Stop the track, let me state facts. A stellar Instagram bio is no longer an option. It’s a must!
Your bio is the backbone of your Instagram presence. Therefore, if it is boring or self-serving, you’re leaving money on the table.
So it is pretty safe to assume that it’s worth investing time to get it right. Crafting a customer-centric Instagram bio can be challenging at first. I totally get it! Cramming all of you have to offer in 150 characters is tough. It’s going to require some thought; but the benefit of a well-crafted bio is PRICELESS.
Want to know how to write the perfect Instagram bio that inspires visitors to take action?
Today I’m going to uncover how to do just that so you can make a great first impression that compels clicks and conversions! (And even give you a bonus freebie to help you do it easier.)
Let’s begin with a quick scan of your bio and ask yourself the following question, is your bio entirely about YOU? Or can someone quickly see how you can serve them?
Often many make the mistake of assuming their Instagram bio should be about them since it’s their profile. That’s not the case here. Your bio should be written to describe who you are, the audience you want to attract and how you can serve them.
Instagram Bio Tip #1: Define what you do.
This needs to be so simple that a 4th grader could quickly understand what you do.
This is where you are going to shoot your shot elevator pitch style (think Shark Tank!).
You need to first define what you do and most importantly how you help others as simply and concise as possible.
So for example, my expanded elevator pitch is, “I help women grow their business online with follow-worthy brands so they can build a life on their own terms with more time and less hustle.”
Now as you can see, that would eat up a lot of character real estate. As result, for my Instagram bio, I’m going to condense that into a simpler version as depicted below.
I’ve reduced it to say, “I teach how to boost sales online simply and authentically.”
I’ve admittedly played around with the wording and consistently consider changing it. However, I’ve had many colleagues introduce me using this phrase in referrals that it stuck. And honestly, I think that the greatest compliment is when someone can repeat your value proposition.
That is at the very core of what I do. Most importantly, it is easy to remember and understand.
Think about what it is that you do and how it helps people. In one sentence, tell people how you’re showing up to serve them.
Instagram Bio Tip #2: Optimize with keywords for SEO.
Okay so here I’m going to get a little more marketing techy. When you optimize your bio for SEO (search engine optimization) what this means is that you are making your Instagram profile easier to find when a user searches for a particular keyword.
This is the same kind of thought process as if you were writing copy for your website using keywords to increase your visibility and rank on Google.
There are 2 types of keywords to use in your bio: primary and secondary.
The primary keyword should be what is closest to what you do and how you want to be recognized in search queries. For example, my primary keywords are branding & marketing.
I recommend that you put your primary keyword in the display name. This is not to be confused with your actual Instagram handle name.
Next, you want to add some secondary keywords throughout your Instagram bio. These are words that are related to your industry, niche or who you serve.
Now that you have established your condensed elevator pitch, now you want to pepper in a few secondary keywords (keeping in mind your 150 character limit).
Pro Tip: make a little list of your primary and your secondary keywords. These will be helpful for your IG bio, content, and hashtag strategy.
When you change your name and add primary keywords, remember you can only change your name, two times every 14 days. So ensure you really know what you want to display. Your bio, on the other hand, can be updated as often as you like.
Instagram Bio Tip #3: Add a call to action.
Okay so I’m going to get a little controversial here but my disclaimer is I have one tested this for my own page but as always to each their own.
So I’m going to go there anyway on this topic.
I am personally not a fan of LinkTree or any platform like it that gives a multitude of link options. And here’s why.
A confused or indecisive prospect is a lost customer!
When you give your audience a menu of options, what often happens is analysis paralysis and they start double-thinking which generally results in no decision made at all. Therefore, when you provide one single call-to-action you are driving their focus to one offer.
Yes, it is more work to continuously change your link based on what you are promoting, but trust me on this one. It is worth the extra effort.
Therefore, for this step, make sure to write a call to action and change your link if you need to so that it matches your specific call to action. Some examples include, sending viewers to your website, downloading a freebie, registering for a program, etc.
Instagram Bio Tip #4: Use a bold and colorful profile pic.
Now I love me some neutral colors but on social you are fighting for the attention of your target customer. That means not only are you competing for attention against your industry competitors, but also against the distractions of your audience’s everyday life.
Adding a pop of color in your profile picture helps draw the eye to stand out and entice visitors to read more about you.
Instagram Bio Tip #5: Incorporate emojis.
Just like bold colors, visual graphics draw the eye. Emojis are a great way to use visual depictions to represent each line of copy in your bio.
As you can see in the image of my Instagram bio, I use three emojis for each line to represent what I do or where I want my visitors to divert their attention which in this case would be to my free Brand Blueprint to More Sales e-guide.
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If you want example call to actions you can copy and paste for your brand, then click here or the image below to download my free guide: Call to Actions the Compel.
This freebie is PACKED with 40+ persuasive words you can use in your marketing copy to compel the sale. These words are great for your website, sales landing pages, even your Instagram bio and so much more!
Here’s to taking the hassle out of your hustle!
