Social networks have taken on a very important role in our society. We no longer see them only as a tool to share and socialize with our friends and acquaintances. It is important for many new businesses to have some sort of social media presence. Connecting companies with their customers and service users helps collect data to both improve products and market said products effectively. A brand identity is much more than a name, but having the right name can be an incredible boost to a company or product.
Unfortunately, coming up with a new and dynamic name is not always easy. Maybe you have chosen one you think is perfect, only to find it is already being used by another Instagram user. At oneHOWTO, find out what to do if an Instagram username is already taken.
Why is my Instagram username taken?
The username on Instagram is the main way for a potential client or follower to find you. That is why your choice is important and must be so well thought out. However, Instagram has over a billion users all over the world and it is quite common the same name has already been selected. The platform accepts these names in order of name creation. When entering a potential username, Instagram indicates with a red tab and requests that it be modified.
If your name has already been taken it is for one of two main reasons:
- There is an account impersonating your name or brand: someone may have used your photos and your name to impersonate your identity or there may be an account using the name and logo of your brand. In that case, you have the option to report it to Instagram so they deactivate the account and you can get the username that corresponds to you.
- There is another person with the same name: in this case, there is no other option than to find a way to modify your username so that it continues to respect your identity, but is not identical to the existing one. Below we will give tips to choose an alternate Instagram username.
How to create a unique username on Instagram
As we mentioned before, if the problem is that the username you had in mind is already taken and it is not a problem of theft or impersonation, your only option is to look for another similar name . This should be a username which maintains the same essence and provides important information to the potential customer. To best do this, it is usually ideal if we use the existing brand name and append some common words or symbols to it:
- Business type: you can specify before or after the name what the account is related to. For example, ‘@[business name]fashion’ or ‘@hotel[business name]’.
- Official status: if you are a public figure who has several accounts with your name, you can resort to official status. For example, ‘@JoeBlowOfficial’.
- Language: another of the data that you can include is the language in which the account is with an abbreviation. For example, ‘@[brand name]EN’ or ‘@[brand name]ES’.
- Location: you can also define the geographical area in which that account is focused and active. For example, ‘@[brand name]USA’ or ‘@[brand name]UK’.
- Identity: finally, in the case of personal accounts, it is possible to resort to the use of identity words to modify the user, such as ‘I am’. For example, ‘@iam[brand name]’.
How to Claim an inactive Instagram username
There may also be the scenario that the username not available on Instagram is already occupied but the account that is using it has been inactive for a long time and has not uploaded material. In this case you have three options:
- Wait: Instagram usually deletes accounts that have been without any activity for between one and two years and that may be the time to take the name you want.
- Buy: if the user with the name you are interested in does not upload material, but uses their account to view content, their account will not be considered inactive in the eyes of Instagram. One of the options would be to speak directly with the owner and negotiate selling the username.
- Claim: this case only occurs if it is a registered brand and it happens that an inactive account has the same name. In this case, Instagram can cause these rights to be claimed and you will have the name of your brand.
Knowing all this about what to do if an Instagram username is already taken, we recommend you read these other oneHOWTO articles on how to change my Instagram password and how many Instagram accounts can I have?
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