The first impression is usually a lasting impression. People generally remember the first time they met you, even years later. The same goes for your bio on Instagram.
The best Instagram bios are those that visitors can briefly learn about who you are, what you do, what products or services you offer and other details about you and your brand.
Instagram allows for 150 characters, so it’s important to use every character wisely. It may seem like a bio is not that important, but those 150 characters can be the difference between a visitor becoming a follower or moving on to the next page and clicking follow there instead.
An Instagram bio is your introduction to the platform, so it’s imperative your description is memorable. If you’re representing a business or brand, a great bio attracts visitors to you and many times is the determining factor for them to follow or not.
The best Instagram bios encourage visitors and followers to interact with an individual or business and make contact with or visit your website for further information.
Image source: Pexels
The bio is not the only area of your Instagram that will catch a visitor’s eye, it’s just the place they tend to look at first. To have one of the best Instagram bios, you need to have a great profile as well.
The contents of your Instagram profile should include a quality and informative bio, an identifiable profile picture, a recognizable username, and your website or comparable link.
Your Instagram username should be carefully thought out, especially if you are representing a brand or business. It will become who you are on Instagram so it’s important that it is consistent with what you are representing, with any other social media accounts you have, and that it’s easily searchable.
The username should be a variation of your name on Instagram. If your original username is taken, you should still create one with some portion of your name, especially if it’s for a business, so it’s recognizable and easy to find.
The very first thing a visitor will see when they find your profile is the profile picture. It should be your company or brand logo if you represent one, or a recognizable photo of yourself if it’s a personal profile.
The profile is the only area on your Instagram profile where you’re allowed to post a clickable link. The link should be your website or something that relates to your brand or company, for example, a YouTube page or site for an event you’re hosting or planning.
The link can be changed, so it’s possible to switch to one that is related to something you’re currently doing like running a product special and then place your main link back when you’re ready. It is also recommended that you use a URL shortener to track your traffic from Instagram to your site.
As we’ve discussed, a quality and informative bio should be easy to understand, portray your brand’s identity and ensure visitors know whose profile they are viewing.
The best Instagram bios are unique and creative while providing useful details to those visiting your page.
Now that you understand all the contents of your Instagram profile, it’s time to write your Instagram bio. The best Instagram bios make a statement, have a purpose and engage visitors, keeping their attention enough that they decide to follow. There should be some thought that goes into your Instagram bio to make a lasting impression.
The first step in writing your bio is knowing what you’re hoping your bio will accomplish. The best Instagram bios explain the who, what, where and why of your business.
What makes your business unique and different from your competition? Your bio should also provide a description but what else should it say?
How your bio is written is a reflection of you and brand. Your bio should represent what you want people to see about your brand. It should be shaped around your brand colors and voice, and should include keywords related to your brand. You should also consider the tone you want to set for your bio, like if it will be serious, fun, or etc.
While keywords can’t be used to search for your profile on Instagram, they will help when people look for you through search engines. Your keywords should relate to your brand and can be single words or phrases. For example, if your business is a “freelance writer” or “publicist”, you’ll want to include those keywords or something similar in your bio. Your keywords should also represent your target audience that you hope to engage.
Hashtags (#) are your best friend on social media, especially for an outlet like Instagram. Adding hashtags related to your brand in your bio will drive traffic to your profile. Instagram users can search hashtags and if yours is included in your bio, your profile will be included in the search, sending you more potential followers. Also, your followers will be more inclined to use the hashtags related to your business when they are discussing it on social media so they should be in a place that is easily accessible.
Although you should be adding your website link to your bio, it’s just as important to add your contact information for visitors and followers. The contact information can be your phone number or email, depending on which method of contact you prefer. Adding your contact information may also minimize the number of direct messages or DM’s you receive.
Emojis are more than just for sending a text or commenting on social media. They are a creative addition to your Instagram bio. Emojis break up all the text you need to use and give your bio a fun, fresh feeling. Remember, however, you are only allotted 150 characters, so choose your emojis wisely and make sure they are related to your business and your bio details.
Rather than writing your bio in full paragraph form, consider adding line breaks to space out your text. Line breaks make the content easier to read and allow you to highlight your content.
Your call to action is the takeaway from your profile for visitors. Whether it’s asking to comment, book your services, purchase your product, learn more about you or engage in some way, a call to action is a needed marketing tool to convert your followers and increase your Instagram following.
If you have a physical location, a mailing address that visitors or venue information for an upcoming event, add it to your bio. Make it easy for your customers to find you.
If you are only available certain hours or if you’re a physical location with office hours, that needs to be in your bio. You don’t want visitors or followers, who are potential customers, trying to determine when you’re available. Take the guesswork out for them and include your hours in your bio.
Instagram is a great platform to promote your business and brand, but you need to make sure you stand out. Your bio is just as important as the photos you post to market your brand. Because of the 150 character limit, you should spend time crafting a bio that will tell who you are, help visitors and followers connect with you, discuss what you offer and encourage your audience to engage with you.
Ultimately, your bio should help you increase your followers and increase your website traffic. The best Instagram bios embody your brand and what you hope others will take away from your profile. Create a bio that will make visitors immediately want to follow and learn more about you.
Featured image source: Pexels
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