How To Get Verified on Instagram [January 2021]

Imitation may be the sincerest form of flattery, but that doesn’t give anyone the right to impersonate others on social media. While celebrities are the most likely to be misrepresented in this way, the rest of us could be at risk as well. That’s why there’s been increasing support for Instagram to expand its verification program beyond just their most notable users.

For quite a while, Instagram held the line firmly against verification for non-celebrity and non-brand accounts. In late August 2018, however, Instagram opened the verification process up to the rest of us – theoretically.

Applying for Verification

Anyone can apply for verification. Getting started with the process is simple. To apply for verification follow the steps below:

Step 1

Open the Instagram app and tap on the profile in the lower right-hand corner

Step 2

Click on the three horizontal lines in the upper right-hand menu and tap on ‘Settings.’

Step 3

Scroll down and tap on ‘Account.’

Step 4

Scroll down once more and tap on ‘Request Verification‘

Step 5

Fill out the form and click ‘Send‘ at the bottom

You will have to provide photographs of your ID and other documentation (utility bills, etc.) to Instagram so they can check and verify them.

You’ll also choose what account type you are, from news to influencer, there are several options available, tap on the one that’s closest to yours. Then all you need to do is wait! The process can take up to 30 days, although if you are rejected you can reapply.

However, there is still a catch.

The Catch

The catch is that while anyone can apply, the standards don’t seem to have really changed. Instagram still says that accounts must be notable, and defines that as your account representing “a well-known, highly searched for person, brand, or entity. We review accounts that are featured in multiple news sources, and we don’t consider paid or promotional content as sources for review.”

So if you’re Instagram famous, you may well be able to get verified…but if you have 16 followers and three of them are your siblings, you’re probably still out of luck.

There are other ways to get verified on Instagram but none of them are guaranteed. Before we go into them, however, we should ask an important question…

Do you need to get verified on Instagram?

You may be wondering if you even need to get verified. The blue checkmark doesn’t get you into exclusive clubs, it doesn’t give you discounts on products, and it won’t make you more attractive to the opposite sex. So why bother?

The only real benefit to being verified on Instagram is if you run a business and use the network for marketing. Then being a verified member gives your message a little more credibility than otherwise.

However, by the time Instagram considers you for verification, you need to have hundreds of thousands of followers anyway, so you’re already past the point of needing verification. If you take your social media marketing seriously, verification can add a little weight to your campaigns.

It does help in one other way as well, once you gain a lot of followers, you’ll notice other accounts popping up to imitate you and spam your loyal followers. The blue checkmark gives your fans something to look for and make sure that it’s you and not someone impersonating you.

Get verified on Instagram

To get verified on Instagram, you could buy a verified account from a source – or you could do things the hard way. As mentioned above, nothing is guaranteed here and the exact requirements of a verified account is a secret that only Instagram knows for sure.

The upside is that all your work will benefit your Instagram marketing efforts regardless of whether you get verified or not.

The hard way involves social media marketing activities. They are slow and methodical, but will gradually earn you the authority in your niche and, after that, followers.

Earning Instagram Verification The Hard Way: Don’t start with Instagram

While the endgame is verification on Instagram, you may want to begin by ignoring the network altogether. If you can create a social presence that Instagram themselves will want to be associated with, you might be able to bypass the traditional verification methods. Sometimes doing so can actually get Instagram to offer you verification, rather than you asking for it.

A typical social media marketing campaign would look at your brand, what it offers, its target market, and then pick the most likely social networks from there.

Think about who your main customers are and what social networks they would be most likely to use. Create a profile on each and make those as full and as compelling as you can. Then begin posting something genuinely useful once per day. A social media marketing campaign is usually split into three or six-month segments. Plan three months’ worth of posts and content, link your accounts to your company blog and be patient.

Build an online presence

The idea is to create genuinely useful content that your audience gains a benefit from. This is the content most likely to succeed on any social network and begins to create authority for your brand and potential to get noticed.

Once you have a few months’ worths of content on other social networks, create an Instagram account, and link everything together. Add your company details and links to your website on your Instagram account. Try to be a leader in what you post and not a follower. The more quality content you put out there, the more likely you will be seen as someone who would bring other people to Instagram. This is the key to getting verified.

As you become noticed on other networks, the analytics tools at Instagram may flag you as someone of interest to their network. This is what you should be working towards. As you build your reputation, link to other influencers, and make yourself useful online. You will start to become someone people want to be connected with. Doing so can greatly increase your chances of getting verified status.

Getting verified on Instagram is not guaranteed, but it’s also not impossible. While it isn’t usually easy, it can add some weight to the perception of your business. If you have the time and patience it is definitely worth a try!