What does verification on Instagram mean?
Instagram is a fast-growing social media platform. Well-known celebrities, influencers and even political figures are steadily joining the app for business and personal reasons.
In the beginning, verification (a blue tick beside your name) was exclusive to high-profile accounts. It establishes an authentic public figure’s account from a fake account.
Now, in the present day, someone who is not a well-known public figure can request their account to be verified.
What do I need to know before trying to get verified (blue check) on Instagram?
It is important to note that not all Instagram blue check requests will get approved. So before you send a request for the Instagram verification, bear the following in mind:
- Ensure that you follow Instagram’s Terms and Community Guidelines.
- Ensure that your page is authentic;
You cannot be a fan account or a meme. You need to be an actual person, a brand or a registered business. - Ensure that your page is unique;
Your page has to be one of a kind – you cannot have multiple accounts featuring the same content. - Ensure that your profile is set on public and not private – as private accounts are not legible for verification.
- Ensure that your profile is complete; it must feature a biography, including a profile photo and feature posts on the account.
- Instagram requires pages to be notable. It defines notable as a username that is searched for and well-known.
Aspects you should look into closely are:
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- Online mentions;
Even if you are not well-known, being mentioned by other users will help boost your online presence. - Established brand;
- Online mentions;
Do not put in an Instagram blue check request unless your brand can be Google searched (and appear on the first page).
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- Significant-sized social media following.
- Ensure you are not vulnerable to impersonation;
You do not want accounts to be impersonating you; an array of fake accounts in your personal or business accounts name is not beneficial to your verification process.
Do I need to be verified on Instagram? What are the benefits of being verified on Instagram for my page?
The Instagram blue check is exclusive, rare, and is prestigious. The most prevalent benefit of the verification check is that it boosts your engagement – your account will be featured on the explore page more often or suggested to users who follow accounts that post similar content to your own.
Your audience can trust your account’s authenticity as well. Brands prefer working with influencers and brands with a large following and the Instagram blue check.
A verified account opens the door for brands to work with you as well (as they will trust your account’s authenticity).
So, what is the process of getting verified on Instagram?
As per information from Instagram:
- Go to your profile and tap in the upper right corner.
- Tap Settings.
- Tap Account, then tap Request Verification.
- After you’ve filled out the form, tap Send we will review your request.
Conclusion
If your account, irrespective of the page’s following, fails to receive an Instagram blue check there are still other ways to show your audience that your account is authentic:
a)Ensure you write an intrinsic description in your account’s bio that explains who you are to your audience. It helps to have an already set up email that you can include in the bio.
b)Encourage your audience to engage with you by tagging you in their stories while also utilising your own stories and post (feed).
Ensure you are posting consistently about your goods or service. Consistent posting will help push your content and your account onto users explore pages (or suggested users that they should follow). Being tagged in other brands/influencer content also exposes you to their audience and may encourage their audience to follow your account and engage with your content.