Verifying a Small Business on Instagram

Instagram verification is a priority target for many businesses today. But does the size of the business matter when it comes to verification? Is verifying a small business any different from verifying a large conglomerate? Is it true that Instagram verification is too ambitious a goal for small businesses? Let’s explore the answers to these questions.
If you are a small business owner who is aiming for the elusive Instagram verification there are a few things you should consider. Chief among them is what you can do to meet the requirements that Instagram has for achieving verification status.

​It’s Not Always about the Followers
While there is some truth to the statement that large follower groups help to properly brands towards Instagram verification, a large following alone cannot get you to the realm of verification.  In other words, popularity helps, but it isn’t the sole criteria for Instagram verification.
Instagram looks for things other than large followings to award the illustrious blue tick. Essentially, the platform zeroes in on four main things when considering a brand for verification- the uniqueness of the account, its authenticity, the completeness of the account and how notable the brand is.

Build a Solid, Positive Reputation
They look for a solid reputation characterised by positive news features in reputable media outlets.  Being published in a reputable news publication is an attainable objective for a small business. Once you are doing good business, you will find a media house and journalist who is willing to do a feature on your brand. You (or your PR team) can also submit feature articles for publication.
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Promote, Promote, Promote
Your brand needs to stand out as something worthy of verification. To stand out you should ensure that your other social media pages are not only active but also verified and linked with your Instagram account. A network of social media pages helps to attract followers. But more importantly, it helps to boost your appearance as an authentic and legitimate entity.
Some of the things you can do to promote your brand’s Instagram page include; embedding links to your IG account on your brand’s web pages, including IG related prompts in your emails and including links to your IG content in your blog posts or in other content you share with your audiences.
A task that goes hand in hand with promoting your content you should keep your followers engaged. Engaged followers means more brand mentions and more shares, which all ultimately lead to more followers.  To ensure that your followers interact with your content, keep it relevant to the demography and ensure that new posts are uploaded when your target audience is typically logged in.
Consider Outsourcing- but Do so Cautiously
You can outsource your Instagram verification project to an agency as this may make the whole process easier. Professionals who have expertise in getting accounts verified will know the different steps that you should take to reach your goal. Many small scale enterprises have found that after trying unsuccessfully on their own, they achieve Instagram verification very quickly after engaging a professional. This is largely due to the fact that publicists and PR agencies have at their disposal a network of media professionals that small business owners simply don’t have. Agencies can reach into these networks and leverage their influence in the digital world to your advantage.
But you should also beware of Instagram verification agencies that offer sub-par services or may even engage in activities that will damage your reputation and by extension push verification further out of your reach.
Instagram verification is definitely and achievable goal for small businesses. But small businesses should pay keen attention to the issues outlined above if they want to get Instagram’s blue mark of approval.