How To Optimise Your Social Media Bio For Growth

Written by Luke Glassford

November 8, 2022

How to optimise your social media bio for growth

Social media profiles have become a crucial part of the overall marketing strategy for businesses.

Social media is often where potential new customers first hear about your brand and is also where people go to check the authenticity of your business.

Your profile will determine how connected they feel to your brand and your bio is likely the first thing they will read.

Research shows that most people make a first impression within seven seconds - and that applies digitally as well. Your social media acts as your social persona in cyberspace. So, how can we make the perfect first impression on social media?

It starts with your profile picture and bio description.

Optimise your bio for growth

Your profile pic can be crucial in creating that first impression. A company logo, optimised to fit the image dimensions of the platform, or a strong image representative of the business are always suitable options.

Just like your website, your social media profile also needs to be SEO friendly. This means that your bio should include keywords relevant to your business, the products or services you offer and the industry you are in.

There are several different keyword tools out there that you could use, but begin by looking at it from the consumer’s point of view - if you were searching for a business that does what you do, what would you type into a search engine or on a social media platform? Search these results and see what appears. Are these people your competitors?

While each social media platform's bio requirements are slightly different, there are certain things that every single profile should include:

Who you are
What you offer
Where you are based
The category of your business or brand
Contact details, including your website address if you have one
A call to action

Once you have got the basics together, you then need to decide:

Which social media platforms will work best for my business or brand?
What are the requirements for that platform?

Regardless of what many think, not all social media platforms are equal. For example, if you are a craft business, Pinterest is a fantastic visual platform but LinkedIn may not be the right platform for you to attract and engage your audience.

Likewise, if you are a business consultant, LinkedIn is likely to be your go-to platform, while Pinterest isn't necessarily going to help you succeed.

Therefore, before diving into any social media guide, work out which platforms you will focus on. Remember, you can always add to this later, but start small and manage those successfully first.

How to write the perfect bio for each platform

LinkedIn bios

Before you create a bio, you need to decide whether you will have just a personal LinkedIn page, or a personal page as well as a company/ business page.

This will determine what is written because you should summarise your achievements on your personal accounts.

While on a company page, the bio should reflect the goals and achievements solely of the business.

Personal LinkedIn profiles

Character limit: 2600

Some tips for personal statements on your LinkedIn page include:

Write in the first person. Use the pronoun 'I' and never use 'We.' This is all about you, even if you are part of a partnership or team. Your statement should be about what you have achieved without sounding pompous.
Give a brief overview of your successes, skills, and accomplishments.
The tone should be informal and conversational. The idea is that people reach out to you to learn more, so you want to appear approachable.

LinkedIn Company Page profiles

Character limit: 2000

In your summary you should highlight your company's strongest points. Keep it simple. The idea is that people like what they read and then reach out to discuss things in more depth with you.

These individuals don't necessarily want to buy from you, but they may want to collaborate with you or work for you, so you need to make your brand sound attractive to these future prospects. Make sure you:

Highlight the values of your business
Demonstrate what your company does, with a brief overview of your product/service offering
Does your profile have the WIIFM factor? (What's in it for me?) - Why should people follow your page?

Pinterest bios

Character limit: 160

Pinterest is a highly visual platform. While your profile is essential, you must also craft attractive pins and boards for visitors. It would help to sell yourself and your business through these pins.

Keep it simple. a few words or a sentence. Keywords in your bio, reflecting what you offer will work with the platform algorithm to bring relevant traffic to your page.

Once you have started to create boards, on each pin and board description, you should be using appropriate hashtags and descriptions to attract new followers.

Make sure you include the following in your bio:

Description of your business or brand
Where you are based
Website, or other social media platform that leads to sales

Twitter bios

Character limit: 160

Brevity is key with Twitter. Whether it’s the low character limit on Twitter posts or simply the chatty style of the platform, less is more on Twitter. Twitter doesn’t care much for visuals, its primary purpose is to share brief updates and keep the conversation moving.

Therefore, your Twitter bio should reflect the social tone of your brand while sharing your brand identity and offerings in a few words.

Things to include:

Your name
Location
Brand or business tagline
Associated accounts
Website
Branded hashtags: these should be specific to your business that will grow as your profile grows
While emojis are not always accepted and on specific platforms are seen as unprofessional, here they are accepted as they save characters and should be considered

Facebook Page bios

Character limit: 255

A Facebook Page sets the tone of authenticity in modern day, simply because most people have a personal Facebook page. A social media channel that started with college kids has become the online hub for a wide demographic. With nearly 3 billion monthly active users, Facebook is the most commonly known and used social media platform. This often means that it's the first place prospective clients will look.

Bios for Pages are found in the 'About' section, with Facebook being quite prescriptive with what is added. You will be asked to add precise details, including:

Website and contact information
Links to other accounts
An additional description box gives you 50,000 further characters to use
The option for a call-to-action button

Some profile descriptions are short and sweet, while others will use the total allocation of characters.

To succeed on this platform, have a look at similar brands. What have they done? How many followers do they have? What is their social media engagement like? Does it appear that they have an interactive community?

The final question is the most important. You can have 50,000 followers, but if no one comments, likes, or shares your posts, there is no point. If you have 5000 followers and higher levels of engagement, your business will be far more successful.

An important part of the Facebook profile is to make sure your location, contact information and store hours, if any, are up to date on your Facebook page. Having a few reviews live on the page from satisfied customers is the final step is optimising your profile for maximum growth.

Instagram bios

Character limit: 150

Another highly visual platform, Instagram was made to be a digital destination for artists and creatives. Before creating a bio for yourself, take time to visit other profiles and note what they do. Have these used emojis? How have they positioned their brand? What hashtags do they use? Is the profile easy on the eyes?

If you can master the right mix of visuals while providing valuable information, you've hit Instagram gold. The algorithm favours engagement, so the more people interact with your profile (visit your profile or like/comment on a post), the more visible it will become to even more people.

For business Instagram bios, you should include the following:

A brand statement - who you are, what you do, and how to find you
Contact information
Brand hashtag + Industry hashtag

Bulleted keywords are another way to keep your profile page looking fresh and easy to scan. As with Pinterest and Twitter, it's best to keep it simple.

TikTok bios

Character limit: 80

Twitter users used to complain about the lack of characters permitted in a bio, but TikTok has taken it to a whole new level. Therefore, if you use this platform, less is definitely more, and forget everything you learned about grammar and punctuation.

This is where the art of dropping letters or using acronyms is needed (FYI).

Things you should try to include:

Brand information
Location
Contact information
Website
Call to action

But if TikTok is a vital part of your marketing strategy, make sure you keep it cool

Regardless of the social media platforms you choose, any social media guide will tell you that your bios need to be short and clearly define what your business is about.

You need to grab someone's attention quickly and convert them into a follower, so not only do you need to stand out, you need to appear approachable. Why would anyone want to reach out to you for advice if not?

It is only after they become a follower and you begin to nurture a sustainable relationship and a loyal audience will do more than just respond to your call-to-actions, they help grow your business. This is why creating a winning social media bio is critical to the success of your brand.

Want to know more about how Gambit Partners can help your business develop and implement an effective social media strategy? Book a complimentary consultation call today:

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November 8, 2022 | Luke Glassford |

Written by

Luke Glassford

Marketing Director at Gambit Partners

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