Instagram is huge.
And, according to them 9 out of 10 of their users follow a business.
That business could be yours.
Whether you’re in SaaS or technical B2B products, Instagram can still provide you with opportunities for brand awareness, lead generation, or just good press.
This is why getting your brand or voice verified is critical to your success.
It leads to more credibility, you get vetted by the platform, and your reputation goes up.
In this guide, we take a look at how to get verified on Instagram!
The Importance of Instagram Verification
Everyone wants to get verified on Instagram because it adds to the appeal of their account.
Think of celebrities and heavy-hitters in your industry that uses Instagram.
What do they all have in common?
They all have the “verified badge” from Instagram.
However, here’s the truth.
Just because Instagram verified you doesn’t mean they endorse what you’re posting.
Instagram verification only means that they have vetted your profile to be authentic and that they’re giving their seal to tell visitors that you are who you say you are.
But, since many “popular personalities” are verified, people will associate you with notability.
And, that works in your favor.
Prospects who view your profile will be less-reluctant to follow you, people will soon regard you as an expert, and you could see your follower count grow faster than before verification.
This is why a lot of people aim for verification. They want to be associated with other notable people who have Instagram’s identity vetting.
Criteria for Verification
Authenticity
First of all, you need to be a natural person or brand. Instagram really checks this out by asking for your identification and proof that you’re an actual entity.
You can’t get a fake account verified on any platform.
Remember, the only thing that Instagram vets is your identity, so they’re very strict about this.
Make sure you have clear digital copies of your official government documentation to upload to their platform.
Uniqueness
When talking about uniqueness, we don’t mean your account being different from others – although it should be if you’ve optimized it well and positioned yourself correctly in your market.
Uniqueness means the unique presence of the brand or the person.
It has to be a singular voice. If you’re trying to get verification for a large business with multiple companies, you can request verification for each brand plus another one for the holding company itself.
However, they have a clause that allows you to have multiple verifications as long as you have different iterations of the brand/person in other languages.
This usually happens if you cater to multiple regions.
Accessibility
Private accounts can’t be verified by Instagram.
You need to make sure that everyone who searches for your account can check out the content you offer to the world.
Plus, you need to make sure that your account is complete. Stick in a profile photo and bio, and make sure you’ve got a post there.
Demand
Lastly, and more importantly, it would help if you showed the platform ongoing demand for your entity.
You see, Instagram wants you to contribute to the community because that means more recurring revenue for them.
They benefit from people and brands who are notable because they bring other people in to engage on Instagram.
Show them a screenshot of the search volume for your brand, recent articles about you, or even a Wikipedia page that is solely dedicated to what you do.
The more popular you appear to be, the high the likelihood of being approved for verification.
Who Can Request for a Verified Account?
As long as you or your brand passes the criteria stated above, you can apply for Instagram verification.
However, you still have to adhere to the guidelines that Instagram places.
How to Request Verification from Instagram
First, you want to log into Instagram through your phone.
In this example, we will request verification using the app on iOS – yes, the dark mode rocks!
Head over to “Account.”
This will open a secondary menu and towards the bottom there will be an option to “Request Verification”.
Once the verification menu is open, it’s time to pull out the digital copies of your credentials!
Step 1
Your first step is to stick in your real name – as it appears on your official documentation.
Choose a form of identification:
- Driver’s license
- Passport
- National identification card
- Tax filing
- Recent utility bill
- Articles of incorporation
You can use the last three options if you’re a brand. Although Instagram doesn’t say which has the best chances of being verified, I’d use my “Articles of incorporation” for brands.
Make sure that you upload a clear scan of your government record, don’t just take photos. Clear scans always look more professional and serious.
Step 2
The next step deals with your notability or how worthy you are of receiving IG’s seal of approval.
There are a bunch of categories:
- News/media
- Sports
- Government and politics
- Music
- Fashion
- Entertainment
- Digital creator/blogger/influencer
- Gamer
- Global business/brand/organization
- Other
Next, stick in where your center of influence is, typically the country or region.
They then give you some space to tell Instagram about your audience, although this is optional. Make sure you fill it out and tell them exactly who you’re aiming to target and what your content means to them.
Lastly, you have the option to put in the other names you’re known for. Again, even if it’s optional, you want to make sure that you fill this out so you can provide the people checking your account with everything that they need for verification.
Links
I know that Instagram also lists this section as “Optional” but fill them up regardless.
You might have a bunch of followers making you a minor celebrity, but it will still make the verifier’s job easier if you help them out.
The other plus side to adding links is that you can control and put forward the exposure that you like the most.
So, show off your good side with links.
Now, you’ll notice they give you space for three, but you can put up to five here.
Now, the question becomes, “What types of links should I showcase to Instagram?”
Think of this as, “What types of links will show Instagram that I’m popular and regarded in my field?”
Let’s take a page out of the Twitter verification playbook.
First of all, if an organization of authority in your industry did a profile on you, make sure you add the links. This establishes your expertise and backing in the industry. A good example of this would be an IMDB link if you’re in show business.
Next, it would be great if you could show demand for your brand or your name. You can use a profile of your search volume on Google Trends or another digital marketing tool. For companies, you can opt to show Instagram your ranking on Alexa or the like.
Adding, third-party vetting links will also work. Add a link to your verified Twitter or Facebook account, Wikipedia articles, Yelp page, etc.
Lastly, and our personal favorite, is good press.
Now, just because we mentioned press doesn’t mean that you should put out one of those press releases on random sites, we’re talking big names that have done coverage about you or your brand. Think of highly trusted news sites such as Bloomberg, WSJ, NYT, or even local news outlets that have a history of good journalism.
You can take it a step further and add links to other known organizations that have written about your brand and how it’s helped them. Think of non-profits and the like.
Increasing Your Odds of Verification
- Make sure you share the best links that you have during the verification process.
- Be active on the platform. Talk to people, comment, and post as much as you can!
- When you upload documents make sure you get clear scans.
- Try to grow the number of followers you have organically. Instagram doesn’t want you to purchase fake followers that you can buy from shady businesspeople. BAMF doesn’t do it either. It results in skewed data and results and doesn’t really give you honest, sustainable, long-term growth.
- If you can, try to build a buzz around your name or brand on other social media channels such as Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, YouTube, and other digital marketing platforms. You need to understand that the shift is now moving towards omnichannel, and you need to take advantage of that. The more buzz you get on other channels, the more it will trickle down to Instagram.
Transferring Instagram Verification
Just like Twitter – and everyone else in the industry – you can’t transfer the verification of your account to another account even if you’re the owner of both.
The reasoning behind this is simple, Instagram has vetted your account, it didn’t vet the other one you’re transferring verification to.
If you could do this, then you could pretty much sell your verified account which is a big no-no under Instagram’s community guidelines.
(Also, if they find out you’re buying verified accounts you could get thrown off the platform altogether. Yikes.)
What Happens if You Get Rejected?
You do the same thing with other things in life.
You keep trying.
However, here’s a list of things that should help you out.
- Ensure that you’re doing things that make you more notable, and you get proof of it. For example, if you’re doing a project that has some press coverage, make sure you get the link to that write-up and keep it somewhere safe.
- Take a look at what your posts and content look like. Is it interesting enough to be recognized, or are you due for some fresh new content on your take on the world? Even though Instagram requirements say that you only need one post to be verified, you know that’s not going to work unless you’ve built yourself a “good” account.
- Optimize your profile!
If it still does not work, wash, rinse and repeat.
That’s what growth hackers do, and we’re all doing well.
Takeaways on How to Get Verified on Instagram
Any type of verification on social media is difficult.
However, it’s not entirely impossible if you know what you’re aiming for.
If you’re doing a great job in your industry, making great connections, and releasing content that appeals to your audience, then you’re already one step ahead of the competition.
However, there is one thing to keep in mind.
It doesn’t just end with getting verified in Instagram.
In fact, getting verified on the platform is just the beginning of being able to 10X your efforts.
Once you get verified, you’ll be able to do more with more authority.
Read More: How to Get Verified on Twitter
