How to Roleplay on Instagram

Co-authored by wikiHow Staff

Last Updated: October 15, 2020 References

It is only natural for people to find a way to express themselves. Some write poetry, play music, and others express themselves through role play. Instagram has become an easy outlet for people to roleplay to a larger audience. Roleplaying on Instagram is great for someone not comfortable with dressing up and exposing their alternate side in public.

Method 1

Method 1 of 3:

Creating a Character

1
Decide on a character. Find the character you want to roleplay as, whether it be from a video game, a comic book, or a movie or show. If you're going to be using a ready made character, do a lot of research before you begin.
- The character does not need to be human. The beauty of roleplaying is that you can choose anything you want. It is all about releasing a yearning inside yourself.
- If you want to roleplay as the dog from Air Bud, go ahead!^{[1]
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2
Create a character. Many people use a character they’ve been trying out for years. For example, if you like to imagine a knight named Sebastian, use this as your character. Consider your character’s background. What do you want them to be like? What will their name be?
- Use a pen and paper to write out specific details about your character. Include everything you can think of, even if you choose not to divulge this information to the public.
- You have a lot of chances to be creative. Don't be afraid to let your imagination run wild!
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3
Get the wardrobe for this character. Some people choose not to dress up as the character they are roleplaying. Others enjoy the process and feeling of dressing up. While you’re in the planning stage, think about possible outfits you could wear for this character.
- Once you have an idea of the clothes your character will wear, go out to find them. Thrift stores and second hand clothing stores have a variety of clothes that might fit your needs.
- Instead of dressing up as a dragon, for example, you could use a series of illustrations you’ve made of the dragon.
4
Consider your goals. Be realistic with what you wish to accomplish in the planning stage. Many people don’t have an agenda while roleplaying, but instead do it for the fun of it. Some people have goals for roleplaying, for example, you could make a phony politician account and campaign for stricter gun control.
- Here is a small list of potential goals you could have for yourself: calling attention to a social or political cause, amassing followers, promoting or reviewing products, or earning an income.
- You will approach roleplaying differently based on what your goals are.
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Create a persona for your character. If you are choosing a pre-made character, you should just commit time researching everything you can about them. This way you can easily embody this character. If you are creating a character from scratch, practice being this character before going online.^{[2]
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- You can benefit from dressing up in your room to practice being this character. It might feel silly, but you might learn something by actually trying to live in your character’s persona.

Method 2

Method 2 of 3:

Setting Up Your Account on Instagram

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Download the app onto your phone. It will be easiest for you to roleplay if you have a smartphone. This way you can create posts any time from any location. Go to your phone’s app store or play store, and search for Instagram. Connect your phone to WiFi to download the app quickly.
- If you haven’t updated your phone’s operating system in a while, you might need to update your device before downloading Instagram.^{[3]
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Sign up for a new account. You can either sign up for Instagram using an email account or by using your Facebook account. If you are already registered with your Facebook or email, you won’t be able to create a new account. If you want to keep your roleplaying account secret, do not register using your personal Facebook account.
- Register with a new email address for the most privacy. Create a simple email using Gmail or Yahoo with a name that’s representative of your character.
3
Think of a clever username. Your username should signify the name of your character. Due to the popularity of Instagram, it may be difficult to choose the exact name of your character. It’s important to attempt to create a catchy name that represents your character.
- For example, say you want to be the dog from Air Bud, but “Buddy” or “Buddythedog” is taken. Instead you could try, “Air_Buddy,” “AirDog97,” “BuddyPlaysBasketball.”^{[4]
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- You can always change your name after setting up your account.
4
Upload a photo of your character. Your profile picture should be a clear picture of your character. The profile picture in Instagram is a small icon that can be small and unclear to some followers. Keep this in mind and attempt to use a close up photo of your character.
- You can use a picture of yourself dressed up as the character, a ready made picture of the character, or an illustration you made of the character.

Method 3

Method 3 of 3:

Roleplaying as Your Character on Instagram

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Follow other people who roleplay. The best way of getting yourself out there is by following other people who roleplay. There is a large community of people who roleplay on Instagram. You might even be able to get some popularity by following other users who roleplay as the same character as you.
- Use the search function and enter variations of your character's name.
- If you have friends in the real world who are involved with Instagram roleplaying, follow them.^{[5]
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Post photos. The best way to build a network of followers is to post pictures. Instagram is mainly focused on pictures. Use photos of your character in the form that you are comfortable with. Post photos regularly to get the most out of your profile. The more pictures you have, the more likely you are to get noticed.
- Some people feel comfortable dressing up as the character. Others may feel more comfortable editing photos of their character in the form of a meme.
3
Create memes with your account. Memes are photos or posts that are centered around a photo and relatable text. They are typically used for comedic purposes and are currently a trending fad on the internet. You can create a meme by editing a photo to include white text. Use a simple photo editing software to add the text to an image.
- A popular start to a meme is "When ...." For example, "When your dog is living better than you" or "When you see a comma in your bank account."
- Decide if memes are a good fit for your Instagram account. Check out similar Instagram users to see if other roleplaying accounts utilize memes.
4
Add interesting content. Another way to gain followers is by using hashtags. Hashtags, or the pound sign, are used to reach a larger network of internet users. The hashtag gets stored with all relatable content that also uses this hashtag. You could also include a description that gives your followers more information.
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Regram related content. Follow other users who have a similar roleplaying account. Once you see a post that you like, you can upload the same post onto your own account. Add your own description and then credit the user who originally posted the image.
- You can credit other users by adding the at symbol (@) before their username.^{[6]
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Community Q&A

Question

What should you put in a bio if you're introducing a new character?

Community Answer

Put any information you want in the bio section. Some people choose to include a brief description of their character's history. Other people simply state the name of the character along with a few key facts about their character.
Question

Is it okay to role-play?

Community Answer

Yes, it is completely fine. Just be careful if you are role playing with strangers as you do not want to accidentally put yourself in a dangerous situation.
Question

How is it possible to make sure everybody is active in the roleplay?

Community Answer

You just have to go for it. If someone's missing, it's not that big of a deal. Just fill them in later.