If you want Instagram to boost your username, it needs to be easy to find and remember, on top of being creative.
A username on social media is similar to a name in real life and it is a crucial part of establishing your identity on the platform.
If you want your Instagram name to be creative and to boost your profile, you will need to ensure that it is simple, memorable, unique, and linked to what you do without being too limiting.
What is in a name?
Your username on social media, just like a brand name or your own name in real life, is an incredibly important, yet often overlooked, part of your identity.
Your username on Instagram is not only an important distinguisher, but it can also help you communicate key points about your brand personality and can influence how successful you are in reaching your audience.
Creative Instagram Name Ideas to Boost Your Profile
One of the first things that you will be prompted to do when you first create a new Instagram account is to insert a username or handle.
This may seem fairly straightforward at first, but this is something that you need to consider carefully if you want your account to be able to reach its full potential.
According to Meta’s third-quarter earnings call for 2022, Instagram has over 2 billion average monthly users.
Instagram’s most recent advertising numbers suggest that advertisers on the platform can now reach over 1.6 billion users worldwide, which boasts an increase of 176 million users since 2022.
However, paid advertising is not the only way that brands and businesses can use Instagram to communicate with their target audiences.
Instagram features a number of content formats, including photos, carousel posts, videos and stories, which brands can use to increase their reach and engagement on the platform.
The only problem is that in order for this kind of organic content to reach your intended audience, you need to play nice with the algorithm.
The more users can discover, interact and engage with your username, the more the algorithm will boost your profile and your content and the wider your reach on the platform will be.
How to choose a creative Instagram name
There are several things that you need to consider when you are choosing an Instagram name, which is why it is best to approach this process one step at a time, as follows:
| Process | Key consideration |
| Step 1 | Your name should be simple |
| Step 2 | Your name should be memorable |
| Step 3 | Your name should be unique |
| Step 4 | Your name should be linked to what you do |
| Step 5 | Your name should not limit you |
Fortunately, it does not mean that just because there are so many things to consider if you want the Instagram algorithm to boost your profile, that there are not creative ideas that can guide you through every step.
Step 1: Keep your username simple
The best way to ensure that people who already love your brand can find you on Instagram is to keep your username as simple as possible.
Instagram will allow you to use letters, numbers, periods and underscores in your username. But adding too many of these characters can make your name difficult to search for.
Having a complicated username on Instagram can also make it difficult for you to share this username on other platforms or to explain it to people in-person. This is why most names for big brands on Instagram are simply the brand name.
However, if your brand’s name is already taken on Instagram, you can always add your specific geographical location, like your city or street, to your name, like in @yourbrand_on3rd or @yourbrand_houston.
Step 2: Make sure that your username is memorable
Users on Instagram can come into contact with your profile in a number of different ways, because the Instagram algorithm will recommend different content in the feed, explore page and sponsored posts for every user.
If you really want this algorithm to boost your profile, you need to ensure that these users can remember your username long enough to follow you or engage with your content.
For this reason, if you want to be creative, try to find the shortest, but most recognizable way to display your brand name. For example, The World’s 50 Best Restaurants did this with their username @theworlds50best.
Step 3: Add a unique spin to your name
Sometimes, the best way to ensure that your audience will be engaged with your content instantly is to add a humorous or unique twist to your username. This is also a great way to share some of your brand’s personality right off the bat.
Examples of usernames that convey a sense of personality and charm include names that use alliteration or a repetition of words. Some good examples of other usernames that have incorporated this include @commentsbycelebs and @textsfromyourex.
Another option is choosing a name that describes your content, just like @tameyourbrain, @girlwithnojob and @weworewhat did.
Step 4: Make sure that your name is linked to what you do
Adding a suffix or prefix that describes what your brand actually does, like @yourbrand_thelabel, @shop_yourbrand, or @yourbrand_beauty can be a great way to introduce your brand to new users who found you through Instagram.
It is also a great way for users who already love what you do to recognize your brand instantly if they come across it on the platform organically, or if they have searched for your brand and many different options appear.
Step 5: Ensure that your name is not needlessly limiting
Although adding what your brand does in your username can lead to higher brand recognition across the platform, it is important to remember that you will ideally want your username on Instagram to stay the same forever.
In this case, having specific words like “cosmetics,” “fashion” or “restaurant” in your username, if they are not part of your brand name, can limit you if you ever want to branch out into other areas of business.
It is crucial that you make sure that the username you choose can grow with your brand over time.