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Step 1: Log Into Your Account
Log into your Instagram account. If you own more than one, make sure that you log into the account that you want to verify.
Step 2: Request Verification
1. Once in your Instagram profile, tap the Menu button located in the top right corner and then tap the icon for Settings (it’s the one that looks like a little gear).
Step 1 Go to Instagram Settings
2. Tap the Account icon:
Step 2 Go to Instagram Account
3. Tap Request Verification located near the bottom.
Step 3 Click on Request Verification
Step 3: Confirm Your Identity
1. Fill in the required details, including your full name, professional name, and the correct category.
Full Name: This is your full, legal name exactly the way it appears on your government-issued ID.
Known As: Here, you can enter the name of your company or the name that your audience generally knows you as. For instance, if you have a nickname or if you use a middle name rather than your first name, this is where that information goes.
Category: There are various categories to choose from, and it’s important to ensure that you pick the one that is most accurate for your Instagram account. Categories include news/media, sports, music, fashion, entertainment, government/politics, business/brand/organization, blogger/influencer, or other.
Step 4 Fill in the required details
2. Upload your official business documents or government-issued photo identification. If you are an individual, you can use your passport, ID card, or driver’s license.
For businesses, you can use a utility bill with your company name, your articles of incorporation, or a tax return. Make sure that the name you entered above matches the name on your documents.
Step 5 Upload official business documents
3. Tap Send when you’ve completed your application.
And that’s it!
Once Instagram has reviewed your request, they will let you know whether or not your application has been approved. The official reply will come within a few days.
If at first you don’t succeed, don’t give up after the first try.
There are many reasons why Instagram may decide to reject your application for the blue checkmark.
If your first application is denied, take the time to find out how you can improve your profile, grow your audience, and further establish yourself as a noteworthy person online.
Once you’ve made those changes, simply apply again. You can submit the next request 30 days after the previous request was denied.
How to Increase Chances of Approval
Instagram is very clear on the fact that even if your Instagram account meets the criteria for verification, it’s still not a guarantee that you will get the blue checkmark. In order to give yourself the best chance of getting approval, it’s a good idea to implement the following tips:
Complete Your Bio: One of the first things Instagram looks for when determining whether or not to verify your account is a complete profile. Make sure you fill in all the information required in the bio fields.
Include a photo, at least one post, and accurate information about yourself, your business, or your brand.
Become Newsworthy: Yet another core requirement for getting verified on Instagram is that your account must be newsworthy. One way to achieve this is by getting your name in the news. You can send out press releases and media kits to get your name in the media.
You can also connect with local news agencies and other large publications for even more visibility.
As an example, Ryan Grant (pictured below) has used his retail arbitrage business to gather a substantial amount of press. Placements like these allow people to prove to Instagram that their story is newsworthy and they have a substantial online presence.
Ryan Grant Substantial Online Presence
Optimize Your Online Presence: Work on grooming your online presence to make it highly searchable. If your name only appears on Instagram, it makes it less likely that your account will be verified.
Increase your visibility online by optimizing your own website with a tool like Thrive Themes, as well as your presence on other social media profiles so that you have a notable presence in web search. You can also guest post on different authority websites and appear as a guest in videos and podcasts.
Due to Linkedin being a very important professional network, it’s a good idea to connect with all professional folks you’ve worked with in the past. When you do this, some of these LinkedIn message templates can help you connect with those individuals and add personalization to your outreach campaign.
Grow Your Following On Instagram: Although there isn’t a required number of followers for Instagram verification, a higher number of followers does make you seem more notable. Continue to build your reach and grow your followers if you want to secure the blue check on Instagram continue reading this.
Post Regularly: The guidelines state that you only need one post to be considered for blue check verification, but ideally, you don’t want to apply until you have an Instagram presence that is more robust.
To be a notable person online, you need an active account with lots of followers. This is a key indicator of how noteworthy you are, and it will greatly boost your chances of being approved.
Increase Engagement: Another way to increase your chances of approval for the blue checkmark on Instagram is to get your followers involved. On most social channels, engagement is considered a strong signal of authenticity.
Instagram suggests encouraging your customers to tag your brand in their posts so that other people can see posts from customers who use your products or services.
Mistakes to Avoid
When trying to get the blue checkmark on Instagram, there are certain mistakes that should be avoided at all costs.
Here are some of the things that you should not do if you want to get approval:
Don’t use third-party services to apply: There are a lot of people online who will attempt to sell you fast and easy Instagram verification. These are all scams. The steps to apply for blue check verification are very simple. Anyone can follow them, and there is no need to attempt to verify your Instagram account using a third party service.
Don’t add links in your bio to other social media channels: Don’t use your Instagram bio to cross-promote other social media accounts. Also, don’t ask your followers on Instagram to follow you anywhere else. Instagram will not approve your profile if it contains “add me” links to other social media channels.
Don’t break Instagram’s rules and policies: The last thing you want to happen is to lose your verification badge after you get it. To avoid this, you must continue to follow Instagram’s Terms of Service as well as the platform’s Community Guidelines.
Some of the things that may result in your badge being taken away include transferring or selling your badge, using your bio, profile picture, or Instagram name to market or promote other services, and so on.