The Instagram bio used to be one feature on the photo-sharing app that was hardly given much thought. People used to be so focused on the main content they want to put out, so they would just fill up their bio as they deem fit without caring whether it was perfect or not.
But times have changed, and now, the content your Instagram bio entails is just as important as your actual feed itself, if not even slightly more important.
You might wonder what the fuss or hype is all about and if these claims are even true. In order to understand how important your Instagram bio is, you need to get inside the mind of the average Instagram user.
When a user stumbles on a random post that fascinates them on their explore page, the reflex action is to click on such an account’s username to peruse its content.
Now, at first glance, a huge butt load of visually stimulating content hits this user as they try to take it all in.
But the problem is most users actually spend less than five seconds deciding if an account is even worth a glimpse at all, talk less of a follow. This decision definitely would not originate from thin air; rather, your Instagram bio gives this informed choice.
Instagram has over a billion monthly users, so trust me when I tell you that there is basically no niche you might be trying to enter that is not already saturated, which is why just creating unique content on Instagram cannot cut it.
You have to do more than that to stand out. Your Instagram bio needs to speak for you before your post does at all.
Now, you see why having a well-written Instagram bio is essential. It could literally determine whether or not you gain or lose a follower.
And this is even more crucial if you are running or attempting to run a business or blog on Instagram because more followers definitely mean more reach and views or more chances of getting a buying customer.
It is also important because, as a brand, you must be very cognizant of the first impression your prospective client gets when they come to your page.
A perfect bio at first glance must be able to tell people what exactly you do and how you stand out from other brands. It must not be too creative or difficult to understand because that defeats the whole purpose we are trying to achieve.
But the thing is, your bio is not a magic tool that would make people automatically follow you; rather, it is meant to let your prospective followers completely grasp what your page has to offer and give you a higher chance of them making an informed decision in your favor.
So now, the big question is, how do you write the perfect Instagram bio, and what are the ideas & tips you need to know? The most important thing is for your bio to be concise and straightforward.
- Your Instagram bio must include your name- either your real name, your brand name or words that identify your brand in general.
- You must highlight the skills or features you or your brand have that make you stand out from the other competing brands.
- You must be able to describe exactly what you offer on your Instagram in the most simple and straightforward way possible.
- You have to find unique keywords that relate to your brand or even special hashtags that are not saturated and add them to your Instagram bio.
- If you have a website, it is advisable that you include a call-to-action to your bio, which would give people the opportunity to click on the website link.
- If you are running a business, it would be preferable just to use an Instagram business account. It would give you the opportunity to add your contact information to your bio.
Now that you already know the content your Instagram bio needs to be considered perfect, you are already halfway there. With a little more knowledge, you would be on your way to becoming an Instagram bio writing pro.
The Why and How Each of These Tips Are Important
Your Name
There are few things on your bio that is as important as your name. First, you must realize your name is actually completely different from your Instagram username.
It would be best if you put a lot of thought into this because your name and your Instagram username are the only things that are considered when a search is done for accounts.
It is actually a very useful SEO tool that is being slept on. When used properly, it has the potential to make your account’s visibility skyrocket.
When you have a constant name over time, it helps to build a sense of familiarity between you and your customers. It also helps to build trust and security because it validates your brand’s existence as a true entity.
The name you enter in your name field does not have to be boring, though. You could even specify the area you specialize in, the city you are located in, or anything you think would be useful in a search about your brand. All you need is a good dose of creativity.
You just have to be more client-oriented in your thinking. Think less of what you would like to see in your name field and more of what keywords would your prospective client search for.
Highlighting your special skills
When you open a new page, the first thing that comes to mind is, what can this page offer me? Then how is this brand different from other similar brands I am already following.
This thought process usually needs a concrete answer within less than five seconds before the user’s attention shifts.
That is why you must ensure you highlight as boldly as possible what exactly makes your brand special and unique and definitely worth that follow.
The tricky thing about this is, you must ensure you retain honesty and integrity. Make sure your content truly offers what your bio is saying you can.
Because it is one thing to gain followers, it is a whole different ball game to retain it. You can trick people into following you by bold claims on your bio, but if your content or services falls short of your assertions, you will lose those followers even faster than you gained them.
Clarity and Simplicity
No one likes anything that appears bulky or confusing. It would be best if you always had this in mind when writing your Instagram bio.
It would help if you did not lose clarity because you want to cram up a lot of stuff into your bio. Since you now know exactly what makes your brand different, you have to figure out a way to get that message you want to pass across in the simplest way possible.
You do not need to use big impressive words and anything that an average reader would not understand immediately. If it is not contributing to making your bio more understandable, it has no place there at all.
People are definitely more likely to follow an Instagram account whose purpose they understand, rather than one that seems ambiguous.
Use unique keywords or special hashtags
You have to realize that adding unique keywords to your Instagram account does not increase or help your visibility when users search for accounts.
At least as of this writing, there might be an update about it in the nearest future, though. Keywords help to highlight further your account’s main purpose and what they are to expect from you.
When you add keywords that your prospective followers can relate to, they are more likely to follow you.
You can also add hashtags that are special to your brand to your bio. This would encourage your followers to add these hashtags whenever they want to make a post relating to your brand.
But when you add a hashtag to your Instagram bio, that does not mean your account would be searchable with such a tag. It is more of creating awareness for the tag rather than visibility.
Add your website link
Instagram is actually not lenient about where external clickable links can be placed in the app. The only place a clickable link can be placed in the link in bio.
So, if you have a website, the best way to direct traffic from your account to your own site is to include a call-to-action in your Instagram bio.
But this call-to-action must include a very clear on what it wants the users to do. It is advisable to add eye-catchy deals like promos, discounts, and such, so users would be encouraged to click on your link.
If you have campaigns or paid ads for other brands, you can also edit your website link and send your followers to the site through your call-to-action.
But you must be careful if there is nothing serious or interesting happening on your website; it is better not to add a call-to-action at all.
If you do, it would seem like you are just bothering your followers unnecessarily. You can always style your call-to-action anyhow you deem fit. You can use emojis, uppercase, special fonts, anything you think would attract your prospective audience and bring the needed results.
Add your contact info
If you want to add your contact information to your account, the best way to do it is by turning your Instagram account into a business account.
This way, you are able to still keep the content of your bio looking nice and simple, and you get to still display your contact information in the form of buttons on your profile. Everybody gets what they want.
To turn your account into a business account, all you need to do is to go to your home screen and click on Edit Profile, then in the Business Information section, choose Contact Options and enter the contact information that you want to provide to the users.
Once you have done this, you are good to go. You can easily add your email address, physical address, and your phone number without even using any space on your bio at all.
How You Can Show Your Fun Personality Through Your Instagram Bio
As much as we are trying to aim for simplicity and clarity, we must not forget that at the basics, Instagram is more of a playful environment rather than a serious one.
So a dash of fun personality here or there is not harmful; instead, it would endear you to your prospective followers.
You can use emojis to lighten up the mood in your bio or convey funny or quirky emotions. Even if it is just to add spruce of color to your bio, either way, you cannot go wrong with emojis.
If you want to stand out immediately, changing the font style in your Instagram bio is a sure way to do that.
Everyone is already used to the same old basic Instagram font style, so a change in font would definitely be a breath of fresh air. And it is a sure favorite of followers.
But as a note of caution, you must ensure you do not sacrifice legibility in order to be creative or unique. Whatever font you decide to use, your bio must remain readable.
How You Can Use Instagram Story Highlights To Uplift Your Bio
When used properly, Instagram story highlights can really help to keep visitors’ interested in your page. It allows you to make an impression not only in writing but also with pictures and short videos.
These highlights are basically like normal stories, and the only difference is that these ones are placed just under your Instagram bio.
So be free, explore what you feel, let your true personality shine through, and do not be scared to show that in your highlights.
Another thing worthy of note is that highlights also come with a cover. You can add cover images to your highlight.
You do not have to follow any general rule for this; instead, you can be as creative as possible to find what suits your brand best.
You could use colorful graphic images or just plain colors. You could come up with a theme or let it be a splash of “unicornic” beauty. The ideas are limitless, really.
How To Choose The Best Profile Picture For Your Instagram Account
A decision like this might leave you confused because of the endless choices you have at your disposal. But a bit of good advice is always to consider what your brand represents before making your decision.
If you are a clothing brand, for instance, and have a really eye-catching logo, you can use it as your profile picture. This would actually help your clients to associate your brand with the logo more.
But if you are your brand, like if you are a model or a lifestyle blogger, you might prefer an up-and-close picture of yourself as your profile picture.
Something like a headshot would do the trick. This is because you are the market you are selling, so basically, you want your prospective clients to be able to associate you immediately with your account.
At the end of the day, this decision is up to you and what you feel would be best for your brand.
Is it Helpful to tag other Accounts in your Bio?
The answer to this question would totally depend on why you want to tag the accounts and what your goal is. If you want to tag your personal account on your brand’s page as a brand owner, it is a very welcome idea.
It would let your clients see you in a more relaxed setting and see that the brand owner is real and legitimate, thereby increasing trust levels.
You could also tag accounts that belong to other brands if you are running ads for them or working with them in general. Obviously, after the working or contractual period is over, you would remove such an account from your Instagram bio.
But you must avoid just tagging random pages without a definite purpose in your bio. It defeats the whole point of simplicity and preciseness.
How often Should you Update your Instagram Bio?
There is no specific time range or limit that you need to have to update your bio. You just have to ensure your Instagram bio always aligns with what your content is giving out.
If your content changes even just a little bit, you must be ready to tweak your bio accordingly. You can also update it if you have new things to offer to your followers, and you want to generate awareness about it.
Basically, your Instagram bio should follow this rule- if it is not broken, do not fix it. As long as your bio still represents what you stand for accurately, you do not need to edit or update it in any way.