What Is a Good Username for Instagram?
A good username for Instagram is simple, memorable, and consistent on other social platforms (more on that later).
Here are our top five tips to help you choose the right one:
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Make it Simple
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Get Creative
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Let Your Brand Shine
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Be Consistent
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Keep Long-term Goals in Mind
Tip #1: Make It Simple
Instagram usernames can contain letters, numbers, periods, and underscores — but you might not want to include all of those.
The bottom line? The easier your username is to spell, the easier it is to search.
With this in mind, it’s worth keeping your username free from tricky words and complex combinations.
Tip #2: Get Creative
A simple Instagram username doesn’t necessarily mean boring. You can get creative (within reason) too!
Memorable usernames are more likely to be searched for, which can directly impact your follower count.
One way to make a memorable username is to use a play on words.
Take creator community The Leap for example. Their username, @maketheleap, cleverly uses their brand name to nudge your follow:
But if your brand name isn’t a good fit for wordplay, you can still make your username memorable with other techniques.
Take note of how digital artist Jamielyn Kane uses punctuation in her Instagram username to mirror the Photoshop file format:
The takeaway? A little bit of creativity can go a long way.
Tip #3: Let Your Brand Shine
While there are over 1B monthly active users on Instagram, you may still be able to nab your business’ username — especially if it’s unique.
From clothing brand @brunettethelabel to Rihanna’s skincare line, @fentyskin, sometimes direct is best.
The takeaway? Make it easy for current (and potential) customers to find you via search right away.
Remember, simplicity is key.
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Tip #4: Be Consistent Across All Platforms
Before you choose your Instagram username, it’s a good idea to check if it’s also available on other social media platforms.
Not only is this important for consistency, but it’s a great way to cross-promote your social profiles.
With the same username, a follower on TikTok or Twitter can easily search and discover your profile on Instagram. Simple as that.
NOTE: Although Instagram usernames have a 30 character limit, this isn’t always the case for other platforms. Twitter usernames, for example, only allow up to 15 characters.
Tip #5: Keep Long-term Goals in Mind
Highlighting you or your brand’s niche in your Instagram username can be a great discoverability hack.
However, it’s important to keep your long-term social media and business goals in mind.
For example, if you’re a brand who plans on diversifying your product range in the future, don’t tie yourself to just one product in your Instagram username.
Instead, opt for more generic terms that give you the freedom to grow in the direction you’re aiming for, like @shopbando.
Thinking ahead can save you from a rebrand further down the line — which could impact your discoverability and engagement.
