Many people must see their social media bios the same way most junior high students see algebra class…just a necessary evil.
Some skip it all together leaving people to wonder what this mystery person is interested in or what type of content they will share. Others fill their bios with random hashtags and keywords just to be findable but not interesting enough to entice anyone to actually connect. My favorites are the ones who have their bios written in third-person as if
Bob Dole wrote them. Gina definitely does not like that!It is rare to come across a well-written bio on social media. So rare, that when I see one that is brilliantly crafted, I dive in and want to read their social posts and then I usually pop over to their website and other social channels to take in as much as possible, like a thirsty woman coming in from the desert to find barrels and barrels of ice cold water.
So what makes a fabulous social media bio? I believe there are 3 elements:
1. Give us a little bit of business information
This is why you are on social media to begin with, isn’t it? If you have a personal profile for personal branding, do you want to let people know how they can connect with your business or hire you if they were interested? What kind of information can people expect by connecting with you here? What are you an expert in, or what does your business actually do? There are some social media bios that I read and I still can’t figure out what they do.
2. Now show your personality or the personality of your business
Many companies have a hard time describing their personality. It’s really how most people view your brand based on interactions with you online and offline. What are 3 words that describe your company? What is the culture? You may want to get a sampling across your organization and find out what others think. It may be different from what you’d LIKE it to be. Because your personality is reflected in everything from decor and workspace, to email signatures and content shared on your website and social channels, it’s good to look in every nook and cranny to see if you are consistent.If you have a funny bio on your social media channels and then your content is stale, stuffy, or corny, there is a disconnect. If you have a very stoic and professional bio and then your content is not, there’s a problem with that as well. Insurance companies may not come across as fun, but look what Geico has done with the lizard and Progressive with our pal, Flo. Geico has just enough fun showing through in their bio and then take a look at their content–a perfect match!
Don’t be afraid to let your personality show a little. I have a statement on my personal Twitter bio that simply says “I hate cilantro” and that starts more conversations than anything else. People need something that is like small talk at a cocktail party to connect with. It might be that your team loves supporting a specific charity, or that your company has a miniature dachshund mascot named Oscar.##TRENDING##
3. Give us a place to go if we’re so intrigued that we want to know more about you
Make sure you have a link that goes to your website, blog or other sources that will provide curious minds with more information. You never know when a potential client comes across your social media bio and becomes interested enough to want to contact you, but if you make it hard for them to learn more, you may lose out.Because each social media platform has a different character count, I suggest that people keep a word doc with different versions of your bio and different ideas for changing it out. You can highlight each paragraph and go up to TOOLS to see the word/character count. Spaces and punctuation count as characters, so it will take some crafting to get it right. You may want to change it with campaigns you are running or for holidays. (Check out the download at the bottom for character counts and more tips.) I started a list on Twitter with great bios I come across. Check it out here: Twitter-GREAT BIOS.
