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First and foremost, what even is verification on Instagram? And what’s the whole ruckus about Instagram’s verification process being the hardest of all the platforms that support verification? Let’s not get ahead of ourselves just yet. Verification, on Instagram, is the process of verifying that the account in question is indeed the authentic account that represents the entity at hand.

In simpler terms, it is to ensure that the account is the sole representative of a public figure, brand, or trend. Therefore, disqualify yourself from even considering this if you have multiple accounts. Terrified of losing your favourite spam account? There ARE upsides to giving up side accounts for verification. But should you? That answer, in short, is that it depends.To answer your query, we must first discuss the whole process of said verification.

How To Actually Verify Yourself On Instagram

Instagram, and Facebook – IG’s owner, have a handy dandy little checklist to guide you through the whole process. But, before we begin, but I’ll detail it here for your convenience:

1. Authenticity

Now, this would be a no-brainer for most, but – just in case you’re confused – make sure that you’re an actual person. This is definitely not the time to undergo an existential crisis. To be an authentic account you must be a registered business, a real person, or an entity of some sort [which can operate social media]. Which means you need proof that you’re alive (driver’s license, passport, etc) and a somewhat functional member of society. Now that we’e got that weirdness out of the way, onwards!

2. Completed-ness

To ensure you have matching information (your name, for example), you will need to have a complete bio (biography), a profile picture (make sure you get your best angles in), and at least one post. Oh, and there’s also the matter of making your account public. The main reason for this is because the whole point of verification is to help people find your real, authentic, verified account with more ease – which will then set you up to gain more followers and increase brand awareness. But, if this is not your goal, you may be better off keeping your account private.

3. Uniqueness

Here’s the real kicker, though. If you do go through with this, you don’t get to have any side accounts – yes, you may retain an incredibly private account [that you may have forgotten the password to] to spam close friends. But, generally speaking, the account which you verify is the sole representative of the entity in question on Instagram. Exclusions are made for language specific accounts, and general interest accounts (slime-making, dog memes, and glitter) are generally not verified. So, tough luck there.

3. Notability

It is at this stage, dear reader, that I must implore you to introspect. Instagram will only approve your account if you, or your brand, are a relatively sought after individual, or entity. Instagram has stated that they review multiple sources to decide if your account is worth verifying. This is the main reason that a ‘normal’ person will not apply for verification. They may apply regardless – it isn’t a trial by fire, or anything of the sort. From Instagram’s point of view, there is little reason for anybody else to attempt to impersonate them, which means there will be little to no use to verify them.

Why You Should Verify Yourself On Instagram [Or Why You Shouldn’t]

To Grow Your Instagram

Growing your Instagram, if you haven’t already gathered, is the process of augmenting your reach – through followers, audiences, and content. If this statement doesn’t make any sense to you, that’s perfectly alright – we’re only going to be glancing off the surface for the purposes of brevity. Plus, there’s a whole other article you can read if this is what you want to focus on. Another thing about said growing, do ensure it’s done organically, yep – no pesticides here, my friend.

The authenticity that comes guaranteed with with that elusive blue tick mark is akin to a golden ticket – it shows your followers that you’re real, genuine, and not impersonating (hopefully – because otherwise you run the risk of your account getting deleted). Brand authenticity is a great way to tell potential fans that you’re not just an entity in a far off galaxy – you’re here to interact with them. Speaking of, if you do end up deciding to verify yourself, you’ll be able to tap into a coveted resource: an audience previously isolated from the majority of campaigning online.

One of the practical reasons you should turn to Instagram is to increase brand awareness (or just awareness, in general). Instagram has a much wider ‘reach’ – and it caters to an audience most other platforms exclude. Over half Instagram’s users are under 35 years old, which is a demographic particularly attractive to many brands. Do keep in mind that if you do establish a presence on Instagram, you will be required to keep up with the schedule of posting and engaging with your followers to see payoff – if at all. That little blue tick mark is only the beginning, a milestone – at most.

Next Steps: Establish Presence & Grow Engagement Levels

Once you’re verified, the journey doesn’t end – as I mentioned above. No sir, the journey hath just begun. Putting your brand or yourself out there is just the start. Once you’ve established a presence, you must solidify it – interact with your followers, post regularly, and connect all your social media to boost your follows and make it easy for people to find you across whichever platform they prefer. And that’s not all, there’a whole lot of other stuff you can do to build your presence on the ‘gram, a lovely list for which is provided here.

‘Till then, dear reader, I wish you the best of luck.