A poorly chosen username costs you new followers and potential customers every day, without you noticing.
Lesson 01 · Username
1. What you need to know
More than half of all new followers on Instagram come through search, not the feed. And what Instagram checks first in a search is the username. Not the bio, not the captions, not the hashtags. The username has the highest priority in the search algorithm. That means: A poorly chosen username costs you new followers and potential customers every day, without you noticing.
2. What makes a good username
Length
8 to 15 characters are ideal. The shorter, the easier to remember, type and pass on. When someone tells a friend about you, they should be able to find your handle easily.
Characters
Only letters, numbers, periods and underscores. No double underscores, no year numbers at the end, no special characters. Anything that's hard to type or remember costs you reach.
What to include
Your name or your studio name is the base. Optionally a short style keyword if your name isn't enough. Location doesn't really belong in the username – there are better places for that.
3. The four formats that work
Name + tattoo
@lisameiertattoo or @lisa.tattoo
Direct, clear, easy to find. Good when building a personal brand.
Many use ink or tat – they're okay if there's really no other option. But people don't search for ink or tat. Tattoo is definitely better.
Studio name
@inkstudio.berlin or @darkrosetattoo
Good when the studio should stand as a brand, not the person behind it.
Style-focused
@minimalist.ink or @blackworkstudio
Good when you have a very clear niche that people search for.
Name only
@bangbang or @nikko
Works when the name is already known. Less suitable for artists who are just building up.
4. What to avoid
@__lisa__tattoo__official · Too complex, too many underscores @tattoobylisa2019 · The year makes the handle instantly outdated @l1sa.t4ttoo · Numbers as letter substitutes are hard to find and remember @tattoo_art_ink_studio_lisa · Too long, no one remembers that
Special fonts and fancy characters
Instagram only allows normal letters, numbers, periods and underscores in the username. Tools that convert letters to curly Unicode variants, for example 𝓛𝓲𝓼𝓪 or 🅻🅸🆂🅰, don't work technically in the username at all. More on why such characters are generally problematic is in Lesson 02.
5. Cross-Platform
Someone who discovers you on TikTok and then searches for you on Instagram should find the same handle. Check if your username is still available on TikTok, Pinterest and Facebook and secure it there, even if you're not actively using those platforms right now.