How to get your Instagram account verified

A verified badge is a check that appears next to an Instagram account’s name in search of a particular profile. It means Instagram has confirmed that an account is the authentic presence of the public figure, celebrity, or global brand it represents. A way to determine whether an account is genuine or not is to look for a verification badge. This is typically represented as a checkmark. But the official symbol may vary depending on the social media platform for instance Twitter or TikTok.

If you would want to get your Instagram account verified, its neither an easy or guaranteed process. Out of all the social platforms, obtaining Instagram verification is the most challenging. If you are a “normal” or a regular person, there is no reason for somebody to impersonate you. So, from Instagram’s point of view, there is no reason to verify you.

Instagram verification prevents impersonation. This is why verified accounts are exclusive for celebrities, public figures, or global brands. Being verified means your company is a big deal because it’s important enough to be at risk of impersonation. The checkmark is also meant to help users and fans easily find their favorite brands on social media.

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Getting your Instagram  account verified

Instagram looks at a number of factors when evaluating Instagram accounts to determine if they’re in the public interest and meet their verification criteria. If you are considering getting your account verified the following factors are put into account;

• Authentic: Your account must represent a real person, registered business, or entity. Any signs of fakeness or impersonation automatically disqualifies you from getting the verification badge.
• Unique: Your account must be the unique presence of the person or business it represents. Only one account per person or business may be verified, with exceptions for language-specific accounts. Instagram does not verify general interest accounts even if you have millions or thousands of followers for example meme accounts.
• Complete: Your account must be public and have a valid bio, profile photo, and at least one post. Your profile can’t contain “add me” links to other social media services. Unnecessary external links in your general bio may make it harder for you to get verified.
• Notable: Your account must represent a well-known, highly searched for person, brand, or entity. Instagram reviews accounts that are featured in multiple news sources and the social media firm doesn’t consider paid or promotional content as sources for review.

Keep in mind that if you provide false or misleading information during the verification process, Instagram will remove your verified badge and may take additional action to delete your account.

Benefits or a verified Instagram account;

More trust from users and followers

Getting verified on Instagram increases your brand’s credibility. Considering less than 1% of accounts are verified, having the blue badge and checking your profile name signifies your brand is both important and relevant.

Increased brand awareness

Instagram verification can also increase brand awareness and your follower count. This is because verified profiles appear towards the top of the search and suggested accounts. It’s also believed the algorithm favors content by verified accounts, resulting in higher engagement per post.

The blue badge will most likely bring business opportunities to your e-commerce company or personal brand. Even if an influencer or potential partner hasn’t heard of your brand before, the check indicates your company is a major leader in the industry. This could spark interest in communication or a collaboration with your business.

Access to special features

Verified accounts receive early access to Instagram features that can help monetize accounts.

For example, the swipe-up feature on Instagram stories. A brand or user needs at least 10,000 users to get access to the swipe-up tool. But verified accounts are the exception to this rule.

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The verification process

If you meet the above criteria for getting the badge, follow these steps to attempt getting your account verified;

1. Make sure you’re logged in to the account you’re requesting a verified badge for.
2. Go to your profile by tapping  in the bottom right.
3. Tap  in the top right.
4. TapSettings > Account > Request Verification.

Enter your full name and provide the required form of identification (for example, government-issued photo ID).

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Keep in mind that even if your account is eligible for verification, submitting a request doesn’t guarantee that your account will be verified.

Once Instagram reviews your request, you’ll receive a notification letting you know if your account has been verified or not. If your request is denied, you can submit a new request after 30 days.

Keep in mind that Instagram can remove verified badges at any time, and may take away your badge or disable your account if you:

• Advertise, transfer, or sell your verified badge.
• Use your profile picture, bio or name section to promote other services.
• Attempt to verify your account through a third party.

If your account doesn’t have a verified badge, there are other ways to let people know you’re authentic. For example, you can link to your Instagram account from your official website, Facebook Page, YouTube or Twitter account.

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