Want to get that coveted blue verification badge on your Instagram profile this year? You‘re in the right place. This comprehensive guide will walk you step-by-step through how to get verified on Instagram in 2024.
Verifying your Instagram account can be a challenging but rewarding endeavor. The blue checkmark next to your name adds legitimacy and trust for your followers.
But Instagram only hands out verification selectively to accounts that meet their criteria.
In this article, you‘ll learn Instagram‘s verification requirements, how to boost your chances, and tips to prove to Instagram you deserve to be verified. Let‘s get started!
Contents
Why Get Verified on Instagram?
First, why is getting verified on Instagram so coveted in the first place? Here are some of the key reasons you should aim to get a blue verification badge:
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Proof of Authenticity: The blue checkmark lets followers know your account is the real or official profile for you, your brand, or business. This gives you legitimacy.
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Increased Trust: Verified accounts are seen as more trustworthy. Followers know you are who you say you are when verified.
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Helps Prevent Impersonations: The badge makes it harder for fake accounts to pose as you, which protects your reputation.
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Boosts Discoverability: Verified accounts stand out in search and rankings, making you easy to find.
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Looks Professional: The blue badge elevates your profile and conveys you are an expert or influencer worth following.
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Opens Opportunities: Verification can lead to brand partnerships, sponsorships and other deals not possible without it.
Clearly the blue checkmark unlocks a lot of benefits. But how exclusive is verification?
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As of 2022, Instagram has over 2 million verified accounts.
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Less than 1% of Instagram‘s over 1 billion monthly active users are verified.
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Roughly 46% of Instagram users say they desire to be verified one day.
As you can see, getting verified puts you in an elite group on the platform. Now let‘s go over who is eligible and Instagram‘s criteria.
Who is Eligible for Verification on Instagram?
Instagram reserves verification for accounts that meet the following criteria:
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Public figures, celebrities, and influencers prone to impersonation
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Brands, businesses, media companies, and organizations
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Accounts representing professional athletes, sports teams, and leagues
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Government entities and political figures such as elected officials
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Publishers, journalists, news organizations and broadcasters
Some examples of verified Instagram accounts include:
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Celebrities like Ariana Grande, Lebron James, and Kim Kardashian
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Global brands like Adidas, Spotify, and Apple
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Influencers like Charli D‘Amelio, Addison Rae, and Zach King
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Publishers like Vogue, ESPN, and Buzzfeed
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Businesses like Starbucks, Nike, and Chipotle
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Nonprofits like UNICEF, Red Cross, and World Wildlife Foundation
As you can see, the badge is reserved for accounts considered at high risk of impersonation or that have strong public recognition.
So how can you get verified if you aren‘t already famous? Let‘s dive into the steps and requirements.
How to Get Verified on Instagram in 2024
Getting verified on Instagram takes effort but is achievable if you meet the criteria. Here are the top steps to take:
Step 1: Build Your Presence
To get verified, you first need to establish a sizable presence on Instagram itself.
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Reach 10k+ followers. Instagram typically requires 10,000+ followers to consider an account for verification. This shows a strong foundation of followers.
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Engage with your audience. Reply to comments, post Instagram Stories, go live, and use features like questions and polls to create two-way engagement.
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Post consistently. Accounts with multiple weekly posts and stories tend to have more luck getting verified. Show you are actively posting content followers want.
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Get likes and comments. Verified accounts generate strong engagement in the form of likes and comments. Create content tailored to your niche that gets response.
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Promote your profile. Run occasional giveaways or contests to generate buzz. Use relevant hashtags. Collaborate with microinfluencers in your niche to expand your audience.
Step 2: Establish Your Notoriety
In addition to an Instagram presence, you need to demonstrate relevance and notoriety outside the platform.
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Have a unique persona or content style. Leaning into what makes you or your brand distinct, memorable and one of a kind will make you stand out.
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Show external press mentions. Being featured or interviewed in articles from news outlets signals you have built enough clout to warrant verification.
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Indicate search volume for your name. Use Google Trends to see if people are actively searching for your name or brand online. High search volume indicates potential impersonation risk.
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Show your website traffic stats. Having a high volume of visitors to your external website suggests you have strong reach beyond Instagram that verification can build on.
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List your website in your bio. Sending followers to your website from Instagram demonstrates you have an established brand and presence worth verifying.
Step 3: Be Authentic and Active
Instagram wants verification to go to real active accounts, not bots or inactive profiles.
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Post Instagram Stories daily. Give an authentic inside look at your days and engage with questions and interactions from followers.
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Go live occasionally. Host live streams to chat with your audience in real time and strengthen your connection with them.
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Respond to your comments. Don‘t just post and ignore comments. Reply, like comments, and foster community on your posts.
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Follow back fans. Make sure to engage with followers by following back, reposting their content, and forging real bonds.
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Update your highlights. Keep your profile fresh by regularly updating your highlights and stories. An inactive looking profile can hurt your chances.
Step 4: Increase Visibility
You need to maximize exposure both on Instagram and off the platform to get on their radar.
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Do collaborations and shoutouts. Partner with relevant influencers or brands to cross-promote content and expand your audience.
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Run contests and giveaways. Sweepstakes will incentivize engagement from both existing and potentially new followers.
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Use relevant hashtags and locations. Strategically include hashtags and geotags that help you get discovered by new targeted audiences.
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Promote your account externally. Share your Instagram handle and profile on your other social accounts, website, email newsletters, etc.
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Consider Facebook and Instagram ads. Running ads allows you to further widen your reach and visibility with targeted demographics.
Step 5: Submit a Verification Request
Once you‘ve built a strong on-platform presence and off-platform notoriety, you can submit a verification request directly to Instagram.
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Tap settings > Account > Request Verification in the Instagram app to find the form.
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Provide details on why your account meets Instagram‘s eligibility criteria for verification.
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Submit evidence of your impersonation risk and presence off Instagram, like your website and press articles featuring you.
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Be patient and persistent if rejected. The process can take weeks or months. Reapply if you get rejected at first.
Answering Common Instagram Verification Questions
Let‘s go over some of the most frequently asked questions around getting verified on Instagram:
How long does it take to get verified on Instagram?
It can take anywhere from 2 weeks to 6+ months to hear back after submitting a verification request. There is no set timeline, so patience is key.
Does having more followers help get verified?
Generally yes, but follower count alone does not guarantee verification. 100k+ followers seems to be a goalpost many verified accounts exceed.
Can businesses get verified?
Yes. Brand Instagram accounts that have a notable audience size, engagement, and risk of impersonation are eligible.
Can you pay for Instagram verification?
No. Instagram does not allow users to simply pay a fee to get verified. Any service offering paid verification is a scam.
Does Instagram notify you when you get verified?
Yes. Instagram will send an in-app notification letting you know if your verification request was approved and when it goes into effect.
Can verification get removed?
In rare cases accounts can have verification stripped if they violate community guidelines or no longer meet eligibility criteria.
How do you improve your chances of getting verified?
Building your follower base while also establishing authentic engagement, posting consistency, external visibility and a unique brand persona will boost your odds of approval.
What if my verification request gets rejected?
First double check you meet all eligibility criteria. Then try filing another request 6 months later or contacting Instagram support to inquire about having your account reconsidered.
Final Tips for Getting Verified
Here are some final tips to keep in mind on your quest to get verified:
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Have a complete profile. Fill out your bio with your name, links, contact info, and descriptive tags. Have a professional high-quality profile photo.
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Grow your account authentically. Buying fake followers or engagement is prohibited and can get you banned. Focus on legitimate organic growth.
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Partner with relevant brands. Strategic partnerships with verified businesses or influencers in your industry can expand your visibility.
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Leverage press and PR. Pitch yourself to online publications for features that will get your brand and account name published, raising your external profile.
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Stay patient and persistent. The verification process takes time. If at first you don‘t succeed, try again in a few months.
Earning an Instagram verification badge takes effort but pays dividends. By consistently growing your audience and engagement, establishing your unique identity and brand both on and off the platform, and increasing your overall visibility and impersonation risk, you can get Instagram‘s stamp of approval.
