An Instagram handle is your Instagram username.
Instagram handles are also commonly referred as your Instagram link, which appears at the end of your profile page’s address:
instagram.com/followchainorg
Instagram handle = Instagram username or Instagram link.
An example of an Instagram handle is @followchainorg.
Hence, the next time someone asks for your Instagram handle, simply tell them your username or send them your Instagram link.
Either one works.
Table of Contents
1. How do I get an Instagram handle?
3. How to choose a perfect handle
5. Suggestions when your first choice is taken
7. Conclusion
How do I get an Instagram handle?
You can get an Instagram handle by creating an Instagram account.
Here’s how you can create an account:
If you’re on android, tap on “Sign Up With Email or Phone Number”, if you’re using an iPhone, tap on “Create New Account” then enter your email or phone number and tap Next.
If you’ve registered with your email or phone number, choose a username, password and fill out your profile.
Instagram will notify you if the username you have chosen is already taken and will load multiple other suggestions.
Typically, you do not want to use the suggestions that they gave you because most of them include numbers and special characters.
Instead, follow the tips later below on “How to choose a perfect Instagram handle”.
Character limit of an Instagram handle
The character limit of an Instagram handle is 30 characters.
You cannot go more than the character limit.
How to choose a perfect Instagram handle
Choosing a perfect Instagram handle is challenging.
Some people simply don’t care about their handle; others get too creative with them.
The perfect Instagram handle is a right mix between creativity and simplicity.
You’ll need to find the right mix between creativity and simplicity if you want a perfect handle.
Hence, here are a couple of tips you can utilize to choose it.
Choose something related to your niche
The first tip for choosing a perfect Instagram handle is to pick something that relates to your niche.
If you’re going into photography, fitness, or art, make sure to have words that relate to that niche in your Instagram handle.
This makes it easier for people to associate it with your brand.
If you’re creating a theme or business page, include words that are related to your niche.
For example, if your Instagram username is “photography” and your feed is filled with random memes, people are not going to take your page seriously.
Hence, you want to make your Instagram handle relatable and recognizable just from looking at it.
Additionally, try to keep it professional and pick words that are meaningful.
Don’t use random words because it’ll come off as unprofessional and it might ruin your image.
Moreover, using words that are meaningless in your handle shows that you don’t really care about your page.
On the other hand, if you choose words that actually mean something, people will have a positive image of you or your business.
Avoid using extra characters
The next tip is to try to avoid using too many extra characters, or any at all.
Try to keep your Instagram handle as simple as possible.
Avoid using dots, underscores, or numbers.
The perfect handle is a single word (e.g. Human, Dog, Cat).
The perfect Instagram handle is a single word with no special characters.
Unfortunately, most of these are already taken as there are over a billion Instagram accounts.
However, that doesn’t mean that you can’t pick a good handle.
The best way to pick a perfect handle is to try and be as creative as possible with your words.
If you have no other choices left but to add special characters like a dot or an underscore, try to keep them at a minimum.
Try to think out of the box whenever you’re thinking of a handle.
But don’t be too creative. Otherwise, you’ll come off as being odd.
Where to find inspiration for your Instagram handle
Picking a username is one of the hardest decisions you’ll have to make.
You can stare at the username field for hours and not come up with anything good at all.
Hence, here are some places you can find inspiration from.
The first place you want to be finding inspiration from is of course; Instagram.
There are over a billion Instagram accounts, and most people have really creative username.
Simply browse through the followers/following of different people and you can get many ideas.
Tumblr
A great way to find inspiration for Instagram handles is Tumblr.
Tumblr is a very unique place with many creative people.
So take a look at Tumblr and see if you can find anything you like.
You can also try combining some variations of usernames together.
Some of those usernames are unique and can draw a lot of attention.
Thus, browsing through Tumblr is a great way you can find inspiration for choosing your new or next Instagram handle.
Blogs
The last way you can find inspiration for your Instagram handle is from blog names and websites.
This is especially useful if you’re coming up with an Instagram handle for your business.
Some of these blogs are full-time businesses and are authority websites.
This means that they have established themselves well; and a part of that is due to a great domain name.
Some of the best domain names on the web are simple and not too long.
Some good examples of these domain names are lifewire.com and digitaltrends.com.
See how they made use of a combination of English words?
Life + wire and digital + trends.
You can apply the same tactic to find a great Instagram handle.
There are about 170,000 words in the English language so there are lots of possibilities.
Think about your handle as your personal brand or business; one that reflects your identity.
Suggestions when your first choice is taken
If your first choice is taken, don’t fret.
There are lots of other variations you can use to craft your Instagram handle.
Here are some suggestions you can utilize when your first choice is taken.
1. Add “the” in front of your Instagram handle
Starting with “the” is an easy word you can add to your handle if it’s taken.
2. Use “im” at the beginning
Secondly, using “im” at the beginning of your handle accentuates your name.
3. Start with “iam”
Similar to “im”, “iam” is another alternative you can add in your Instagram handle.
This is a reference to the Marvel character, Groot.
4. Add “thereal” in front of your Instagram handle
“thereal” is used by a lot of famous people like Stan Lee.
If you’re famous, adding “thereal” in front of your handle suggests that you’re the real person (of anyone trying to impersonate you).
5. Utilize adverbs like “not”
Utilizing an adverb like “not” adds a contradictory effect to your profile.
It conveys that whatever you post on your Instagram feed is atypical to what people know of you.
In other words, your Instagram feed is “behind the scenes” of your life.
6. Add “its” in front of your Instagram handle
“its” is a common determiner used by famous people.
It’s a great add-on to your handle if your first choice is taken.
7. Begin with “just”
“just” is one of many adjectives you can add on your Instagram handle.
It expresses simplicity.
8. Add “official” at the front/back of your Instagram handle
Last but not least, “official” is an adjective used by many famous people on Instagram.
Using this adjective suggests that you’re the original person (if anyone tries to impersonate you).
Summary of Instagram handle suggestions
Here’s a table of all Instagram handle suggestions you can use (in front or at the back of your handle) if your first choice is taken.
| Words | Suggestions |
| Determiners | the, this, that, my, its, our |
| Contractions | im, iam, |
| Adverbs | not, always, only, simply |
| Adjectives | just, exactly, totally, official |
| Others | thereal, theofficial |
Feel free to copy and paste these word(s) and add in it your handle.
Conclusion
The perfect Instagram handle is a single word with no special characters.
However, your handle does not determine your account’s success.
What’s more important than your handle is the quality of content that you’re posting and the amount of engagement you’re receiving.
It’s the culture that shapes your personal brand and identity towards others.
The essence of your brand lies within its culture.
For instance, if Instagram didn’t exist as a photo-sharing service, its name would mean nothing.
It’s the culture that determines your success and it is developed through time.
So, if you’re looking to create a new Instagram account for yourself or your business, focus on creating quality content for your audience’s consumption.
Always engage in other’s posts as you’d want them to do the same.
Remember, your Instagram handle does not determine your account’s success; its culture does.
P.S. If you liked this article, feel free to join our follow for follow community for Instagram: https://www.followchain.org — it’s free!
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Author: Lim How Wei. Lim How Wei is the founder of Followchain, a community that simplifies growth and networking for Instagram users. Feel free to follow him on Instagram.
