Instagram really wanted to make us work for it. Only 150 characters to explain everything that we are and believe and what we’re trying to do and who for? 

I know it’s not a lot, but think of your bio as your “hook.” We need to keep it tight and wrapped up nicely for our ideal audience and there is a way to do this. 

By including the following suggestions below, you can set yourself up for better follower conversions and outreach for your brand. 

Show your personality.

Your Instagram bio is a prime opportunity to show people your personality. If you’re running a business, be friendly and approachable. If you’re a personal brand, be fun and interesting. If you’re a blogger, show people that you’re genuine and authentic.

Have a clearly defined message.

If your Instagram account is for a business or product, it’s important to know what you want to say before you start. Part of this Instagram bio writing process is figuring out how you can turn readers from potential customers into actual ones. You need to be concise, but in the same breath provide enough information to get them interested.

A few lines are fine for an Instagram bio; listing too many details may make your message confusing. Start with two or three main ideas and flesh them out per sentence: one about who you are, one about your business or product, and one that incorporates a call to action (such as “Shop Now”). After that, you can add some extra tidbits (like a location).

Don’t put any stock in hashtags at the beginning of your bio—experts advise against it because they’re hard to read and will likely create issues if they appear too frequently later on.

Make your bio about your audience, not you.

If you’re looking to grow your Instagram following, it’s important to have an effective bio. This can be a difficult task as there are many different factors to consider, but these tips will help you create a bio that attracts the right audience for your account.

What should I put in my bio?

In order to attract the right audience, you’ll have to ask yourself some questions about them. You can then craft your bio around the answers—not yourself. An example question might be “what is one challenge this group of people face?” Answering this question helps you figure out what has been holding back your target audience from achieving their goals and how you can help them with an Instagram account. However, don’t write something that is too long or complicated; keep it short and sweet. It’s also smart to include a call-to-action, such as using tags in your photos or adding links of value (such as additional resources or webinars) that will make the profile more valuable for potential followers.

How do I use hashtags?

Hashtags are often used in bios because they create another platform where people interested in lifting weights could find you when searching “#curlsinthepark” on Instagram. Although hashtags are great for growing your account, make sure not to overuse them. Just like any other excess on social media, they can become annoying and turn away potential followers who think that your content isn’t authentic anymore. If done correctly however, hashtags will draw new audiences and increase engagement with existing ones!

Offer something for free.

Try to offer something of value to your future audience—ideas, information, or a helpful service—in exchange for their attention on social media. In other words, give freely and often in order to get freely and often in return. The more generous you are with valuable content—without going overboard so that it feels spammy or cheap—the better your chances will be of getting noticed by others who are seeking precisely what you have to offer.

Use emojis if you run out of space.

Because your bio is only 150 characters, you can use emojis to replace works and use fewer characters. For example, if you sell digital downloads, you can use the computer emoji to explain where they will access your products. 

Emojis are usually full of color and can draw the eye to your important information. Play around with emojis. It’s fun and there are many to choose from. 

Don’t put a bunch of hashtags in your Instagram bio, it looks tacky and unprofessional.

Your Instagram bio is the first thing a potential follower sees, and it’s one of the most important parts of your profile. This is the place where you can show off your brand, highlight your personality, and give people a reason to follow you. Your bio should make other users want to click on the follow button; it should not be an afterthought that’s crammed with hashtags just to get more followers.

All too often we see people use their bios as a way to cram in as many hashtags as possible so they look good on popular hashtag searches. But this is both tacky and ineffective: tacky because it looks unprofessional, and ineffective because studies have shown that using more than two hashtags actually decreases engagement with your posts.

The best way to attract an audience to your account is by having a solid foundation and posting great photos while being consistent with what you post. If you are strategic about which hashtags you use (and more importantly which ones you avoid using) then people will find you organically when they search for relevant terms—without looking like an obnoxious marketer who’s trying too hard.

You can have a great Instagram bio!

Keep it simple and clear! This is your elevator pitch and it needs to be catchy as well as explain what following you will give them in return.