Instagram’s verification blue tick that you often see besides companies and influences is somewhat a sign of status and authenticity. Once only reserved for celebrities and popular accounts, since August 2018, Instagram has made it possible for anyone to apply directly to verify their account.

A verified badge means that Instagram has marked its seal of approval in that the account is authentic, be it a global brand, a public figure, or a celebrity. It allows people to find the correct account when they search for you especially amongst the many fake/tribute accounts that exist. While any user can get verified, Instagram will only verify an account that is of importance enough to the point where other people will create fake accounts to imitate you or your brand. So consider our advice below on improving your profile before submitting your request.

If you want to know what steps you need to take to be eligible for that verification tick, follow these 5 guidelines:

  1. Increase your followers and engagement
    You want to have a large audience following you online but make sure to build up follows that fit within your niche. This way you will increase engagement with people who are highly likely to comment, reshare and like your posts as they are interested solely in your brand.
  1. Be more visible with the help of popular hashtags
    Reach a wide audience by using popular hashtags that blend with your niche market. You may want to create a new hashtag specific to your brand to encourage your followers to use regularly. Not only does this strengthen engagement, but it’s also a great marketing tool that makes you more discoverable.
  1. Cross-promote your social media accounts
    Seamlessly link together content across all your social media platforms like Facebook, YouTube and Twitter that is consistent with your personal brand. If you can establish good following and engagement across all platforms, Instagram will view this as an account worth verifying.
  2. Post at specific times of the day
    Scheduling your posts at the right times will maximise your social engagement. The best times to post on Instagram is when most people are checking their social media. Studies have shown that posts at 8am,1pm and 9pm receive the most views and engagement.
  3. Stop bad social practices
    Avoid taking shortcuts, at all cost. Instagram’s system is fast to detect when a user buys fake followers or likes. It may do your brand more harm as it’s clear to see an unbalanced account with a large following and minimal engagement of like or comments.

On top of our suggestions, make sure to check out the specific requirements from Instagram which are in addition to their Terms of Use and Community Guideline:

  • Authentic: Your account must represent a real person, registered business or entity.
  • Unique: Your account must be the unique presence of the person or business it represents. Only one account per person or business may be verified, with exceptions for language-specific accounts. We don’t verify general interest accounts (example: @puppymemes).
  • Complete: Your account must be public and have a bio, profile photo, and at least one post. Your profile can’t contain “add me” links to other social media services.
  • Notable: Your account must represent 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.

At CFM Group we are Instagram Media Partners – Instagram recognizes our management as an effective way of managing your accounts and our team is vetted experts that can help you with driving business on Instagram.

Let us strategically manage your social media profile. Our services start from just £199 per month + VAT which you can view here or feel free to get in touch by calling us on 01223 956172 or email [email protected]

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