Ways to get Verified on Instagram! - Bayleaf Global Digital
With how easy and quick it is to make social media accounts, it can be just as difficult to determine if people are really who they portray to be. How do you know if you’re actually following Kim Kardashian or Nike?
One way to determine whether an account is genuine or not is to look for a verification tick. This is typically represented as a blue checkmark. But the official symbol may vary depending on the social media platform. Verification badges confirm the public figures, celebrities, or brand accounts are legitimate.
Instagram verification prevents impersonation which means less cybercrime. This is why verified accounts are exclusive to public figures, celebrities, or global brands. Being verified means your company is a big deal because it’s significant enough to be at risk of impersonation. The checkmark is also meant to help users easily find their favourite brands on various social media platforms.
Being verified on Instagram increases your brand’s goodwill and credibility. Only 3.26% of accounts on Instagram are verified, having the blue badge and check by your profile name signifies your brand is both relevant and important. Instagram verification can also increase your follower count and brand awareness. This is because verified profiles appear at the top of the search and suggested/explored accounts. Another perk is that verified accounts receive early access to Instagram features that can help monetize their accounts.
- Monitor for sham accounts
If you’re struggling with constant fake, unauthorized, or fan accounts impersonating your brand, then we have good news for you. You’re a prime candidate for a verification badge on Instagram. After all, distinguishing real accounts from fake ones is verification’s stated primary purpose.
- Increase (real) followers
We all know that you need a minimum of 10,000 followers in order to get verified. Just don’t try to take a shortcut and buy your Instagram followers because that is something you should definitely not be doing to get your blue tick.
- Delete any cross-platform links in your bio
In what some might call a slightly petty move, Instagram insists that verified accounts can’t have so-called “add me” links to other social media tools in their Instagram profiles. You can include links to your website, landing pages, or other online properties, just definitely don’t link to your YouTube or Twitter or any other social platform account.
- Be highly-searched for
Social media is all about organic discovery (this is what the Instagram Explore page is for). But when it comes to verification, Instagram wants to know if people care about you enough to tear themselves away from the suggestions of the feed and spontaneously type your name/brand’s name into the search bar.
- Apply when your name is in the news
Has your brand been featured in multiple reliable news sources? Did a recent press release or promotion? If PR hasn’t been a priority for your brand thus far, you might have a more difficult time proving how “notable” you are. Especially because there’s no place to submit your legitimacy: Instagram does its own research, so it’s up to you to make sure your news is impossible to ignore and in the face.
- Work with an agency or publicist
If you have the budget and the ambition, hire a digital agency. Your agent or publicist will be able to submit requests to claim usernames, merge accounts, and get accounts verified through their industry-only portal.
- Make sure your profile and bio are effective and complete
Instagram’s listed requirements for verification (a bio, a profile pic and one post) are a low bar. You don’t just want to meet it. You want to exceed it. Optimizing your Instagram bio should be able to impress the verification team when they come to check you out.
