Want to know how to get verified on Instagram so you can join other Instagram influencers? You’re about to get your questions answered. Follow these steps to learn how to get a blue check on Instagram, which will immediately increase the value of your brand overnight.
Hassel Free Option: Use a professional service SiteTrail
What Is Instagram Verification?
When deciding to get verified on Instagram, the first question people ask is, “What is Instagram verification?”
Instagram verification is when someone from Instagram goes in and manually verifies you are who you say you are.
Once verified, you receive a blue badge that proves your account has been verified.
Main Reason for Instagram Verification
There are several reasons to get your profile verified on Instagram's platform. The main reason is to verify your account’s authenticity.
If you are a well-known brand or an online influencer, chances are people or other businesses are looking to hurt or capitalize on your brand.
These individuals and companies set up fake profiles to spread misinformation.
Instagram verification resolves this problem.
Fake accounts will not have the blue verification checkmark.
The blue checkmark proves you are who you say you are. This makes it impossible for others to impersonate you and your business.
Benefits of Instagram Verification
Beyond proving your Instagram account belongs to you, there are other reasons to have a verified profile on Instagram. Some influencers argue these reasons are more important.
These reasons include:
- Increased authority
- Brand recognition
- Number of followers
- Increased brand value
Let’s talk about these benefits in greater detail.
Authority
Google, Amazon, Facebook, and Instagram — massive social media and authority sites — help brands spread their message and boost their popularity.
Having a verified Instagram account is impressive since most people don’t qualify for this elite Instagram status.
Some influencers argue it is a more prestigious status symbol than an American Express Black Card. This is because having an account that's verified can help you become richer, faster.
To prove this, consider the verified account of Cristiano Ronaldo, the famous Portuguese footballer who, according to Forbes, generates around a million dollars per Instagram post.
His salary is just under $38 million as of 2021, playing football (soccer).
Interestingly, his time is worth more posting on Instagram.
What about less famous people?
USA Today reports that many influencers make $10,000 per post once they get up to a million followers. These are people like you and me who have taken the time to build their brands and become verified on Instagram.
Getting excited yet?
Done right, social media can make you rich and famous!
Recognition
Having a verified Instagram account brings recognition to your brand.
Verification on Instagram is recognition. Having a confirmed Instagram account makes others recognize your authority, helping your brand stay prominent.
Value
The more authority and recognition received from other authorities, the more a brand’s value increases.
For example, Coca-Cola is a well-known authority in the soft drink industry, and people recognize it as such. Coca-Cola’s total net worth increases year after year. This is the result of “recognition” and “authority” creating value in the marketplace.
Followers
Why do people follow others on Instagram? Understanding this might make you rich, or at the very least, gain you more followers on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, TikTok, or whatever other social media platform you remain social on.
People follow others because others do. In psychology, this principle has been termed social proof, which is a psychological and social phenomenon whereby people copy the actions and undertakings of others for given situations.
This social influence principle was first coined in 1984 by Dr. Rober Cialdini in his book "Influence." In his book, Cialdini describes social proof as informational social influence.
To observe social proof in action, check out some Amazon reviews. A product with a five-star rating and thousands of happy customers will cause others to buy it also. The greater number of positive reviews, the greater authority, recognition, and value given to the product and brand. This means social action can result in more sales.
Confirmed Instagram profiles' blue check results in more authority, more recognition, more perceived value, and more followers.
Important Note: These benefits have an interdependent relationship with each other. To increase your brand's value, you need followers, authority, and massive recognition. The more value your brand has, the more people want to follow you – and the more recognition and authority it naturally possesses.
Learn How to Get Verified on Instagram
Your profile must be authentic, unique, complete, public, and notable for getting verified on Instagram.
Instagram reviews each Instagram account by asking:
- Are you a real person?
- Is your business registered?
- Is the account a personal or business account?
- Does the account include:
- A Bibliography
- A profile picture
- At least one Instagram post
- Is there just a single account set up for the business or person?
- Is it a public account?
- Is there a high search volume for the brand?
7 Steps to Follow to Get Verified on Instagram
- Log in to your Instagram account and click the hamburger icon in the top right corner
- Click Settings
- Click Account
- Click Request Verification
- Fill in the application:
- Give your legal name
- Give your “known as” or working name
- Pick a category or industry
- Upload a government-issued ID or business utility bill
- Tap Send
- Wait for your Instagram account to be approved
When you send a verification request, it can take a few weeks for Instagram to get back to you. It is not uncommon the first time you request verification that you are denied.
Recommended: You may want to use an Instagram account verification service like Sitetrail to get confirmed faster for less money.
How to Get Verified on Instagram Faster
Do the following to improve your odds of getting verified on Instagram.
- Use Instagram regularly.
- Work on building your brand so that others search you out.
- Delete all cross-platform "add me" links.
- Get tons of followers.
- Don’t break community guidelines.
- Complete your bio.
- Getting verified on other platforms.
- Model what other successful Instagramers are doing.
- Only create one profile on Instagram.
- Apply every 30 days.
If you still aren't feeling confident about how to get verified, check out this how to get verified on Instagram guide form Howtostartanllc.com to learn more tips and tricks.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I have to be famous to get verified on Instagram?
You don’t have to be a famous footballer like Cristiano Ronaldo or a celebrity like Justin Bieber, Adriana Grande, or Selena Gomez to request verification on Instagram. But, you should strive to build a strong brand, become well known, build a strong following, and model what other verified Instagram influencers are doing. All of these tips improve your chances of becoming Instagram verified.
Do I have to pay to get verified on Instagram?
Though Instagram doesn’t charge you money to become confirmed, there is a high price to pay for becoming confirmed. For example, meeting the five Instagram criteria can be costly and time-consuming.
To bypass these expensive hurdles, many influencers have found that using a service like Sitetrail is the better way to go. You’ll pay much less in the long run, and by getting approved faster, you’ll expedite your Instagram profit potential.
How much does it cost to get verified on Instagram?
Some people think Instagram charges money to verify accounts. This is not true.
However, getting Instagram verified can be more expensive than most people think. This all has to do with the costs associated with meeting Instagram's verification requirements. To qualify, you must spend both time and money growing your Instagram following and your brand as well as market yourself in an extremely noisy and crowded environment.
It’s best to ask yourself, “What is the cost of fame?” Then ask yourself, “Is it worth it?” Most famous people will tell you it is.
Can I get a verified Instagram account if I am verified on Twitter?
No. Twitter has different qualifications for becoming verified.
Being qualified on Twitter does not guarantee you a golden ticket for becoming Instagram verified. However, a Twitter verification can help you become confirmed on Instagram because being confirmed on Twitter helps prove your authenticity and notability.
Do I need an agency to get verified?
A famous actress like Jennifer Aniston may have the financial means to afford a publicist or agency that can help her become verifiable on Instagram. For the rest of us, an agency is likely out of the question.
The best alternative to an agency is using a third-party verification service like Sitetrail who specializes in getting Instagram accounts verified. In most cases, it is the fastest and cheapest way.
What is the Instagram blue checkmark?
The Instagram blue checkmark is a tiny blue checkmark that is placed on your Instagram profile page, making it known you have a verified account on Instagram.
Firstly, the blue checkmark proves that your account has been checked out and belongs to the person claiming to own it.
The blue checkmark carries even more weight, though, as it can help an influencer or brand to gain more followers because people trust the little blue checkmark. This can mean a lot more revenue for account holders that wear this verified badge.
A confirmation badge tells other Instagramers that they can trust you. The verified badge is a status symbol like the American Express Black Card — most people don't qualify for getting verified on Instagram — thus, no verified badge!
What is Instagram's verification process?
Like many other social media platforms, Instagram has a strict verification process to make sure that the bio profile matches the account holder's ID. The platform uses verification to protect public figures and other notable accounts by placing a blue check in their profile. These can be fan accounts, business accounts, or any other account type that matches Instagram's qualification criteria.
Getting confirmed is a process that requires a person or business to meet a certain set of criteria. Your account must be authentic, unique, complete, public, and notable to earn an Instagram verification badge.
Your account must also be a real person registered business or entity, your number of followers matters, and your account must be public. Cover these bases before you apply for verification.
To qualify for a verification badge, you must verify your identity with a driver's license, have a proper picture, and at least one post. It is better to have more than one post, according to holders of other verified accounts.
A good profile picture should match your driver's license. A lot of people don't stop to think that a real person from Instagram will go to your profile. They will request to see your driver's license, and during the verification, they will check to see if your pictures look the same. A public figure or established brand or entity may not have to worry about this since they already have multiple accounts and lots of followers. Having a lot of followers is something you can also take advantage of, as this proves a unique presence that shows up in search results.
Can I have more than one account per person or business?
Because you must represent a real person or business, you are only permitted to have one account. Verifiable accounts protect the identity and brand behind the account.
Having more than one blue badge would confuse multiple news sources and could result in paid or promotional content put out by impostors who set up fake accounts to capitalize from the notoriety and fame of legitimate brands, businesses, and influencers.
Do I need to be featured in multiple news sources to get the blue check badge?
Two of Instagram's criteria are notability and authority. To achieve both, you must be well-known and searched for. Search results matter!
One strategy used for getting confirmed is to have links to other social sites with language-specific accounts that are highly searched. This can be a Twitter account, Facebook page, or other confirmed, but lesser-known, social media accounts.
To get the word out, it's advisable that these language-specific accounts are featured in multiple news sources and that they link to your Instagram account.
Are verified accounts with a badge having a business brand worth more?
Yes. If you put in your request and earn a verification badge, your business brand Instagram profile will be worth more than before your request for a badge. This is because you'll see an increase in followers.
Here are some tips to help you exploit this newfound value:
- Ensure you are maintaining your bio
- A profile picture
- Posting regularly
The more you post, and the better you maintain your profile, the more followers you are likely to get — meaning more income potential. Verified accounts are worth far more, so make sure you request and regularly request until you are approved.