How Instagram Verification (or the lack of it) Can Make Or Break A Celebrity Career

Instagram verification has had a significant impact on many celebrities’ careers. Instagram boast a user base of over 1.3 billion users from around the world. Additionally, these users come from varying geographical locations and social backgrounds. The platform is dominated by under 35 year old users, the demography that plays the most significant role in supporting celebrity brands. Clearly Instagram is one of the most powerful social media platforms, which in turn makes it the ideal tool for celebrity brand establishment and growth.  This is why verification really matters for celebrities who aim to establish and maintain flourishing careers in the industry. For many celebrity brands Instagram verification, or its absence has been a powerful force behind its growth or stagnation.

Instagram Verification Shields Celebrity Brands from Imposters
Because verification protects against identity theft, many celebrities have been able to ward off imposters through verification. Verification allows celebrities to distinguish their Instagram accounts from those of imposters and thereby protect the integrity of their brand. A brand that is protected from illicit duplication is inherently a stronger brand and is more likely to grow in terms of popularity and success.
Without verification, celebrity Instagram accounts are vulnerable to imposters. And imposter can cause considerable damage to celebrity brands. An imposter can use a celebrity brand to promote his/her interests, which may lead to a PR nightmare for the genuine identity or brand.  Imposters divert attention from the real page. And since celebrities thrive on an audience, this can be pretty devastating. Social media experts suggest that fake pages divert as much as 50% of traffic from original pages and have a similar impact on follower numbers. Imagine a fake page that attracts 300 people who think they are really following the official brand. Now imagine that each of those 300 followers by way of shares and suggestions lead a further 3 people to the page weekly. This quickly grows into 900 and then 2700 additional followers. In a matter of weeks, this number can snowball into the thousands or millions. That is just a snapshot of the magnitude of the diversion that fake accounts can create.

Instagram Verification Boosts Popularity and Brand Impact
Celebrities who are climbing the ladder to fame typically have more to lose from failure to access the coveted blue tick that signifies Instagram verification. Countless budding celebrity brands never grow beyond that level because of the limitations that come with failure to gain verification on Instagram and other social media platforms.  Hijacked brands that never recovered from the associated PR blunders and brands that simply failed to have that momentum swelling impact are among them.
Verification also makes it easier for fans to find and follow a celebrity’s legitimate page. With a verified Instagram account, your brand takes a more dominant position on the social media platform. Posts from verified accounts are often featured, promoted or selected for priority display. This means that the accounts will be noticed by more users around the globe, and of course by extension, attract more likes and followers.

Without Instagram Verification Celebrity Brands Struggle
Instagram verification obstacles can cost celebrities a lot, starting with their brand credibility and reputation and eventually, if intervention is unsuccessful, their careers often take the hit. For one, failed verification in and of itself indicates that the celebrity brand has not attracted the level of recognition required to be truly considered a celebrity. With celebrities appearance is everything. And this includes appearance on Instagram. The world of entertainment can be a pretty fickle one and issues like absent verification can give the impression that a brand is really going nowhere- a damaging impression for any brand in the world of celebrities.

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