersonated.
According to Instagram, to be verified accounts must be "notable and authentic." In simple words, it is hard to get verified on Instagram.
Whether you apply from a personal or a business account doesn’t appear to have an impact. There are a few other criteria that Instagram explains they use to evaluate verification applications. According to Instagram’s website, your account needs to be:
Authentic : This account must truly be owned by the global brand, celebrity, or influencer claiming to be the owner of the account. Otherwise, this would be a violation of the app's community guidelines. It must also be a real person or brand applying, not a fictional brand.
: This account must truly be owned by the global brand, celebrity, or influencer claiming to be the owner of the account. Otherwise, this would be a violation of the app's community guidelines. It must also be a real person or brand applying, not a fictional brand. Unique : Only one account owned by the global brand, celebrity, or influencer can get verified on Instagram, with the exception of language-specific accounts. So if your brand operates multiple Instagram accounts, choose wisely which one should get a verified symbol (copy & paste won't work here).
: Only one account owned by the global brand, celebrity, or influencer can get verified on Instagram, with the exception of language-specific accounts. So if your brand operates multiple Instagram accounts, choose wisely which one should get a verified symbol (copy & paste won't work here). Public : Only accounts that have a privacy setting set to “Public” — not “Private” — can get a blue check on Instagram.
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: Only accounts that have a privacy setting set to “Public” — not “Private” — can get a blue check on Instagram. Complete : Is your Instagram bio complete? You’ll need to guarantee that your bio, with a full name, and profile picture is complete. You must have also posted at least once.
: Is your Instagram bio complete? You’ll need to guarantee that your bio, with a full name, and profile picture is complete. You must have also posted at least once. Notable: Again, unless the account represents “a well-known, highly searched for person, brand, or entity,” you may struggle to get that verified check mark.
Step 1: Go to the menu icon in the top right corner of your profile
Step 2: Click on the Settings icon
Step 3: Click on the Account section
Step 4: Select Account Verification from the list
Step 5: Fill out the form and attach a government-issued photo ID or an official business document.
Step 6: Click Send
Usually, you will receive a notification after a few days (in some cases, it may take a week or more). You might need several attempts to get that blue checkmark, but you can apply for Instagram verification more than once. So, don’t give up!
Use the guide below to grow your following before you get that elusive blue tick!
Provide quality content
How do you get verified on Instagram (without being famous), you might wonder? Share content that provides value to your target audience. Content can be informational, humorous, musical, or anything useful for your followers. If we create a hub that constantly posts quality content, we’re likely to retain our followers. Learn more about the best content to post on Instagram.
Be active
The more active you are the more chances you will have to connect with the people and consequently, get verified on Instagram. Building a following isn’t just about creating great content, due to the recent social media algorithms we can no longer rely on visibility ‘just happening’.
Engaging with your audience, potential audience and influencers will boost your following as your message has a better reach and therefore chance of getting more followers.
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Another way to expand your reach on Instagram is to use hashtags. With Instagram's new ‘follow’ hashtags feature, you can reach new audiences, boost your following and increase your chances of getting a verified checkmark on Instagram.
Did you know that posts with at least one hashtag receive an average of 12.6% more engagement than posts without?
Check out our Hashtag Guide for more information.
Creating a branded hashtag is a good way to encourage user-generated content. Using generic hashtags like ‘like for like’, may boost your likes, but they won’t attract the right audience.
Post pictures that tell stories
They say a picture paints a thousand words. Instagram being the image-focused platform that it is, provides an opportunity to tell stories to your audience. In Meltwater’s previous blog, best B2B Instagram accounts, there are loads of great examples of how to be interesting on Instagram. Many use content that tells a story through profiling their employees, audience, or causes. Such efforts can work wonders when you are focussing on how to get a blue check on Instagram.
Don’t buy followers on Instagram. It's as simple as that. True growth and reach come from meaningful engagement, which isn't something you will be getting from bots.
You may think that artificially increasing your followers, may help you get Instagram verification, however, this isn’t the case. Generally the followers you’ll get by paying will be bots. Instagram is cracking down on bots and unethical activities, so chances are your follower count will decrease soon after paying for them. In fact, many brands are cracking down on Influencer fraud. Don’t fall into this trap yourself, learn how to spot fake influencers.
Even if we can’t get verified on Instagram, we can create an engaged following, so use the tips above in your social media strategy!
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Photo: Andrew Neel
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