Instagram Username: Discover Which to Choose
The Key to Growing on Instagram
What is the Instagram Username?
In technical terms, a username on Instagram is what is written after the @ and corresponds to your name on the social network.
You might think it’s just a string of text, but in reality, it’s much more. Your nickname is your online identity, your virtual ID, and a fundamental part of your growth strategy on this social media platform.
Remember that Instagram allows you to change it once every 15 days, although I strongly suggest choosing it well and never changing it again.
Which Username to Choose?
The choice is not so obvious. First, you need to decide whether your profile will be a brand or a personal brand.
Answering this question is already quite complicated. For the distinction between the two categories, refer to the article dedicated to “Public or Personal Profile.” I will assume you already know what I mean.
If you choose a personal brand, the profile name can easily be your First and Last Name, while if you make the business choice, you should use the company name as your username.
But what if that name is already taken?
Know that this will happen in 90% of cases.
Here’s what to do:
If you are a personal brand and have a common name, your username will likely be taken. In this case, you can choose to use a nickname and maybe include your real name and surname in the appropriate space. Remember that using a nickname means you need to find a nickname that is:
- Easy to remember
- Easy to pronounce
- Easy to write
You also have a series of special characters on your keyboard that you can use, but be careful not to make mistakes!
The Unwritten Rules for how to pick the Right Instagram Username
Attention, because what I am about to reveal is not written in any Instagram manual: there are unwritten rules to follow, which you will hardly discover on your own. Let’s see them together:
- Underscore_, hashtag#, and *asterisks are all special characters that do not appear in the first section of the phone keyboard symbols and are therefore more difficult to type and search for.
- It’s better to use a dot or a hyphen if you must include special characters.
- Minimize special characters. Use only those necessary to make your nickname unique but don’t overdo it. Remember, if you use, for example, three dashes in a row, it will be almost impossible for a follower to find you again.
- Your username should start with letters; insert special characters only at the end or in the middle as dividers.
- Do not use numbers. Unless you are a well-known footballer or athlete linked to your jersey number, remember that numbers are hard to remember and search for.
If you are a brand and your username is already taken, the problem is more serious. In this case, I advise finding a completely different name as your profile will be associated with an image that is not yours.
Tips for Choosing the Right Username on Instagram
Here’s a simple example. Years ago, the couple behind @doyoutravel and @gypsea_lust became very popular on Instagram. The people behind these profiles are well-known in the travel world and have made Instagram their job. As they grew and became famous on the platform, numerous profiles emerged with usernames similar to theirs. This tactic is, in simple terms, social suicide. This is because in the vast sea of Instagram, Jack Morris and Lauren Bullen are two “giant sharks,” and it’s unlikely that by entering “travel” or “gypsea” you would appear before them in searches.
So, even if you are very attracted to these exotic terms, try to be more original and create a UNIQUE and DISTINCTIVE username.
Another point to keep in mind, whether you choose to create a brand or a personal brand, is the availability of the username on other platforms.
Maybe it’s not your initial intention to expand to other channels (although I highly recommend it), but keep in mind that sooner or later this could be a possibility, and you should be able to maintain the same username.
There’s a tool on the web that allows you to check if a username is available on various platforms and even as a domain. It’s called www.namechk.com.
It’s a considerable time saver that will help you find the perfect username.
At this point, my earnest advice is to, once you’ve chosen the username, create profiles on as many platforms as possible to secure the name, even if you don’t plan to start working on them right away.
The same goes for the domain; invest a few euros and buy the domain of your username. When you turn Instagram into a job, you’ll thank me.
SEO in the Instagram Username
There’s one last aspect to keep in mind when choosing a username: SEO.
Instagram has now become a true search engine, almost on par with Google. This means that even on this social network, SEO (Search Engine Optimization) rules exist.
Ranking well in searches also depends on positioning the right keywords in the username, bio, or name space.
To explain this aspect better, I want to start from the reverse reasoning.
If you are interested in vegan food and want to search Instagram for accounts dealing with this topic, just type “vegan” in the search bar and then go to the “ACCOUNT” tag.
Do a quick test!
You’ll notice that the profiles appearing in this section all have the term “vegan” in their username, bio, or name.
This aspect is crucial because it shows that if you can’t or don’t want to include everything that defines your profile in the username, you can also use the name spaces. If you look at my profile, you’ll notice that the terms related to the “social and digital” aspect appear only secondarily in the name and bio.
The username only refers to the “travel” and “baby” niche without even using any of these now saturated terms on Instagram.
This SEO rule is decisive and will play a fundamental role in your success on social media. Keep in mind that in the Instagram search engine, profiles you follow and profiles you don’t follow appear indiscriminately, so having a good SEO score allows you to rank higher and be one of the first profiles to appear during searches.
Choosing a nickname on Instagram is a crucial decision in your growth strategy. It’s the first step toward building your online identity and presence on the platform. Invest the necessary time to select a nickname that best represents you and contributes to your success on Instagram.
Remember, first impressions are crucial, so make it count!
Digitally yours
☀️ Sara ☀️
