What is Instagram Verification?
Instagram verification is simply getting a badge displayed on the profile of the user whether it is a personal account, business account, brand, organisation, or a well-known personality. This also serves as an authentication pin or proof of legitimacy that the existing account really belongs to a user.
Instagram is not the only social media platform that displays authentication or the “blue tick” badge, Twitter, and Facebook also has this kind of badge to display account trustworthiness.
So why Instagram verification is important? It will help other users identify that the account they are following belongs to the right person or brand. Accounts with a blue badge are also easily spotted on the search results page of the platform.
Who can get verified on Instagram?
Anyone can get verified on Instagram and get a badge. However, Instagram has its way of choosing who will get the badge and who will not. Getting a blue checkmark on Twitter and Facebook is not as easy as getting a badge on Instagram. The platform set its criteria to determine which accounts are eligible and not.
Accounts that display several numbers of likes and followers have the highest probability of getting a blue badge.
What do we know about eligibility?
At the beginning of the process, accounts users must adhere to the terms of services and community guidelines of the network. And your account must meet these criteria:
Authentic – your account must represent a real person, brand, or registered business. It cannot be a fan or dummy account.
Unique – only one brand or personal account can get verified regardless of the language and account setting.
Public – your account must be set in public; private accounts do not qualify for verification.
Complete – does your account contain complete primary information such as bio, profile picture, and an existing feed post?
Notable – is your account “well-known” or “highly searched”
If you are confident enough that your account meets the platforms’ criteria, you can now proceed and get your account verified.
How to get verified on Instagram
The Instagram verification process is simple:
- Log in to your Instagram profile and on the upper right corner, tap the Hamburger icon
- Tap Settings
- Tap Account
- Tap Request Verification
- Fill in the application form with all the information needed:
- Username
- Full name
- Attached any valid ID. Utility bills, official business documents, or tax filings are accepted for businesses. For individuals, driver’s license, passport, and national identification card.
- Select your category or the industry where you belong (e.g. news media, sports, government and politics, music, fashion, global business/brand/organization, and so forth).
- Then tap send
After reviewing all the submitted documents and information, Instagram will send you a response in your notifications tab as an acknowledgement of your application. It may take a few days or weeks or some say up to 30 days. You will receive a direct “yes” or “no” with no explanation or feedback from the team.
5 tips to get verified on Instagram
Listed here are the things you need to consider to maximise your chances of getting verified on Instagram.
- Be honest – Falsification of any document relating to your account will not help you get verified. Stating false information may cause extensive consequences. In your application, you have to be truthful above all else. Use your real name, choose the right category, and do not falsify government documents/IDs.
- Make sure your profile and bio are complete and effective – one of Instagram’s verification requirements is your account has A bio, profile picture, and at least one post on your feed. But this is just the standard, as a user, you need to go beyond it. Optimizing your account will also help you generate new followers and conversions as well.
- If you got rejected the first time, try again – if you fail on your first try, double your efforts the next time you apply. Rejections can be a good starting point for improvement regardless it will take you another month of waiting. Sharpen your strategy.
- Monitor impersonator accounts – one problem that you might encounter while getting a verification badge is fake or fan accounts that may hinder the process. However, closely monitoring these accounts help the platform distinguish real accounts from fake ones in verification’s stated purpose.
- Get more real followers – accounts that have several numbers of followers has the highest chance of getting verified. Establishing credibility inside and outside the platform can help brands increase the number of their followers. Here’s how you can get more Instagram followers.