Get a bio!

by Jaimie Abbott

A professional bio is a must-have if you want to gain visibility on social media, guest blogs, article directories, personal websites and blogs. An expert bio should demonstrate your accomplishments in a brief and interesting manner. It must reflect friendliness rather than arrogance.

Here are my tips to assist you to write a personal bio that will showcase your skills and talents in a comprehensive and consistent manner.

1. Define your reasons for writing

There are different types of bios and so you need to determine the one you want to write and why you have to. It is advisable to take the time to think about your audience – the readers you are targeting, as you want to create something they will want to read. Maybe you are targeting potential employers on LinkedIn or customers to buy a product or a service from your website. Whatever your reasons are, make sure they are properly thought-out.

2. Talk a lot more about what you do

Internet users, especially social media users, do not have time to read a whole page about your personal life and goals. They want to know one thing: what do you sell and what value can you add to to them? And as you describe what you do, do not just say you are very creative and talented. Anyone can use these words to embellish their online profiles. What your readers need is first-hand evidence that you are creative. In short, you should reference the best tasks or projects you have accomplished in the past.

3. State your name and proceed with a third person language 

To create an instant connection with your readers, mention your last name in the first line of your bio. After this, share the details of your profiles using a third person style of writing. In other words, do not use personal pronouns like “I” or “me” when writing. Also, choose your action verbs carefully. LinkedIn is an exception, writing in first person in your summary section is perfectly acceptable.

4. Bring out your character

After letting your target audience know the serious business you do, the task is not over yet. The bond you aim to form with them might just strengthen if you add something unexpected or exciting about your character. Add this part to the end of your bio, ensuring that it tells something about your personality. The lines above this one must be professional, rather than playful and casual.

5. Do not forget your contacts 

A great bio could end up being a waste of time and space if it lacks your contact details. People must know how to get in touch with you.

Things to avoid

1. Publishing a bio with grammatical mistakes – To avoid creating this offence, read your bios twice. Then give them to a friend, relative or co-worker to read them again. Alternatively, just hire a professional writer to write your bios.
2. Not editing your bio regularly – As you advance in your career, and gain new skills, remember to update your bios. I recommend revisiting your page and update your bio after every six months.
3. Leaving out references – These can be in form of links pointing to where your accomplishments are published. This way you will make full use of a properly written bio.
4. Forgetting to lure your potential customer – This is a big mistake that is surprisingly made by most people. A call to action towards the end of your bio is a must-have.

Final word

Do not write just one bio. If you have a personal website or blog, social media profiles or memberships with article directories, bookmarking sites, auction sites and other sites that need a bio, create very short, short and long bios. As you do so, however, ensure that the information you are sharing is consistent.