Wondering how to get verified on Instagram? There’s a lot more to it than just clicking on a link. But we’re here to walk you through it.

It’s not exactly easy to stand out on Instagram. After all, there are more than 1 billion active users on the platform.

There’s a decent chance that there’s someone with your exact name (or brand name) on the platform. So, how can you stand out from impostors and get yourself noticed?

By getting the coveted blue checkmark that means you’re verified on Instagram. It lets people know that you’re legit and that you have value to an audience. But if it were easy, everyone would do it. And it would lose most of its meaning.

Keep reading to learn about the exact steps you need to follow to get verified on Instagram.

What does Instagram verification mean?

Having the blue verification checkmark badge added to your Instagram account means that you’re considered someone of interest on the social platform.

In Instagram’s own words, verification signals “authenticity and notability.” It also means that you’ve cleared something of a high bar. The verified badge means that Instagram considers an account to “represent a well-known, highly searched-for person, brand or entity.”

When you see the blue check, Instagram wants you to know you’re following an authentic account. Not a fan account or a fake one.

But it’s also important to know that being verified doesn’t equal an endorsement from Instagram. It also doesn’t mean that your content will show up more on the platform than posts from non-verified accounts.

Why is Instagram verification important?

As mentioned above, the main reason that Instagram verification is important is to distinguish accounts that Instagram deems valuable in the public eye from those that aren’t.

Essentially, Instagram verification allows users to easily find the accounts they’re more likely to be looking for. Sometimes, that means the platform has to act fairly quickly as it seeks to verify accounts that might have recently gone viral or are a big part of what people in their community are talking about.

Take Indian actor Emraan Hashmi, who saw his song “Lut Gaye” blow up this year, and who quickly received his blue checkmark badge from Instagram.

Who is eligible to be Instagram verified?

Anyone! Well, kind of.

Technically, anyone and everyone with:

• A public account
• A bio
• A profile photo
• At least one post

… can apply to be Instagram verified.

There are no cut and dried regulations you must hit to get verified. Facebook states — somewhat enigmatically — that accounts applying for verification must be authentic, complete, unique and notable. There is no defined minimum number of followers an account has to have to apply.

But Instagram is looking for people and brands that are highly sought after — on social media and in real life.

How to apply for Instagram verification

Feel like trying your luck? Here’s an easy-to-follow guide to apply to be verified on Instagram.

Step 1: Log in to your account and go to settings

Log into your account, visit your profile page, and open the drop-down menu in the top right corner. From there, navigate to Settings.

Step 2: Navigate to Request Verification

Hit Account and then Request Verification.

Step 3: Fill out the application

Finally, all that’s left is to fill out the application and send it.

Note: Lying about personal details or falsifying proof can lead to losing your badge or even getting your account deleted. Be honest.

And never use a third-party service to apply for verification. In all likelihood, this is a scam.

Make sure you also consider these things when filling out each field:

• Full Name: If you use your original name for your Instagram account, your full name is enough. If it’s a business account, you need the full name of the owner or an employee whose name appears on your official business documents. It must be their full name, as it appears on official identification.
• Known as: For personal accounts, you should use a common alias or nickname. Your followers may know you by your initials rather than your full last name. For business accounts, just type your company name.
• Category: Choose the category that makes the most sense for your account. If it’s a business account and no other categories fit, choose business/brand, not other.

Once you’ve filled everything out and chosen your category, you need to upload a photocopy of your ID.

Choose the file, upload it, and your application is ready to send. Click the send button to finalize your application.

All that’s left to do is wait. There is no definitive deadline on when Instagram will definitely respond to you. But if you get rejected, you won’t be able to apply again for 30 days.

5 Tips to get verified on Instagram

Unless you’re George Clooney suddenly deciding to break your social media lull, there’s usually a good amount of work to be done before you can moonwalk your way to the blue badge.

So we’ve included 5 tips to help you boost your chances of getting that verification mark.

Don’t apply before you’re ready

Don’t just apply for verification when you have 30 followers and five random posts on your account.

The badge itself isn’t automatically going to turn you into a successful Instagram influencer.

Just because technically you could apply (you only need one post) doesn’t mean you should.

Yes, an Instagram verification badge greatly improves the legitimacy of your profile or brand. You want it ASAP.

But before you apply, you should do everything you can to make sure it’s as worthy of verification as possible:

• Build your Instagram followers. And what a coincidence, we have 20 tips to help you do that!
• Write an engaging Instagram bio. Make sure you represent yourself or your company well. And give people a reason to want to click that follow button.
• Use a professional picture or easily identifiable company logo. (It should be easy for potential followers to connect the dots. Literally, in Mastercard’s case.)

Build your following on other platforms too

If romantic comedies have taught us anything, it’s that romantic interests only care about you when someone else starts showing interest.

A big following and notoriety on Facebook, YouTube and TikTok, for example, can only reflect well on you when Instagram reviews your case.

Here are some ways that you can stand out a bit on those platforms and build a following.

• Shape your online personality: Some people and brands try to make an impact with a wide approach hoping to get as many clicks and follows as possible. But it’s much easier to make a connection if you show your unique self online. Adopt and deliver a consistent voice and some reliable themes.
• Post early and often: The more active you are, the more likely you are to get people to follow in on the fun. They might even feel like they’re missing out if they don’t.
• Develop amazing content: It really doesn’t get much simpler than that. Just like you’d post great pictures on the ‘Gram, your other social media profiles should seek to adhere to your followers’ needs and wants.

Earn coverage in the media

Barstool Sports has never been afraid of controversy, and their recent power ranking of the best female singers of all time was no different.

Power Ranking the Top 10 Female Singers of All Time pic.twitter.com/tQJOHnhl6I

— Barstool Sports (@barstoolsports) November 16, 2021

Now, there are a lot of things to argue about on this list. For example: what makes Barstool Sports any kind of authority on female singers? And, uh, Mariah ahead of Whitney?? JoJo ahead of Aretha and Beyonce??

But that’s exactly why it has 19,000 Quote Tweets on Twitter. And one of the more interesting (and debatable) calls is at number 10.

In that spot, Barstool anointed social media star Addison Rae one of the top 10 singers of all time. They put her in the same conversation as Beyonce and Whitney Houston. So it’s not a surprise that her inclusion on the list garnered plenty of media attention.

No doubt that this type of slightly controversial exposure introduced many people to Addison Rae who hadn’t previously heard of her.

Maximize the potential of your posts

This is both about the actual content of your posts as well as how the posts are executed.

Hashtags can help

In terms of the latter, we’ve already gone over some of the basics. But another trick that can help maximize your posts is the use of hashtags.

Hashtags can help increase your reach and connect to trends. But it’s important to only use hashtags that are relevant to the niche you’re trying to establish. Here are some of the more popular hashtags going around that you can use for your benefit.

A smart practice to establish yourself is to create a hashtag for your personal account or brand and encourage followers to use it.

Here, the Seattle Seahawks football team cheekily use the hashtag #BlueFriday to encourage support for their team.

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by Seattle Seahawks (@seahawks)

Timing isn’t everything — but it’s important

Another key way to maximize your account is to make sure you’re posting at times that will deliver the most eyeballs.

The absolute best time to post on Instagram may surprise you.

You can go a step further and pin down your own custom best time to post. Hootsuite’s Best Time to Publish feature analyzes your past performance to show you data for the best times to post on each of your social platforms.

Stay active and use Instagram to its full potential

Finally, you need to stay active and use Instagram to its fullest potential.

• Post new, unique content tailored to Instagram every day.
• Use Instagram Stories to engage with your audience. (Brands have a whopping 85% completion rate on their stories, on average.)
• Take advantage of the carousel feature, which get more clicks on average than regular posts. (Here’s Hootsuite’s handy guide on how to create great Carousel posts.)

Tips to stay verified on Instagram

Nelly Furtado once famously asked why all good things come to an end. In this case, they don’t necessarily have to, but they can.

Getting verified isn’t an appointment for life, like the Supreme Court. Here are some things to keep in mind if you want to keep that blue checkmark.

Don’t add links to other social media channels in your bio

While building up your other social accounts is a good idea, you should never use Instagram to cross-promote them.

Don’t ask your followers on Instagram to follow you anywhere else. Instagram doesn’t look kindly at “add me” links to other profiles. And while it’s not 100% confirmed that a TikTok or Twitter link in your bio will cost you your verification badge, you’ll be better off using a link tree to promote your off-Instagram presence.

Don’t break Instagram’s rules and policies

Make sure to follow Instagram’s Terms of Use as well as the platform’s Community Guidelines.

Some of the things that may result in your badge being taken away include transferring or selling your badge, using your bio, profile picture, or Instagram name to market or promote other services, and so on.

Conclusions

By building your presence on multiple social media platforms, posting at the best times and staying active on Instagram, you boost your chances of getting verified.

But at the end of the day, whether you get it or not comes down to the split-second decision of a Facebook employee.

If you don’t get it on your first application, focus on building and growing your presence on the platform. You don’t need a blue check to succeed on Instagram.