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How to Get Verified on Instagram

Ah, the little blue check. Everyone wants it, but only few are qualified to receive it. It’s a status symbol in a way, proof that your brand is established, reputable, and deserving of that “official” title. 

We’re talking being verified on Instagram of course. 

But getting verified by Instagram does more than just present you with a stamp of approval — there are actually perks that come along with this new symbol. So how do you get those perks? Let’s jump into it.

What does the blue check mark actually do?

The main purpose of getting verified on Instagram is that it shows other people that your brand’s account is an official account. With all of the fan and knockoff accounts popping up nowadays, it could get confusing trying to distinguish who the real person or brand actually is. 

Perks of a verified badge:

  • The blue checkmark makes it easy to know which accounts are legit, and which ones are fake. This way, your brand’s reputation can’t be tarnished by fake accounts posting questionable or straight up offensive content under your brand’s name. 
  • You will gain more followers because people will trust your brand more.
  • Other brands and influencers will want to work with you. Seeing that you are a reputable company by Instagram’s standards will help you win over potential partners, opening up your marketing and advertising potential greatly.

Requirements for Getting Verified on Instagram

Instagram evaluates accounts for verification based on a number of criteria, as well as benefit to the public interest. To start, you must ensure that you are following Instagram’s Terms of Use and Community Guidelines. In addition, your account must be:

  1. Authentic. Your account must represent a real person, registered business, or entity.
  2. Unique. Instagram doesn’t verify general interest accounts, only unique individuals or brands. Ensure that your account is representative of one person or company only. Accounts such as meme pages, fan pages, etc are not subject to verification for these reasons.
  3. Complete. Your account must not only be public, but must also have a bio, profile photo, and at least one post (though it would probably benefit you if you had a good handful of quality posts). The more rounded-out your account looks, the higher the likelihood of getting verified.
  4. Notable. The account must have established notability and recognition outside of Instagram. In other words: well-known, often searched for, etc.

How to Request Verification on Instagram

The process for getting verified on Instagram is fairly straightforward. Here’s how to do it:

  1. Log into your Instagram account.
  2. Go to Settings in the menu on the top right.
  3. When in Settings, click on “Account” and then select “Request Verification.”
  4. Fill out the form and then hit send.

Super simple, right? But Instagram will tell you that just because you meet the requirements for verification, doesn’t guarantee you that coveted badge. Your submitted request will go through a verification process for which there is no guaranteed timeline. It’s a waiting game unfortunately!

How to Boost Your Chances of Getting Verified

While Instagram has its basic requirements laid out for you on their website, there are a few extra things you can do to stand out of the crowd. These are:

  • Build up your reputation elsewhere. If you have other social media, make sure to pay attention to those pages as well. The more reputable and active you look on other places of the Internet, the better.
  • Report impersonators. Fake accounts can hurt your chances of getting verified, especially if they have a large following. This then makes it more difficult to set yourself apart as the legitimate account. Make sure to be on the lookout for these accounts, and report them when possible.
  • Stay active. The more you post and engage with your followers, the more quickly you will gain followers and appear more reputable at the same time. 
  • Focus on your SEO. Getting organic traffic and landing yourself a higher spot on Google’s search engine results will help your brand appear more reputable in Instagram’s eyes. Remember — strong web presence really makes a difference!

In conclusion…

Though the steps to getting verified on Instagram may seem fairly straightforward, they take their vetting process very seriously. Instagram is very big on providing quality for their users, so if they do not feel that your account is quite up-to-par, you’ll have to wait another 30 days until you can apply again. Good luck!