For many businesses, working their way toward being verified on social media is a monumental step in the life of their business.
While you can always increase your advertising budget to generate more leads, Instagram verification is one of the elusive social media status symbols you can’t buy, which as a result makes it highly coveted and immensely valuable.
Astudyrevealed that 73.4% of Instagram accounts that had more than one million followers had a verified badge. Out of the next group down (100,000 to one million followers), 22.4% were verified accounts. When studying accounts with between 1,000 and 5,000 followers, only 0.87% were verified.
Put simply, being verified on Instagram can have a significant effect on your brand’s image in the public eye.
This guide will walk you through everything you need to know on how to get verified on Instagram, including the verification process, how to request verification, and more.
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What is a verified badge on Instagram?
An Instagram verified badge is a blue checkmark next your profile name. The check proves the account is owned by a public figure like a celebrity or brand.
As a business on Instagram, one question you may ask yourself is, “How do I get my account verified?” Most social media services have some kind of “verification” process for getting the almighty blue checkmark on your profile:
Why get verified on Instagram?
Data suggests that the majority of bigger Instagram accounts are verified. As you grow your Instagram profile, you’ll want to get verified to stand out from the competition. Verified accounts are generally seen as more trustworthy than unverified ones and have a30% higher engagement rate,on average.
Other reasons to get verified include:
- It stops impersonation. The main reason the verification badge exists is to make sure accounts holders are who they say they are. The blue check on your profile shows followers and visitors that you’re the real deal, not a fake account.
- It lends credibility.As a side effect of Instagram users knowing you’re the real business account of a brand, you become more credible and trustworthy. The blue tick is also a status symbol that shows users your account is worth following.
- You get access to special features.For example, sharing links in Instagram Stories can improve yourInstagram marketingthrough more engagement and conversions. Normally, you’d need at least 10,000 followers, but if you’re verified you can use this feature no matter how many followers you have.
- Verified accounts appear higher in search.Lastly, if your account is verified and users search Instagram for content in your category, you may appear higher in search results:
Having a verified Instagram account, means you’re more likely to attract new followers directly from search results (in the Instagram app) and increase brand awareness.
With all of those great benefits, you’re probably thinking that getting verified is going to be pretty difficult. But is it? Let’s take a look.
Is it hard to get verified on Instagram?
The good news is that applying to be verified on Instagram is super easy (as you’ll see in the tutorial below). The not so great news is that actually getting approved can be difficult.
It’s no secret how Instagram verifies accounts. It’sguidelines statethe eligibility requirements your account must meet:
- Authentic.As in you must be a real person, public figure, or registered business entity. You’ll need official business documents and ID to prove it.
- Unique.你不能有多个相同的珀耳斯占on or business (unless they are language-specific accounts). Instagram also doesn’t verify general interest (like memes) or fan accounts.
- Complete.At the bare minimum, your Instagram profile needs to be public, have anInstagram bioand a profile picture, and be active when you apply. “Be active” isn’t defined, but you can take it to mean you post, share, or comment on content regularly.
- Notable.This is the tougher bit that most struggle with. Being notable means your account name represents a “well-known, highly searched for” person or brand. Instagram reviews accounts that are featured in multiple news sources, but not paid or promotional content.
Those are on top of the basic rules of following community guidelines and Instagram’s terms of use. As bonus good news, these criteria also mean you don’t have to have a certain number of followers to get verified—you could request verification as soon as you sign up and complete your profile.
How to get the verified badge on Instagram
1. Start your request
Open the Instagram app and head to your profile. Once you’re on your profile page, tap on the hamburger icon (three lines) in the top-right corner and selectSettings. On your settings page, toward the bottom, you’ll see the option toRequest Verification.Tap it and you’re ready for step 2.
2. Add your business details
From there, you’ll need to fill in details about your business such as:
- Your full name (or trading name),which you’ll need to back up with a photo ID, such as a driver’s license, or business documents, such as business registration papers or utility bills (for physical stores).
- Notability,which is confirmed by selecting your industry category and target audience. You’ll also have to list brand names you might also or otherwise be known as.
- Supporting links to help confirm your notability.Here you can link to other verified social media accounts if you have them, news or press releases your brand is featured in, your website, or other (non-promotional) links you feel might be relevant.
3. Make your submission
Once you’ve filled in the verification application details, hitSubmitand congrats: you’ve sent off your request.
一般在30天内,Instagram will notify you in your Activity feed whether your application was successful or not. If so, you’ll get the Instagram verification badge right away.
Tips for getting verified
Before you go ahead and submit your application for the coveted blue badge, keep in mind the following tips that will help improve your chances of getting a verified Instagram account:
- Don’t buy a badge
- Get real followers
- Complete your profile
- Follow the community guidelines
- Get publicity
Don’t buy a badge
Under no circumstances does Instagram let users buy, sell, or otherwise transfer their verified badge. If you see an account that advertises the ability to get you one either for free or for a “small fee,” like the one below, don’t fall for the scam.
Use Instagram responsibly. Don’t try shady tactics like buying badges, followers, likes, or comments. Otherwise, you could find your account banned.
Get real followers
Don’t buy Instagram followers. Focus on the genuine, organic growth of your account. It’s easy to tell when someone buys followers because their account will have lots of followers but low engagement. These “followers” are often bots or inactive accounts, so they don’t interact with your brand. The lack of engagement means your posts won’t show up on the explore pages or in your audiences feeds.
It's better to have 1,000 engaged fans than 10,000 followers when you want to optimize for sales.
Although your follower count doesn’t matter when it comes to verification, a highly engaged following can help. Some ways toget more Instagram followersinclude:
- Using the right hashtags to get your profile in front of targeted audiences
- Publishing a mix ofInstagram Stories, Reels, and feed posts
- Running giveaways
- Encouraging user-generated content
- Curating your profile grid
- Creating shareable content
Instagram followers are more than just a number, they are your community. Even if you don’t get verified, real followers will help increase traffic to your site, make more sales, and build influence in your space.
Complete your profile
All verified accounts have one thing in common: complete profiles. Each of them has a concise and punchy Instagram bio, a strong profile photo, an external link (to either their website or a Linktree, linking to multiple sites), and well-designed Story Highlights.
Sure, the Instagram profile has the same structure for every account. But eachInstagram bio—the small summary underneath the username—is unique. Users look at your bio when deciding whether or not to follow you on Instagram, so you have to make it count.
The bios of verified accounts accomplish a number of things:
- Highlight essential information about the business (brand name, category, company overview)
- Offer a way for users to get in touch
- Showcase the brands’ personality
- Establish a unique selling proposition
- Encourage a response with a call to action
A strong profile can make a good first impression on behalf of your brand and convince people to follow you.
Follow the community guidelines
As long as your brand is consistent, only posting your own content—content that is safe for public viewing—you’re most likely already following thecommunity guidelinesand ticking this box for verification.
Though to be more specific, Instagram has given a short version of what the community guidelines cover:
We want Instagram to continue to be an authentic and safe place for inspiration and expression. Help us foster this community. Post only your own photos and videos, and always follow the law. Respect everyone on Instagram; don’t spam people or post nudity.
No matter if you’re a global brand or the average Joe, Instagram can (and does) punish accounts that don’t follow these basic guidelines.
Get publicity
Team up with a PR agent or agency, or even a journalist, who can help you get your name out there. Some agencies also have access to Facebook’s Media Partner Support tools, where they can submit requests and get accounts verified through the portal.
To get publicity, you’ll need to do things considered newsworthy. What’s deemed newsworthy depends on your niche, but here are a few ideas to get you started:
- Participate in or create a local event (for charity or otherwise)
- Make a guest appearance on a podcast or other media channel
- Pledge to donate to a relevant cause, either a one-off or indefinitely
- Publish a white paper or other original data relevant to your target audience
Getting involved in activities outside of your brand is how you build awareness and get into media outlets. When the Instagram verification team checks to see if you are notable, they’ll find you in these news channels.
What to do if you don’t get verified
Even if you follow all of the tips above, there’s still a chance Instagram won’t approve your application. So what happens then? Try a few of the following actions:
Double-check the verification requirements
As simple as it sounds, it’s worth double-checking the four main requirements we saw earlier: authentic, unique, complete, and notable.
Make sure you have the most appropriate business document to prove authenticity. Be sure to remove/delete any old accounts you might have set up. Compare your level of profile completeness to those who are already verified.
Lastly, do a Google search on your brand. If you don’t see any mentions of it outside of your own website, that could be the issue.
Wait and apply again
If your verification request gets rejected by Instagram, all is not lost. You can apply again after 30 days. Be patient though—repeated applications within 30 days will mean the request will becanceled.
Give yourself that month to figure out ways of improving your chances using the tips above rather than hope you’ll get approved in the following 30 days without making any changes.
Show authenticity in other ways
If you still can’t get approved for a blue check, there are other ways to show your brand’s authenticity without it.
Instagram recommendslinking your account to your official website, Facebook page, YouTube channel. Another way to show your authenticity is by creating video content of you or your team behind the scenes.
Showing how your business looks day-to-day is a great way to gain trust, but also follows the recommendations of multiformat content to grow followers.
Don’t stress if you can’t get verified
Getting the verification badge on Instagram (or any social media for that matter) is a big milestone for your business. It proves your account is worth watching and engaging with. However, all the benefits come with a challenge—it can be hard to get approved.
Getting the basics right matters, and so does building your brand outside of your immediate social bubble. Following the tips in this guide will help you toward fulfilling those requirements.
That said, verified or not,making money on Instagramis still possible by funneling traffic to your ecommerce store, setting up an Instagram shop, becoming a brand affiliate, and more.
Illustration by Dan Page
Instagram verification FAQ
Can an individual person get verified on Instagram?
An individual person or small business can get verified on Instagram. The profile must represent a real person or business, and it must be the only legitimate Instagram account representing you or your business.
How many followers do I need to get verified on Instagram?
Instagram doesn’t give an official number needed for verification. One study found that accounts with as few as 1,000 followers had verification badges. It also found that the more followers an account has, the more likely they are to have a verification badge.
How much does it cost to get Instagram verified?
The verification application is free through the Instagram app. There are businesses you can pay to help you through the process of getting verified, but that’s not recommended.
How do I get verified on Instagram?
- Log in to the Instagram account you want to verify.
- Tap the hamburger icon.
- Tap Settings > Account > Request Verification.
- Enter your name and provide the required information.
- After you complete the form, send it and wait 30 days for a response.