Think of this. You have this brilliant business idea. You’ve come up with a name that you love. You have registered the domain name for it. You have an aesthetically pleasing website. Everything was going perfectly well until you got to prepare your social media accounts. You head over to Instagram and realize that your desired username is already taken up. Bummer, isn’t it? And, worse, the name is registered but inactive. Meaning, whoever took the username, they’re not even using it. They haven’t made a post on Instagram for years!
This – happens more often than you’d think. There is no limit to the number of accounts a person can create on Instagram. And, when you’re talking about one of the most popular social networks – chances are, almost every username that you’d like is taken. And, more often than not, the username you’d like is taken but not even active.
So, what do you we in such a situation? Let’s explore!
The Less-Desirable Routes
Before we explore ways to get an inactive username, let’s discuss what options we have if we simply give up the route of getting the exact username that we desire.
Here are some of the options that you may typically go with –
- Add a suffix – the first option would be to add a creative or simple suffix to your username. Let’s say your company name is ‘Wolf Global.’ You can go with a variety of suffixes. For one, you can add your location at the end of the username if that works for you. For Example, @WolfGlobalUSA. You may also go with @WolfGlobalCompany.
- Add a prefix – adding a word or a group of words at the beginning of your username. For example, you could go with something like @WeAreWolfGlobal. You may also go with @ItsWolfGlobal
- Add special characters – this would be to add special characters to your username. For example, if your company name is Sonorus, you could go with @Sonorus_ or @_sonorus_
- Add your website extension – in this way; you may add your domain extension to your name. For example, if your company website is Wikipedia.org, you could go with @wikipedia.org instead of just @wikipedia
- Add your niche – in this way, you could add your product or service niche in the username. For instance, let’s say your company name is Sonorus and you deal with audio products. You could go with @sonorus.audio or @sonorusaudio
How to Get an Inactive Instagram Username
Let’s get to the fun part now. How do we go about getting a username that is already taken? What options do you have if you are serious about your branding consistency and want a matching username on all platforms that mirrors your domain?
We have a few options that we can take to get an inactive username.
Contact the Owner if Username is Active
The first option, although not recommended, would be to contact the owner of the account. In this case, you simply DM the user on Instagram and ask them if they can release the account so that you can have it. Naturally, they may expect some payment.
The problem with this method is – since Instagram accounts are connected to an email account and a mobile number, even after the owner makes the transfer, they can always pull back the account. How? Simply by doing ‘forgot password’ and claiming the account was hacked. Then, Instagram would revert the email on file back to the original email. So – the problem with this method is that the account will never be ‘safe.’
Also – this would only work if the username is actively used by the owner while, at the same time, not an established account that they’d not want to give up on. In other words, this would work if the profile is not posting BUT they are still logging in to Instagram and regularly checking their DMs. Do you want to buy instagram likes cheap for your account?
Claim Inactive Instagram Username
The best option, in this case, would be to claim the Instagram username. So, what do we mean by ‘claiming’ a username? Well, if a username is inactive and not in use, you can have a media partner agency ‘claim’ it on your behalf. Social media boutique agencies have the ability to request usernames that are inactive via their contact at Facebook and Instagram. The good news is that you can hire a social media agency to buy inactive Instagram usernames.
The process is quite simple. First, the social media agency files a request for a claim on your behalf. Next, the internal media relation at FB/IG, then rename your current account to your desired username. For example, let’s say your username on Instagram is @sonorus.audio, and you want @sonorus, which is taken and inactive. Under the username claim, your current username will be renamed to your desired name.
Best part? No login is required. So, your email, phone, posts, followers – everything remains intact.
Have you ever noticed how some accounts are able to get ‘perfect’ usernames all the time? Like, when Marvel, Disney, or Netflix gets the exact username matching their movie eventhough the username is super popular and was most probably already registered? Now, you know.
Brands routinely claim usernames across all social networks to have a consistent branding identity. As you can imagine – the last thing you’d want as a brand would be to have inconsistent handles across all networks. Imagine if you were @sonorus.audio on Instagram, @sonorusaudio on Facebook, and @sonorus_ on Twitter. It doesn’t really make the company appear all that professional does it?
Conclusion
In conclusion, while you have a variety of ways to modify your username to bring it as closer to your brand name as possible, the best option would be to have it claimed. Not to mention, transfers of usernames between two parties is not the safest option in the long run. And – well, adding unnecessary suffixes, prefixes, and special characters to your username does nothing but confuse your audience while making you come off as a not-so-serious brand.
One of the best investments you can make in the world of online shopping, online reviews, and online brand identity is to ensure that your branding is consistent across all social media. Nothing makes a company look more professional than it having consistent branding across all channels. And, it’s never been easier to buy inactive Instagram usernames so long as you have a credible social media boutique agency on your side.