Instagram introduced Nametag in October 2018 to provide a simple way to collect followers. It works like a QR code that can be scanned by other Instagram users to follow you. It seems to have gone well, even though it was undone from Stories.
You may remember QR codes from a few years ago. The industry tried to promote them for advertising, but they didn’t go very well. The QR code can be scanned by a smartphone camera and you will be taken directly to a landing page or website of the advertiser. A lot of fraud was started by pasting fake QR codes over the real ones on posters and billboards. It was a neat idea that hadn’t been given the attention it deserved. Instagram hopes to join ranks or organizations that want to change that.
Instagram Nametag
Instagram Nametag is a kind of QR code but more secure. Currently it only works within the Instagram network and only allows people to follow you. Snapchat has been using a version of it for a while, as have Twitter, Facebook, and even LinkedIn.
Like most things on social media, it’s been kept as simple as possible for maximum appeal. Once created, you publish your Instagram Nametag for people to scan with their phones and hopefully become followers. It’s marketing gold for companies and social media marketers, and I’m surprised Instagram has taken so long.
Create Instagram Nametag
Creating an Instagram Nametag takes just a few minutes and will give you an image that you can place anywhere online that is accepted.
To create your Instagram Nametag:
- Open the Instagram app on your device and log in.
- Select the profile icon and select the three-line menu icon.
- Select the new option named Name Tag.
- Play with the options until you are happy.
- Save your Nametag by selecting Share and then the ‘X’ in the upper left corner of the screen.
When creating an Instagram Nametag, you have several design options to choose from. The first is backgrounds, you can have a selfie, emoji or a colorful background. Selfie will open the camera for you to take a new selfie. The usual filters and graphics options are also loaded so you can add ears, mustaches or whatever.
You have the option to choose your emoji from the array that appears on the screen for the emoji background. To replace existing emoji, choose one and continue. If the emoji you are looking for is not on the screen, use the search function to find it.
For colored background, simply tap anywhere on the screen to change the default color. Repeat tapping to cycle through the available colors and stop when you’re happy.
When done, select the Share icon and then the ‘X’ at the top of the screen to exit.
Editing Your Instagram Nametag
After you create your Instagram Nametag, saves to your camera roll for use anywhere online. If you are not completely satisfied with the way it looks or you want to change it, you can. You can access the same NameTag creation options to customize your tag until you’re happy.
- Select the profile icon and select the three-line menu icon.
- Select Nametag and tap to select your tag.
- Use the same selfie, emoji and color options as above.
- Tap Share and ‘X’ to save
As I understand you can change your Instagram Nametag as many times as you want using the method above.
Sharing Your Instagram Nametag
Even if you didn’t pay much attention to creating your hashtag, you’ve already seen how to share your Instagram Nametag. When you go to save your Nametag, select Share and then the ‘X’ on the screen to save it to your camera roll. You use the same sharing option to share your Instagram Nametag.
- Select your Instagram Nametag.
- Select Share in the top right.
- Choose one of the given sharing options.
Scanning Instagram Nametag
Scanning an Instagram Nametag is simple. It works exactly the same as a QR code.
- Open your Instagram camera and point it to the Instagram Nametag.
- Press and hold the camera button to take a photo.
You will then be redirected to that person’s profile and have the option to follow them from there. It’s a refreshingly simple tool that makes it so much easier to follow someone on the social network. It was not difficult to start but now you can follow and follow easily with a simple picture.
The Instagram Nametag may be a carbon copy of what happened before, but that doesn’t matter. Any new feature that makes using the social network easier should be a good thing, right?
