Pro-Tips for Getting Your Instagram Account Verified

Instagram is more than a haphazard photo-sharing social platform. It birthed the Instagram Influencer, elevated the #sponsored hashtag and expanded the ways a content creator, business owner, and well, anyone else, can make bank beyond a traditional 9-5. The blue check opens a door to even more exposure and dollars but this status symbol doesn’t come without a couple of caveats. If you’re committed to upping your Instagram game and getting more eyes on your brand or blog, I tapped StyleCaster Social Media Manager Jane Asher for a beginner’s guide to Instagram verification, including what it is, how to get it, and why it’s worth applying for.

What is the Instagram verified sticker and what does it do?

Instagram offers a verification program for “Accounts representing well-known figures and brands are verified because they have a high likelihood of being impersonated. We want to make sure that people in the Instagram community can easily find the authentic people and brands they want to follow.”.

The verified badge is a blue check that appears next to the account name. Instagram users have been able to request for verification since August 2018. Having the sticker means that Instagram has confirmed that the profile does belong to the public figure. One of the main factors that IG takes into account when someone requests this, is whether or not there is a high probability that someone would want to impersonate this account. You should really be a public figure (celeb, brand, influencer) before requesting the blue check mark.

How can you request an Instagram verified sticker?

If you do decide to request one, the steps are simple. You go into your account and tap on the hamburger menu (three slacked lines) and head to Settings => Account => Request Verification. From there, you fill out the requested into, including your name and a form of ID.

Once you apply, there is no guarantee that your account will be approved. But not hearing an answer from them for several weeks is no cause for fear. And if you are denied, you can request again 30 days later.

What are the benefits of getting the Instagram verified sticker?

There are quite a few benefits of being Instagram-verified. Several of the ones we find to be true are:

• Increases trustworthiness (by followers and brands)

• Evaluates the exclusivity of your brand

• Brands prefer to work with verified Instagram accounts

What will increase the chances of my verification badge application being approved?

While these are more like recommendations and still don’t guarantee getting approved, here are some things we’ve found to work:

1. Make sure your profile stands out! You need to have a picture, an interesting bio and at least one image posted to your account.

2. Your account must be public and there should only be one request verification for each account. And this should go without saying, but the account has to be a real person, organization or brand.

3. Although there is no set number of followers you must have to receive verification, you need to be notable in some way. My mom with her 22 followers has no need to request verification. You should be a brand or a well-known human, someone people actually search for online.

4. Don’t break the rules & policies of Instagram!

Subscribe to the BlogHer newsletter for more tactical advice, exclusive content, and timely event updates.