We all want that shiny blue tick! For brands and social media creators on Instagram, getting verified is the greatest form of validation. Securing that ‘blue tick’ not only validates your authenticity, it gives you more control over your online presence by ensuring your profile is the only one representing your brand.
So how do you get one? Well, getting Instagram verified is not easy, and it’s not something that everyone is able to do. But if you want to earn this recognition, here you will find the 10 essential steps you will need to take to be in with a chance of receiving the coveted verification badge on Instagram.
What does Instagram verified actually mean?
In Instagram’s words, getting verified means that the platform has confirmed your profile as “the authentic presence of the public figure, celebrity or global brand it represents.”
So, if you come across an Instagram account that has a blue tick in their bio, it means you’re looking at the official account of that brand or personality, as opposed to a fake, unofficial or fan account.
Here’s an example of innocent’s Instagram profile showcasing the blue verified badge.
Instagram’s verification badges essentially help brands and creators stand out, look credible and avoid getting impersonated. At the same time, they help Instagram users find the right profile when searching for their favourite brand or personality.
To qualify for Instagram verification, however, you need to meet certain criteria…
What are the requirements to apply for a verified badge on Instagram?
Anyone can request verification on Instagram, but you need to meet certain criteria to get approved for the blue tick.
Although the exact process and requirements for getting a verification badge on Instagram are unclear, the platform offers some guidelines to help you find out if you’re eligible.
First, make sure you’re adhering to Instagram’s Community Guidelines and Terms of Use. Other than that, your account also needs to be:
- Authentic: Your account should belong to a real person, business, brand or entity.
- Public: Private Instagram accounts are not eligible for verification.
- Complete: Your profile should have a bio and photo, and you must be active on the platform. We have a whole guide on how to create an Instagram business profile, if you need to get started.
- Unique: Your account must be the only one representing your unique self or business. Instagram does not verify multiple accounts for the same person or business. Also, general interest accounts are not eligible, only individuals or businesses.
- Notable: Your account must represent a publicly known, highly-searched for person or business that has been featured in multiple, authentic news sources. Paid or sponsored media sources do not count.
Keep in mind that there’s no exact number of followers you need to have to qualify for a verification badge. Whether you have 100,000+ followers or less than 10,000 followers, you can still apply if you meet the criteria noted above.
Also, note that even if the Facebook Page that’s linked to your Instagram account is already verified, you will still need to apply for a verification badge on Instagram.
How to request verification on Instagram
After a rise in scams selling ‘fake instagram badges’ on the black market, Instagram introduced the ability to apply for a badge directly through the app to stop people being tricked into believing they could purchase one. Here’s how you can apply…
- Log into your account and navigate to Settings from the menu on the top right.
- Inside Settings, click on “Account” and select “Request Verification.”
- Complete the required fields with as much info as possible and then hit send to start the review process.
As Instagram states, just because your account may be eligible for verification doesn’t necessarily mean it will be designated as such. Unfortunately, there is no guaranteed timeline for when you’ll be notified whether or not you’ve been verified. But if denied, you’ll have to wait 30 days before attempting to request verification again.
10 helpful tips for getting verified on Instagram
If you’re ready to apply for verification on Instagram, we’ve got some tips you can implement to increase your chances of scoring the blue badge.
If it doesn’t work out, or if you decide not to go for the verification process, you can still find success on Instagram in general by keeping these best practices in mind.
1. Complete your Instagram profile
One of the ways Instagram verifies your identity is by looking at your profile.
Make sure your profile is 100% complete by adding a well-written bio and a profile photo that represents your business, brand or self. For example, you can add your company’s logo to the profile photo, and your brand’s tagline and website in the bio.
Ensuring your profile is complete and authentic can also help you build credibility to your audience, which is a great way to get more followers, engagement and media attention.
2. Build your social profiles
Establishing a strong following on other platforms can help make your Instagram account appear especially genuine.
For instance, as a brand there are strong links between Twitter and press announcements. Use that to your advantage! When your name appears in the news or media, use that exposure to build your social profiles and following.
3. Look out for impersonator profiles
While claiming that your identity is at risk might feel a bit like crying wolf–this tip actually comes straight from Instagram:
“Accounts representing well-known figures and brands are verified because they have a high likelihood of being impersonated.”
Your verified badge sets you apart as the one-and-only you. It builds trust in your followers by letting them know that they’re not following a random impersonator. People want to know that they’re following the real deal.
Letting Instagram know that you’re at risk of being impersonated may help push them to act.
4. Stay as active as you can on your account
This may seem obvious but you’ll likely never be Instagram verified if you don’t actively use the platform. When admins come to see if you’re worth Instagram verification they’ll be looking for regular activity. If you’re not using the platform, there’s no benefit in initiating the verification process.
It goes the other way, too. What’s the point of verification if you’re not active on Instagram? To improve your chances of getting that blue Instagram verified badge, make sure you stock up on great photos and videos, take advantage of Insights and most importantly engage with your audience.
5. Boost your earned media
Want Instagram to give you that seal of approval? Show them you’re worth it. What happens when you Google yourself? Nothing? Fix that, because if you don’t have a widely recognised brand, there’s nothing to verify.
Remember, it’s not an algorithm deciding who should get a blue tick on their Instagram account. Real people review every request manually and they likely head to search engines like Google to see what comes up for outside credibility.
Ultimately, figuring out how to get verified on Instagram involves putting in a lot of work before you make a request. It’s tough, but that’s why verification badges are so highly sought-after and it really is worth it.
6. Never try and buy a verification badge
The only way to get verified on Instagram is to apply through the app or via Facebook’s media partners. Don’t try to take any shortcuts, like buying your way in. Any company offering this as a service are more than likely to be a scam, so don’t get sucked in.
Trying to purchase a verification badge is not only ineffective and a waste of your money, but you can get penalised for violating Instagram’s community guidelines as providing any false or misleading information during the process can get your account removed from the platform altogether.
7. Remove any cross-platform links from your bio
According to Instagram, verified accounts are not allowed to encourage users to add or follow other social media profiles in their bio, such as Facebook or YouTube.
However, you can still add links to your website, landing page and other web pages in your bio. Think of the Instagram link in bio as another strategy avenue to drive traffic to multiple campaigns, profiles or sites. We recommend landing pages such as Linktree.
8. Improve your searchability
Now here’s the big one. One of the key requirements for getting verified on Instagram is to be well-known and highly-searched for. This means you need to be more active on the PR front and try to get your name out there organically.
For example, you might want to publish press releases for upcoming company announcements or product launches. Instagram does its own research, so applying when your name has recently been in the news can fire up your chances of getting verified.
It is widely reported that a minimum requirement for verification is to have 10-15 press articles. So here’s where investing in some PR will be worthwhile as the more searchable you are, the better your chances.
9. Personalise your posts
Creating and maintaining an account that is unique and authentic is extremely important for getting verified on Instagram.
That’s why we recommend personalising your posts as much as possible to help you differentiate your account from impersonators.
For example, you could adopt a specific brand voice, visual style, feed aesthetic, content theme or hashtag strategy that’s unique to your account and difficult (or impossible) to replicate.
Try sharing behind-the-scenes content to give your audience an inside look at your brand! Who else would have this type of unique content besides you?
10. Hire a publicist or agency to help
If you’ve followed all these steps and match all the above requirements, it is still possible that you may be denied through the manual process. If this is the case then you can try hiring someone to help you get over the line, look into a professional PR or digital agency that has access to Facebook’s Media Partner Support tools. This will help with your application as it will be directly submitted to a Facebook agent.
They will be able to submit requests for verifying your account, claiming usernames and merging accounts on your behalf through the industry-only portal they’re able to access.
Keep in mind that the method above is a legitimate source of assistance on the process, unlike “buy” or bot tools that provide you with artificial likes, engagement or verification in exchange for money. So while there’s no guarantee that a digital agency will be successful in your IG verification, it can increase your changes.
Losing the verification badge or not getting verified on Instagram
Even if you do get verified on Instagram, know that you can lose that blue tick. This is usually the case if you fail to follow Instagram’s Terms of Use and Community Guidelines, or if Instagram finds that you provided misleading or false information ini your verification application.
To keep your verified status, make sure you play by the rules, stay active on the platform, publish unique and engaging content and keep your account public at all times.
If you fail to get verified for any reason, you can re-apply for verification after 30 days.
If you’re still unable to get verified or aren’t eligible for applying, continue to use these tips outlined above to guide you to demonstrate your authenticity and build credibility in front of your audience.
Remember, getting verified is just the tip of the iceberg. Building an audience, establishing your credibility and demonstrating authenticity takes time. It’s a long-term strategy to regularly engage with your followers and produce unique and helpful content. And by doing so you’ll hopefully earn and keep your verified status on not just Instagram, but also any other social media profiles.
Is getting Instagram verified worth it?
There’s a lot of planning and effort involved in Instagram verification, so make sure you have a good reason before you get started. Fortunately, there are plenty of benefits to being verified, from better brand credibility to a stronger social search presence.
IG verification differentiates you from the crowd and makes it easier for you to reach the people that matter most to you. Used correctly, it makes you more trustworthy on social media and boosts your conversion rates. All you need to do is show that you’re worthy.
Good luck!
Need help getting your Instagram to a place ready for verification? At South Coast Social, we’re a team of experienced content creators and social media advertising experts who specialise in bringing your brand and personality to life online. Contact us today and allow us to take care of all of your social media needs for you.
