Getting verified on Instagram gives your business the kudos and recognition that it deserves, particularly when it comes to your social media marketing. Your followers perceive the small, blue Instagram Verified badge as a mark of trust and it gives them even more confidence in your products and services. Additionally, it can also help with engagement and interaction, plus assist with brand-building when you develop marketing campaigns. However, it is not as simple as just adding the coveted badge to your profile page. There are certain steps that your business needs to take to be awarded it (more on how to get verified on Instagram later). Once you meet the criteria for how to get verified on Instagram, not only will you receive the valuable blue badge, but you’ll also gain access to some other, beneficial Instagram features.
Understanding the Instagram Verification Badge and How to Get Verified on Instagram
If you’re unsure as to what Instagram verification means, it’s a process that proves your account or business account is genuine. There are hundreds of thousands of fake Instagram accounts on the platform. Many of these are spam accounts and some are parody accounts. A famous person, for example, may have hundreds of people impersonating them or just using their account name for gratification. For fans, it’s important that they know they’re following the right account too. The small, blue “tick” badge that appears on the front of a profile page alongside the account’s profile picture is verification that an account is genuine. It’s useful for businesses, famous people, personalities and even influencers to know how to get verified on Instagram.
Reasons Why You Should Know How To Get Verified on Instagram
The article has already mentioned above the risk of so many fake accounts. The biggest benefit to having the blue verification badge on your profile page is that your audience knows you are exactly who you say you are. Another good reason is that having the verification badge builds trust and brand loyalty, plus it confirms that you’re credible. There is another reason too: Verified Instagram accounts appear higher in searches, so, when other users search for your brand or name, they’ll find you easily. This is especially useful for businesses because it draws attention to the brand name, giving you better exposure to your audience.
How to Get Verified on Instagram – The Criteria Checklist
Any business, person, personality, influencer or brand can request verification on Instagram. However, putting in the verification request doesn’t guarantee that Instagram will authorize it! In fact, it’s very unlikely that they will unless you meet certain criteria for verification. That’s because the blue badge is a recognized tool and a trusted badge. You should read the Instagram Terms of Use and Community Guidelines to make sure that your account is perfectly aligned; you can access the web page here: https://help.instagram.com/581066165581870. Meanwhile, here are the key points that you need to factor in when asking how to get verified on Instagram:
Ask yourself,
- Is your account genuine? Are you the business, public figure, personality, famous person, charity or other? If not — don’t bother trying to get your account verified!
- Is your account one of a kind? This means, does the content that your account shares to your audience representative of the account name or business that you want to be verified?
- Is your profile complete? This refers to your main profile. Are all fields completed? Do you have a profile picture and a bio?
- Is your Instagram account high-profile? This is determined by whether or not your account is well regarded or regularly searched. Is it newsworthy and does it appear in the news either on or offline? Paid or sponsored media doesn’t count toward this criteria.
What About the Number of Followers Your Account Has?
Contrary to what you may have already been told, there isn’t a specific number of followers that you need when it comes to how to get verified on Instagram. There is a number that often gets repeated (10,000 followers) but so far, Instagram hasn’t substantiated this figure. Don’t worry too much about your following (although to get Instagram followers you could always buy genuine followers from a reputable business specializing in the area). It’s far more important to concentrate on the above criteria first.
What Happens When Your Verification Request Is Denied?
Perhaps you know how to get verified on Instagram, but your application has previously been denied; you thought you followed all the right steps, so you’re probably wondering why. Here are the reasons (don’t forget, you can request verification again once 30 days has passed as long as you haven’t requested multiple times):
- Your profile was incomplete at the time of your verification request. For example, are you sure you uploaded a profile picture? Did you complete your bio?
- There’s no newsworthy information about your account name or business — so perhaps you have various press releases that you’ve paid for or you have sponsored media online (even offline), but if it’s paid for, it’s not recognized by Instagram.
- The information that you provided to Instagram during the verification process was misleading.
- You used a third party to verify your Instagram account (there is no need – anyone can request verification themselves).
- You keep requesting verification — and Instagram has given you a final, negative decision.
Have you checked all of the above?
Losing Your Instagram Verification Badge
What about those circumstances when you suddenly lose your Instagram verification badge? If you have violated the community guidelines or terms of use (see the link earlier in this piece), you could lose your verification badge and even have your account disabled. Once you’ve lost your badge, it is extremely unlikely that you’ll get it back.
How To Get Verified on Instagram — The Steps
If you believe you meet all the criteria to get your account verified, here’s what you need to do to apply for the coveted badge:
- Log into your account.
- Visit your profile page.
- Locate the hamburger option (top right on your profile page).
- Select the settings prompt.
- Select the account prompt.
- Scroll down to find the request verification prompt.
- The apply for Instagram verification prompt will appear.
- Complete the fields to confirm that your business is genuine and relevant. Add as much information as you can to prove that your business or name is authentic.
- Once complete, have a read-through to make sure you’ve covered everything correctly.
- Submit your application.
Next, it’s a waiting game. It doesn’t happen overnight and could take up to 30 days to receive a decision. Don’t worry — you can still use your Instagram in the meantime, and you might want to use the opportunity to find out how to get likes on Instagram and build up your profile to give it even more of an opportunity to get verified. You should receive your answer anytime up to 30 days although you might get your application denied. If that happens, try and work out why and reapply, but you will have to wait another 30 days before you can do so.
The one warning that this article must give you is that if you keep applying you may receive a final decision that won’t allow you to apply again – so, be absolutely 100% certain that your account meets the verification criteria. You should also remain active, build your brand and Instagram followers, learn how to get more views on Instagram and continue to share valuable information. If you do get that blue verification badge, then give yourself a well-earned high-five!
