VERIFIED ON INSTAGRAM: A STEP-BY-STEP JOURNEY TO THE BLUE CHECKMARK

BY HEIDI MCIVOR ALLEN

If elevating your brand’s credibility to its utmost level on social media is your goal, mastering the process of attaining verification on Instagram is essential. Acquiring that coveted blue checkmark will serve as a definitive indicator that your account is genuinely authentic. Furthermore, it will prove to be a significant challenge for counterfeit accounts attempting to imitate your identity.

“When you change one thing, you have the ability to change EVERYTHING.”

WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO BE VERIFIED ON INSTAGRAM?

The significance of Instagram verification is evolving. Initially introduced by the social media platform in 2018, the blue verification check aimed to safeguard prominent accounts from impersonators, simultaneously instilling trust in users about the authenticity of the accounts they choose to follow.

More recently, Mark Zuckerberg unveiled a program called Meta Verified, which operates on a pay-to-play basis, allowing individuals to obtain the blue badge for a fee, regardless of their level of prominence.

However, Meta Verified is not accessible to brands. If you’re a social media marketer representing a brand or a business owner seeking account verification, you’ll need to follow the traditional process (which we’ll elaborate on shortly).

Regardless of how the blue badge is acquired, its presence in an Instagram bio indicates that the platform has meticulously examined the account and verified its authenticity.

These verification badges also appear in search results “to assist individuals in locating genuine accounts of individuals and brands,” as stated by Instagram.

The bright blue checks are placed in prominent places so those accounts stand out against fan or fake accounts that may look very similar to the originals.

WHY GET VERIFIED ON INSTAGRAM?

Instagram verification badges have become something of a status symbol because they were notoriously difficult to get. But the check mark offers a lot more to brands than a little blue bling.

The exact benefits Instagram offers to verified accounts are in flux as they test the new Meta Verified program. But at the very least, blue-check accounts will be more trusted than non-verified accounts.

Impersonation Protection

Instagram will proactively monitor for verified account imposters.

Increased Visibility (maybe!)

Instagram has flip-flopped on this issue, first saying verified accounts will land higher in searches and then saying they won’t.

Direct Access To Customer Success

Verified accounts get access to human customer support.

CAN ANYONE GET VERIFIED ON INSTAGRAM?

Any person, brand, or organization is eligible to apply for Instagram verification. Individuals can now pay Meta and go through a brief process for their badge.

For brands and organizations, the old rules apply. This means proving to Instagram that your account meets these criteria:

Within the Rules

Your account needs to follow Instagram’s Terms of Use and Community Guidelines.

Authentic

Your account needs to represent a real person, business, or organization (not a fake or fan account).

Unique

Your account needs to represent a real person, business, or organization (not a fake or fan account).

Complete

You need to have a complete bio—including a profile image—and have posted something on the account.

Public

You have to set your account to the public to be considered for verification.

Notable

You or your brand needs to be searched for often, well-known, and featured in news sources.

Follower count isn’t a requirement for Instagram verification, so don’t hesitate to apply with a new account if you think you meet the above criteria.

6 STEPS TO APPLY FOR INSTAGRAM VERIFICATION

It only takes a few minutes to fill out the Instagram verification application. We found a few things worked differently than Instagram says they do, though.

Tap the Hamburger icon in the upper right
Go to Settings and Privacy
Go to Business Tools and Controls Instagram’s instructions say to tap “Account” here. In our professional account, we had to tap “Business tools and controls.”
Tap Request Verification
Fill out the application

USE THESE TIPS TO GET VERIFIED ON INSTAGRAM

Filling out the Instagram verification form is easy. The hard part is getting approved. These tips will help you get the green light for your new blue badge.

Create a Killer Bio & Profile

Instagram clearly outlines that an account must be comprehensive in order to qualify for verification. We recommend surpassing mere completion of the essential details and enhancing your Instagram bio to make it captivating. Crafting a creative bio will not only leave a favorable impression on Instagram’s verification team but also enhance your appeal to visitors of your profile.

Grow Your Following

Instagram asserts that follower count does not serve as the sole determinant for verification. And, to a certain extent, we take their word for it.

Indeed, the verification panel might not directly consider the quantity of individuals following your account. Nevertheless, a greater number of actively engaged followers correlates with heightened brand recognition. As your followers’ tally escalates, conversations about your brand amplify as well. Such are the accounts that Instagram designates with blue verification badges.

To boost your follower count, begin by employing these 10 rapid strategies to foster the growth of your Instagram account.

Apply When Your Brand is Hot

Upon completing the verification application, your aim is to include current links to articles or stories related to your brand that substantiate your eligibility for the blue check. Therefore, when your company garners media coverage or you unveil significant news anticipated to be widely circulated, capitalize on the public relations momentum to bolster your chances of achieving Instagram verification.

Remember that Instagram doesn’t consider paid promotion towards your application, so focus on unpaid (aka earned) media mentions.

Do Not Try To Buy a Verification

Similar to black hat SEO tactics, taking shortcuts to secure Instagram verification will have negative repercussions over time. As appealing as these shortcuts might appear, it’s essential not to be swayed by scammers promising to provide you with a blue check in exchange for payment.

Efforts to circumvent Instagram’s official verification procedure are bound to fail. In fact, they might result in punitive actions being taken against your account. While obtaining a blue check is desirable, maintaining a thriving and wholesome Instagram account holds greater value.

Instead of attempting to purchase verification, enhance your account’s prominence by understanding the optimal times for posting on Instagram.

Remove Links to Other Social Media Platforms

You might already understand the reasoning, but Instagram isn’t particularly fond of including links to other social media platforms in your bio. According to their guidelines, accounts featuring cross-platform links won’t be eligible for verification. If you’re aiming for the blue checkmark, it’s advisable to omit the social media links.

However, there’s an exception to this rule – you’re permitted to link your Facebook account, as it falls under the same Meta umbrella as Instagram. Additionally, you’re welcome to include links to your website; Instagram verifiers don’t take issue with that.

Re-apply

Two key points should be kept in mind. Initially, you must wait a minimum of 30 days before submitting another application. Furthermore, if you submit a second or subsequent application prior to receiving a response for your initial one, Instagram will annul all your applications.

Moreover, if there have been no alterations to your situation, reapplying likely won’t yield fruitful results. It’s advisable to actively involve your followers, garner more brand mentions, and unveil noteworthy announcements. Once these steps are taken, you can confidently pursue that coveted verification badge.

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