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Social Media Bio is the first thing people notice once they click on a person’s account. It acts as an elevator pitch of some sort because it gives your audience insight into who you are and what you do.
This is why it is so important to pay close attention to it because that’s where “selling yourself” begins. It is where you share your strengths, skills, along with the solutions you’re providing. The secret behind having a great bio is a balance. Your bio should be a blend of professionalism and personalization to attract the right customers. If you already have a bio but it is not so strong, then there is always room for improvement.
Let’s discuss some steps in writing an effective bio.
Hint About Empathy
Empathy is the ability to understand or imagine what it would be like to be in another person’s shoes. You have to be able to hint to potential customers that you value them and understand their problems. In this case, you have to apply “social media empathy”. To do this effectively, you can start your bio with a question; a question or a statement that startles and identifies with your audience. For instance, if you’re shoe retailer, you could ask:
“Are you in search of beautiful, durable and affordable footwear?”
A person who is tired of low-quality footwear will most likely respond in the affirmative and keep up with you because you have succeeded in hinting that you understand their problems.
Hint About The Benefits
“What’s in it for me?”
This is the question any audience will be asking in their head once they come across a new brand. To answer this question accurately, you must hint at transformation or outcome. Transformation in this context means the benefits your audience stands to gain by patronizing you. For instance, you can write:
“Tired of being shy and anxious? Get an e-book delivered to your mail that will transform you into the best version of yourself.”
This statement does not only show that you understand your audience but also shows a benefit they’ll be getting if they stick around.
Hint About Uniqueness
You should be able to hint at what makes you special and different from other
brands similar to you. It is very important to flatter yourself and brag about those details that make you different from the rest. Ensure to enlighten your audience about how you handle warranty, money-back policies, customer services, and other issues related to customer satisfaction.
Hint About Expertise
This is where skill and achievement come in. Once you’ve been able to get your audience to know that you can help them and that you are different, then it is only necessary that you provide a burden of proof of expertise. All fine and well, your audience has seen that you can help them, but they’ll also want to know more about the person providing this solution and what expertise he/she has. Proof is a really important factor when getting anyone to close a deal in sales. And it is no different when it comes to a social media bio. So listing some of your important achievements is the way to go. You can take this a step further by pinpointing certain individuals or companies you’ve worked with or you can post links to written testimonials, videos, or images showing your expertise.
Hint On Personality
People naturally get hooked on stories once they hear them. You can leverage on this fact by telling your personal story. People will want to know why you have set out to solve a particular problem and what your mission is exactly. We are all human and people don’t just want to approach social media like robots; they want to also connect with the person behind the brand. This means that you should include hints about your personality in your bio. Always refer to yourself using the first person pronoun to appear more approachable. Share your attributes hobbies, interests, fun facts, and details about yourself that spark intrigue and will make you memorable.
Following these guides will make your social media bio captivating.
You must also consider the social media platforms and how they differ with bios. Instagram and Twitter require a more personal and authentic approach. LinkedIn is more professional and requires a bio of depth and detail. And also, know the specific character limits of each platform:
- Facebook short description: Maximum of 155 characters
- Instagram bio: Maximum of 150 characters
- Twitter bio: Maximum of 160 characters
- LinkedIn Summary: Maximum of 2000 characters
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This article was first published on 4th July 2018
samuelokoruwa
My name is Samuel Okoruwa. I am an ardent researcher, reading is life and writing is fun.
Comments (3)
Well done Sam! Insightful indeed!
Thank You!