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How to write an instagram bio for business


5 Instagram Bio Ideas for Business (+ Examples)

While your Instagram content might be what draws someone over to your profile initially, your Instagram bio is one of the major components that will keep them there—and maybe even earn your brand a follow.

Think about this: if you like a photo or video on Instagram and then go to the profile and their bio is completely blank (or lacks vital information) you’re going to immediately lose interest or think the account is a fake and leave. No follow and no looking back.

Others do the same, so it’s important to fully optimize your Instagram strategy—bio and all.

Table of Contents

  • What is an Instagram bio?
  • Why an Instagram business bio matters
  • What to put in an Instagram bio
  • Tips for writing the best Instagram bios for business (+ examples)
  • Create a compelling Instagram bio for your business

What is an Instagram bio?

An Instagram bio is a description of your business that sits at the top of your Instagram profile. It can only be up to 150 characters, so you want to be concise, sharing what your business does and who it serves in as few words as possible.

Take a look at our own Instagram bio to get an idea of what this might look like:

We’ll get into each of these more thoroughly later, but our full bio includes:

  • Our Instagram handle
  • Our brand name
  • Bio description
  • Bio link

There are a few more things you can consider including within your own bio to further share what your business does.

Why an Instagram business bio matters

First of all, why does your Instagram business profile bio matter so much? As simple as it may seem, an Instagram bio plays a critical role in establishing your brand presence. It shows people who you are and what you sell. You can also use the same space to tell them why they should care about your business and its offering.

In many cases, your Instagram profile may be the first point of contact whether someone finds you through an Instagram hashtag or by clicking through from a paid post or sharing on Stories. Your bio is an important first impression while clarifying why they should follow you.

That’s why you should focus on creating an Instagram business bio that effectively portrays your brand personality and establishes your unique value proposition. In other words, it should factor into your overall Instagram business strategy.

What to put in an Instagram bio

Writing your Instagram bio for business is one key part of creating the perfect Instagram business profile. Here are the essential elements that go into your Instagram bio:

1. Name and username

Your Instagram username is your @handle and your Instagram identity. It’s a part of your Instagram profile URL (instagram.com/myusername) and holds a prominent location at the top of your profile page.

On the other hand, your name is your real or full brand name. Depending on data sources like audience and keyword research, you may know of abbreviations or name variations commonly used for your brand name. You might consider using those in one spot in your Instagram bio, such as in your username.

For instance, in the following Instagram business profile example, the username for Sprouts Farmers Market is just @sprouts but the name section has the full name of the business.

2. Profile photo and branding

This should be relevant to your brand’s visual identity. Best practices dictate that you should use a high-res image of your logo in order to improve brand recognition and keep all of your social media profiles on brand. However, solopreneurs and public figures often use headshots, and that’s a perfectly acceptable alternative.

For brands with a widely-recognized visual identity like National Geographic TV, the iconic yellow rectangle logo makes for a great profile photo.

Another way to brand your Instagram profile is through your Instagram highlight covers. While not necessarily a part of your bio, these still show up at the top of your profile and give you an opportunity to inject even more color into your Instagram.

3. Instagram bio copy

This is the section under your name, where you get to express yourself (or in this case, your brand personality). You have 150 characters to tell people what your Instagram profile is about, what your brand offers and why they should follow you. So you don’t have much to work with, which makes it even more crucial to plan ahead and perfect your Instagram business bio.

Here’s an example of great bio copy from BarkBox. They start with a simple sentence that explains exactly what their business does. They tag their parent company. Then they even include a couple of hashtags that BarkBox customers can use when showing off their boxes.

4. Bio link

This is the only section that allows you to add a clickable link on Instagram to your website, so make sure you use this space wisely. While you can always add a URL to your homepage, you can also update this link more frequently by posting new products, new content, new projects and more.

Many brands use a link-in-bio tool to maximize the single link limit by taking the user to a landing page with shortcuts to featured content and product pages.

5. Category

Instagram also allows you to specify which category your brand falls under—whether you run a restaurant or a media and entertainment company. This shows up right under your business name if you choose to enable it, so it helps free up space in your Instagram bio for other important details.

As we can see below, Bloomscape has selected “Patio/Garden” as their brand category.

6. Call-to-action and contact buttons

You could further free up space in your Instagram bio if you make the most of the call-to-action buttons available for Instagram Business accounts. This allows people to take action straight from your Instagram profile when on the mobile app, making it easier for customers to convert on actions—from buying tickets to booking tables.

Keep in mind that these are only accessible on the mobile app, and they’ll look something like the “View Shop,” “Message,” and “Call” buttons below:

Tips for writing the best Instagram bios for business (+ examples)

Now that you know what goes into an Instagram bio, let’s take a look at tips on how to write the best Instagram bios for business.

1. Know what your goal is

Since you have to stay within the 150-character limit, it’s crucial that you have a clear sense of direction when writing your Instagram bio. Knowing exactly what you want out of your bio will help you narrow down what to say.

For instance, you could simply use it to convey your brand’s personality and announce your Instagram presence. You could also use it to promote your latest products and offers or inform people about what your business does. If you do promote sales and recent products, be sure your team is ready to regularly refresh your Instagram bio and ensure this info is up to date.

Some businesses also use this section to express their brand mission and what they stand for. Check out the following Instagram business profile example from Grove Collaborative. The company’s bio tells us a little bit about what the business sells and what its overall mission is.

Here’s another great example of a basic bio that’s straightforward and explains exactly what the company (Slack in this instance) does:

2. Let your brand personality shine through

Make the most of your Instagram business bio to express your brand personality. This includes the language and tone you use or what you say, in general. For instance, Reese’s uses a fun and friendly tone in its bio while using the opportunity to establish its brand authority.

Some businesses may also add relevant emojis if that kind of approach fits the brand personality. But note that special characters and emojis may not translate well on a screen reader. Be sure to keep accessibility best practices in mind for all your followers and avoid filling your entire bio with characters that are hard to read or understand for customers using screen readers.

3. Include relevant hashtags and profile links

Instagram lets you add clickable hashtags and profile links in your bio. So make the most of this to direct customers to your other Instagram handles or to relevant, tagged content.

The option to add profile links is great for businesses that manage multiple accounts. See how Madewell added a link to their Instagram account for menswear.

Brands can also take a page out of Weezie’s book, tagging the accounts of their founders as well as their brick-and-mortar store (ideal when you have two different social media strategies for your retail versus ecommerce avenues).

As for hashtags, adding them to your bio will let you direct your audience to stunning tagged user-generated content. You could use a branded hashtag to collect user-generated content like Cupshe. The swimsuit brand included several hashtags they track for content to feature on their own account.

4. Make sure it’s easy to read

As mentioned earlier, your Instagram bio should be able to convey what your business does or what it offers. So it’s crucial that people can easily read and process the information without too much trouble. Formatting such as line breaks and spacing makes it easier to read and emphasize important information at a glance.

You could use a pipe or vertical bar character to space out your info like in the following Instagram business profile example from Leder Games. They used the symbol to separate their most popular game offerings.

You could also use line breaks to style your info in a list format. See how this bio skillfully uses lists, incorporating emojis as a kind of bullet point.

Keep in mind that these characters and line breaks will factor into your total character count. So make sure you use them sparingly and strategically to avoid going over the character limit. You could also test different formatting to see how they impact your overall profile engagement. Use a tool like Sprout Social’s Instagram analytics suite to measure how your profile engagement changes as you update.

5. Include a compelling call to action

While the call-to-action buttons frees up a lot of space in your bio, it doesn’t hurt to get more direct with your CTA. Make sure people know exactly what they need to do when they visit your profile by including a CTA in your bio.

Get very specific with this depending on the goal of your Instagram business account. You could invite them to visit your website, shop your feed, check out your latest blog post, download your new guide or even share their own photos using your branded hashtag. If you want to grow your Instagram following, you could even add a CTA to “follow us” for your regular content such as daily recipes, fashion updates and so on.

For example, Ahrefs uses their bio text to create a CTA that points (literally, thanks to their use of emoji) to their latest feature release.

Dress Up uses its bio to direct people to sign up for SMS marketing messages by offering a discount right inside the bio. This is a great way to get people to take immediate action and increase your text marketing list.

Create a compelling Instagram bio for your business

Your Instagram bio could make all the difference in boosting your social presence. It’s the perfect place to exhibit your brand identity and show off your creative side. It could also help you showcase your uniqueness and entertain your audience.

Plus, by strategically using a link-in-bio tool, your bio can help increase clicks and conversions and improve your Instagram analytics by helping you reach your goals.

Instagram bio FAQs

Where is the link in bio on Instagram?

When you edit your profile, you’ll add your bio link into the field next to “Website.” You only get one link here, which is why many brands prefer to use a link-in-bio tool that helps them create an Instagram-specific landing page.

How do you add a link in an Instagram bio?

Edit your profile and paste your preferred link into the “Website” field. Simple as that!

How many characters can you use in an instagram bio?

The Instagram bio character limit is just 150 characters, so use them wisely.

10 Instagram Bio Ideas + 13 Tricks to Stand Out [TEMPLATES]

As far as history goes, we’re living in charmed times — but Shakespeare never had to write an Instagram bio (and let’s face it, the man wasn’t known for being concise). Typing those fateful words into your profile is stressful, and for good reason: your Instagram bio is often the first place other users will look when they’re deciding whether or not to follow you.

Here’s everything you need to know about Instagram bios, and how to write one worthy of a three-act play. Wherefore art thou bio?

What is an Instagram bio?

What makes a good bio for Instagram?

10 Instagram bio ideas

13 Instagram bio tricks you may not know about

Instagram bio templates

Bonus: Unlock 28 inspiring social media bio templates to create your own in seconds and stand out from the crowd.

What is an Instagram bio?

A bio on Instagram is a description of your account that can be up to 150 characters long and sits at the very top of your profile page, next to your profile picture. It’s a snapshot of your Instagram account and a quick way to show users who you are and what you’re about.

Because of the limited character count, an Instagram bio needs to be concise, easy to read and informative… but don’t be afraid to have fun with it. Emojis and jokes are fair game, even for professionals using the platform. After reading your bio, people should understand what you do and why they should follow you.

What makes a good bio for Instagram?

A good Instagram bio is a bio that users can’t resist interacting with, whether it’s by slamming that “follow” button, scrolling through (and liking and commenting on) your content, watching your story highlights or sending your Instagram profile to friends. The best Instagram bios are short and sweet, and genuinely convey your personality as a creator or brand.

For more details, watch our video on making the PERFECT Instagram bio:

When you’re dreaming up your bio, try asking yourself these questions — especially if you’re using Instagram for business:

  • What is your brand promise?
  • How about your brand personality: Funny? Serious? Informative? Playful?
  • What are your special skills?
  • Are you a local business? National? Global?
  • What makes your product or service unique?
  • What is the first thing you want people to do after they visit your profile?

On that last point: All good marketing materials should include a clear and compelling call to action. Good Insta bios are no exception. Give visitors clear direction if you want them to click the link in your bio, follow your account or take a different specific action.

You might want to add a link to your bio to send people to a page where they can buy your products, or you might have a different conversion goal in mind. Maybe you want people to Like your Facebook page, follow you on TikTok or sign up for your newsletter.

If your goal is to build an Instagram following, your call to action might be simply to ask visitors to press that follow button, or to share their photos with a branded hashtag.

10 Instagram bio ideas

If you’re feeling a little stuck, no fear — there are literally 1.22 billion Instagram users you can get inspiration from. Here are a few bio ideas for Instagram to get you started.

1. Funny Instagram bios

Unfortunately, there’s nothing less funny than trying to be funny. The key to a comedic Instagram bio is keeping honest, like this one from a drink brand.

Source: @innocent

Playing to your audience — and embracing how they see your brand — is another way to get laughs.

Source: @buglesmemes

And when all else fails, being quippy and somewhat vague is also a good source of comedy. If chaos is your brand, embrace it.

Source: @fayedunaway

2. Instagram bio quotes

Using Instagram bio quotes can be a great way to express an idea or create a feeling of connection.

You could use a saying, a line from a poem or song, or any phrase that will mean something to potential followers. Just make sure to give credit where credit is due if you use someone else’s words.

The Quotations Page is a good place to start your search for good Instagram bio quotes.

Here are 15 quote ideas you can copy and paste directly into your Instagram bio.

  1. Happiness depends upon ourselves – Aristotle
  2. We’re all born naked and the rest is drag – RuPaul
  3. Change will not come if we wait for some other person or some other time – Barack Obama
  4. I’d rather regret the things I’ve done than regret the things I haven’t done – Lucille Ball
  5. Imagination is more important than knowledge – Albert Einstein
  6. You miss 100% of the shots you don’t take – Wayne Gretzky
  7. Cherish forever what makes you unique, cuz you’re really a yawn if it goes – Bette Midler
  8. If you don’t like the road you’re walking, start paving another one – Dolly Parton
  9. Never let the fear of striking out keep you from playing the game – Babe Ruth
  10. I am a rich man – Cher
  11. You can be the lead in your own life – Kerry Washington
  12. When the whole world is silent, even one voice becomes powerful – Malala Yousafzai

3.

Creative Instagram bios

A bio may only be 150 characters, but that’s more than enough to stretch that creative muscle. During the launch of Netflix’s Heartstopper, the company changed their bio to an invite for the main actors to start a band.

Source: @netflix

This bio from Crocs is so creative, it takes a second to understand — we’ll let you read it before spoiling.

Source: @crocs

Did you get it? It’s “If you ain’t Croc-ing, you ain’t rocking.”

If you can’t make up your mind, do it all. Insta-famous Italian greyhound Tika has emojis, a quote from Lizzo, “Fashion Model” and “Gay Icon” status, and a link to her book in her bio. Impressive (but not as impressive as a dog writing a book).

Source: @tikatheiggy

4. Cool Instagram bios

“All your friends are so cool, you go out every night” — Olivia Rodrigo. Who is pretty cool herself: this short, informative and rhyming bio says it all.

Source: @oliviarodrigo

Another way to up the cool factor: commit an ultimate branding faux pas and don’t introduce yourself in an easily identifiable way. For example, most folks would identify Serena Williams as a tennis superstar. In her Instagram bio, she’s simply “Olympia’s mom.” It feels very true to her, and that’s cool.

Source: @serenawilliams

There’s a pattern here — ”cool” and “short” go hand-in-hand. If you want a cool bio for Instagram, being too wordy won’t help. If that’s what you’re going for, try and be as concise as possible. Like Lizzo.

Source: @lizzobeeating

5. Short Instagram bios

Speaking of short — if you don’t need 150 characters, don’t use them. Dating app Bumble’s bio simply prompts folks to make the first move.

Source: @bumble

Fewer words makes the words you do use more powerful, and really makes a statement.

Source: @bobthedragqueen

Or, you can go in a totally opposite direction and write a short bio that few, if any, will understand. You do you.

Source: @kirstentitus

6. Clever Instagram bios

A clever Instagram bio will score a chuckle (and hopefully a follow) from users. Stay self aware and lighthearted, and the cleverness will come. Old Spice’s bio is a play on the bizarre masculinity that’s present in men’s deodorant branding.

Source: @oldspice

Tiffany Haddish hypes herself, but stays humble in her Instagram bio.

Source: @tiffanyhaddish

And sometimes, the cleverest route is the simplest: in a world of people trying to be as cool as possible, artist Allie Brosh just tells it like it is, and really stands out.

Source: @allie_brosh

7. Instagram bios with emojis

Emojis are like cheating (the good kind). When words fail, emojis are there. Designers Josh and Matt describe their relationship, career, home base and pets all in a single line of emojis.

Source: @joshandmattdesign

You can also use emojis like bullet points for a super-aesthetic look.

Source: @oliveandbeanphoto

Or, go with the classic (if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it) and substitute emojis for the words they represent — hearts for love, etc.

Source: @pickle.the.pig

8. Instagram business bios

If you’re using Instagram for business, a bio can be a great place to introduce yourself (more and more folks are using social media to research brands). Kraft peanut butter has a great example of a succinct bio that describes their company.

Source: @kraftpeanutbutter_ca

Businesses can also use their bio to describe their brand ethos, and what makes them different from others in the industry.

Source: @ocin

If you’re doing affiliate marketing or partnering with other businesses, a bio is a good place to put discount codes or promotions related to those affiliations.

Source: @phillychinchilly

9. Instagram bios with links

Your link in bio is a rich place for users to gain more resources and information about your brand. Make sure your audience sees it by pointing to it. Yeah, we mean literally. Clothing brand Free Label uses their bio to identify what the link is (in this case, a path to their latest launch).

Source: @free.label

In a similar fashion, artist Zoe Si uses her bio to point to her latest book, which is accessible through her link in bio.

Source: @zoesees

10. Informative Instagram bios

Sometimes, you just want the facts. Having the answer to your most frequently asked questions — in the example below, that’s probably “When are you open?” — can pay off. It might not be fun, but it’s simple and clear.

Source: superflux.cabana

13 Instagram bio tricks you may not know about

Hungry for more? We got you. Here are some tips to make sure you have the best bio for Instagram.

1. Use fancy Instagram bio fonts

Technically, you can only use one “font” in your Instagram bio. But there are tools out there that will help you create the look of a custom font by mapping your text to existing special characters.

Here’s an example of what Hootsuite writer Christine’s bio looks like in a few different fonts, as created using the tool Instagram Fonts.

That third one is a little bonkers, but you could pick and choose a few words to incorporate strategically for visual appeal. In general, it’s a good idea to use this trick sparingly, for emphasis, rather than dressing your entire bio up in fancy fonts.

Once you find a font style you like, just copy and paste it into your Instagram bio.

2. Use Instagram bio symbols

We’ve already talked about using emojis. But you can also go old-school and use special text symbols to break ★ up ★ your ★ bio. (Remember Wingdings and Webdings? How very 1990s.)

This trick uses the same principle as the tip above, but instead of using symbols to create the look of a custom font, you can use them as retro emojis or unique bullet points:

Source: @blogger

The easiest way to find your special character is to open a new Google Doc, then click Insert and choose Special characters.

You can scroll through the available options, search by keyword, or even draw a shape to find a similar character. Then, just copy and paste into your Instagram bio.

3. Add a location

This is particularly useful for businesses: customers will want to know who (and where) they’re buying from. Marking your location can also help your brand be more searchable.

When you add your address to your Instagram business profile, it also appears below your bio but does not use up any of your bio character count. This is another great way to free up space for more compelling bio information. Be warned, your address only shows up on mobile.

Source: @pourhouse

4. Add contact buttons

Business profiles can include contact information in the form of buttons that allow people to phone you, email you, or get directions to your business directly from Instagram. This is another one that only shows up on mobile.

Source: @midnightpaloma

5.

Add a call to action button

Another mobile-only feature: You can encourage people to take action straight from your Instagram bio with CTA buttons. These allow your followers to take direct actions like ordering food from your restaurant, or buying tickets for your event.

Source: @maenamrestaurant

You’ll find these options under Action Buttons when editing your business profile.

6. Add a link in bio

You get one clickable link in your Instagram bio. Since you can’t use clickable links in Instagram feed posts (unless you’re using Instagram ads or Instagram Shopping), your bio link is valuable real estate.

You can change the URL as often as you like. You might want to link to your newest or most important content (like your latest blog post or video), a special campaign, or a landing page specifically for visitors coming from Instagram.

You can also use Instagram tools like Linktree to set up a mobile landing page with multiple links. That way, you don’t have to keep updating the link in your Instagram bio, which can lead to outdated “link in bio” statements on older posts.

7. Use your bio to direct traffic to another platform or website

If your primary social media is on a different platform and you consider Instagram a necessary evil, that’s okay — you can use your bio as a way to direct other users to that platform.

Comedian Ziwe Fumudoh rarely posts on Instagram, but is very active on TikTok, so she uses her bio to steer audiences towards that app.

Source: @ziwef

Lush, weirdly, “departed” from social media but still has an active Instagram and uses their link in bio to explain why they’re not online.

Source: @lushcosmetics

8. Use line breaks

People don’t tend to read information online. Instead, they scan for bite-sized chunks of information.

Make that information easy to identify using line breaks.

Okoko Cosmetiques uses a combination of emojis and line breaks to create this cute Instagram bio:

Source: @okokocosmetiques

It’s really easy to add line breaks using the Instagram web interface. Simply space your bio as you would like it to appear.

On mobile, your best bet is to create your bio with the spacing you want using a notes app. Then, copy and paste it into your Instagram bio field. Or, use one of the Instagram bio templates below.

9. Share your pronouns

If you want to, it’s great to share your pronouns on Instagram. Since the option was first added in May 2021, it’s become customary on the app to add your pronouns to your bio, whether you’re cisgender, transgender or nonbinary. Displaying your pronouns means your followers will know how to properly address you, and normalizing the practice helps make everyone feels more comfortable on the platform.

Source: @ddlovato

10. Use Hashtags

Hashtags in your Instagram bio are clickable links. Keep in mind, though, that Instagram bios do not appear in hashtag search results. Adding Instagram hashtags to your bio won’t make it more discoverable.

That means you should not include hashtags unless they are directly related to your business, because each one represents an opportunity for potential followers to click away.

However, adding a branded hashtag to your bio is a great way to promote and collect user-generated content.

This is one of the best ways for businesses to use hashtags in their bio. When a user clicks on the hashtag, they will see all the content your fans and followers have posted, which creates excellent social proof for your business.

Source: @hellotushy

Branded hashtags are also a great way to get more content: you can reshare follower’s posts that use the hashtag. In fact, some users build their entire following off of user-submitted posts.

Source: @chihuahua_vibes

11. Use your bio to link to other accounts

If you have a personal and a business account, or you’re involved in a cool project that has its own handle, you can tag that account in your bio. This can help people identify you (Oh, THAT’S where I know Zendaya from) but be careful using them, as they may encourage audiences to navigate away from your page. (This is something Zendaya likely does not care about).

Source: @zendaya

12. Add a category

If you have a business profile on Instagram, you can choose a category for your business. This appears under your name and can help people see what you do at a glance.

Source: @elmo

Elmo, for example, is a public figure.

Using a category for your business can free up space in your Instagram bio, since you don’t need to repeat this information. However, it only appears in the mobile view, so you can’t assume everyone will see it.

13. Announce news

As long as you remember to update your bio regularly, you can use it to announce news about new products and updates for your brand. If you’re going to put a date in your bio, though, mark your calendar or set a reminder to change it. If you have an old date in your bio, it makes your account look like it’s not being monitored closely.

After Mexican pizza made its triumphant return, Taco Bell updated this bio.

Source: @tacobell

Instagram bio templates

Still not sure what to include in your Instagram bio? We’ve created some social media bio templates, including IG bio ideas, to get you started.

Bonus: Unlock 28 inspiring social media bio templates to create your own in seconds and stand out from the crowd.

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How to write a flawless Instagram bio for a business account

If you sell products online, you really can't ignore Instagram.

In addition to the obvious sheer number of users, Instagram's visual nature makes it an ideal platform for promoting physical products. This is why many e-commerce stores sell through Instagram and even use as their main sales channel.

One of the most important characteristics of a successful Instagram e-commerce strategy is profile biography . This is usually the first thing users see when they log into your account. A strong bio can improve brand perception and awareness while increasing the number of clicks on your call to action.

To understand how to write a great Instagram bio, we analyzed 100 randomly selected Instagram stores. We studied what calls to action, language and information they used in their biographies. Following the example of these stores, you can change your store profile to improve performance. nine0003

We started by selecting 100 stores at random using the hashtag #onlinestore on Instagram. For a better analysis, we ignored partner stores and individuals promoting products from other stores.

At the end of the data collection phase, our spreadsheet looked like this:

Our list was very broad in scope. We had big stores with over 1.6 million followers (@saboskirt) and new small stores with just over 1800 followers (@xanasboutique).

Here are some of the things we learned about Instagram Bios from this analysis:

Start with what you're doing

Sounds like "Is this a joke?" but how many times have you been on Instagram and a stunning image caught your attention? You scroll through the grid and even read the bio… before thinking to yourself, “I wonder what they do.”

Put your business ahead of everything else so there is no confusion.

If you're positioning yourself as an expert, the first step to creating a good Instagram bio is to make sure your name is actually your name! By this we mean the "name" field on your profile, not your Instagram username. People searching for you on Instagram are more likely to use your name or your company name, and consistency lets people know that the Instagram profile they're viewing is actually yours and not an impostor. nine0003

This may seem pretty obvious, but there's actually a bigger reason for this: your name and username are the only fields that Instagram considers in searches. So it's very important to make sure that the name you use in your Instagram bio is what your followers and customers are looking for!

For example, if you work in the healthcare industry, you can include your full name along with your job title. That way, when people search for you on Instagram, they can easily find the right account. nine0003

Instagram also respects the name and username fields in search queries, so it's a good idea to make sure they're optimized. With that in mind, you can use keywords that potential subscribers might be looking for. Do you offer a specific service? Are you known for something special?

Use a CTA

A CTA is probably the most important part of any Instagram bio . This is what you want users to click on when they land on your page. nine0003

Calls to action can generally be divided into three categories:

  • Home Page : A link to the store's home page. It's far from ideal, as it's not very targeted. A user who clicks to view a product may become confused due to the length of the home page.
  • Landing Page : This can either be a dedicated landing page for Instagram-only users, or an internal page that directs users to a product or category (such as "new arrivals"). They are are great for most stores.
  • Social shopping page : This is usually a carefully curated page with products featured on your Instagram page. Users can buy products directly from this social media page.

Our analysis shows that most stores still don't use CTAs properly. The majority of stores (70%) directed users to their non-targeted home pages. Very few directed users to social media pages. nine0003

If possible, direct users to custom landing pages for Instagram users. Here is a great example from @georginasasha. The store bio directs users to instashop

The landing page is called "Instashop" and shows the latest items featured on the Instagram page:

Clicking on any of the products (notice how the URL changes to a unicorn - fun touch!) , You will see the checkout form:

Alternatively, you can create a social media shopping page using tools like Like2Buy. Here's an example from SwimsuitsForAll:

If you don't want to go that route (or if it's too expensive/time consuming), at least link to your new arrivals, top selling or featured products. Dissh, for example, directs users to its new arrivals:

If you link to your home page, at least make sure you have a dedicated section for new arrivals and recommended products. Make this section the very top of the page so that users can easily find your in-demand products. nine0003

Bio length about 140-160 characters

During our analysis, we found that average profile length was about 143 characters . The average was 150 characters.

Keep in mind that this length includes your CTA.

Stores with very long biographies (more than 200 characters) usually contain tons of information. For example, @barbiesonly's bio has 208 characters. It includes store address, email, phone number and website in bio:

At the other end of the spectrum are stores like @sorellaboutique that only include a CTA and a hashtag.

The length of the profile must be 140-160 characters. This gives you plenty of space to include CTA, phone information, email, etc.

Use emojis

Should you use emojis in your Instagram bio?

Our analysis showed that most stores prefer to use them:

However, instead of emphasizing emotions, most stores use emoticons to separate and mark key information . For example, @thealphabetpress uses a simple block emoji icon to list all of its features and services:

Similarly, @moorepiecesboutique uses emoji to identify its location, shipping policy, phone number, and email:

Does this mean that emoji have no place for fun?

Of course not! Here is an example from @thyrahshoppe. Note the water splashes, bikini and emoji on the palm next to the copy - "endless summer". nine0003

Our recommendation

You have limited space in your profile bio; make the best use of it. Use emoticons sparingly . They work best when you use them to identify key information about a store - its location, hours of operation, email address, and contact number.

@suelasonline is a good format to follow:

Use hashtags only when necessary

A common piece of advice you'll see on the internet is to use hashtags in your bio. These can be:

  • General: hashtags related to a keyword (eg #shoes), an event (eg #coachella), or an Instagram trend (eg #picoftheday).
  • Branded: Brand-related hashtags like #ASOS, #cocacola, etc.

Generic hashtags are usually good for boosting your visibility. For example, if you include the hashtag #picoftheday in your bio, your profile will be visible when someone searches for that hashtag. nine0003

Branded hashtags are useful for curating posts. You can also use them to request user-generated content (UGC). For example, Coke recently ran a contest where users had to submit images with the #CokeEssenceFestContest hashtag.

Should you include such hashtags in your biography?

Here's what our data showed:

It's clear that hashtags aren't very popular, at least in profile bios.

Interestingly, of the 14 stores that used hashtags, only one used a common tag. The rest used branded hashtags. nine0003

The most common use of branded hashtags is to collect user-generated content, as in this example @threadless:

Our recommendation

Hashtags are not needed for a strong Instagram bio. But if you use them, you should only use branded hashtags and combine them with a user-generated content campaign.

You can also use branded hashtags as a way to brand your store. For example, @shoploveyourz uses the hashtag #loveyourzcurves to promote body acceptance. nine0003

If you don't already have a user-generated content campaign, adding a hashtag would be a waste of space.

Include key information

What information should you include in your store biography—email address, phone number, address, or store hours? There is a simple answer to this question: is all you need .

We saw a clear bias towards email and phone numbers in our data.

This makes sense for online stores. They usually don't have a physical location and therefore store opening hours. Email is a much better way to communicate and collect orders. nine0003

Interestingly, many stores mentioned their WhatsApp when they listed their phone numbers. This was especially true for stores located outside the US and EU.

When we looked at larger stores (>300,000 subscribers), we saw a clear preference for email over the phone. Larger stores receive more orders. It can be difficult to trace them over the phone.

Our recommendation

There is no one piece of advice that fits all when it comes to key store information. Include whatever you think is necessary to give your customers the best service. nine0003

Enabling email is a good idea. Only add a phone number if you can actually respond to customer inquiries (this can be difficult for understaffed retailers). And of course, the physical location/store hours are only necessary if you have physical stores.

A good way to make this information more visible is to add emoticons, for example:

You can also include your Facebook account if this is an important marketing channel for you. If space permits, also include information about shipping rules. This is especially useful if you are targeting overseas clients. nine0003

Putting It All Together: Creating a Great Instagram Bio

Based on the lessons we've learned, here's what you should have in your Instagram bio:

  • Your store name
  • 140 to 160 characters long.
  • CTA link to Instagram landing page or social media shopping page. Or a link to your latest/top selling products.
  • Emoticons to highlight key information (phone number, email address, etc.)
  • A branded hashtag for storing images and videos (if you're running a user-generated content campaign).
  • Brand Brief

Including all of this information will make your store stand out from other stores on Instagram. After making these changes, you should see an increase in engagement and clicks.

Download checklist in pdf

Photo by Maddi Bazzocco on Unsplash.

How to Write the Best Instagram Bios for Business - Wave.video Blog: Latest Video Marketing Tips & News

7 minutes of reading

Writing an Instagram biography may seem easy to many: after all, it's just a couple of lines. However, everything is not so simple.

An Instagram bio is one of those things that helps you grab the attention of your audience, so you definitely need it to work. Today we want to offer you some tips and tricks to help you with this.

7 Easy Tips for Writing Better Instagram Bios | Instagram Marketing How To

An Instagram bio is one of those things that helps you grab the attention of your audience, so you definitely need it to work. Today we want to offer you some tips and tricks to help you do just that.

1. Know what your biography should achieve

Before you start writing your biography, you need to answer this question. Goals can be very different for influencers, bloggers, small and big businesses. So it's important to come up with your own first. nine0003

Here are some goals you might want to consider:

  • talk about what your business does
  • Inform customers about how you can be contacted, what are your business hours, etc.
  • show brand or company identity
  • inform customers about your latest products or services
  • encourage customers to take some action.

That's why it's so important: what to include in a biography depends on these goals. If you need to inform customers about your products, services, news, etc., it is better to include a link to the relevant topic in your bio. Or if you have a lot of links on a page, you can choose a bio linking tool like LinkOne to keep the links together so your customers can easily check them out. nine0003

If your goal is to show the personality of your business and you don't need to draw attention to anything in particular, you can opt for a generic link to your website or store.

2. Choose a good photo

If you are a brand yourself, consider choosing a photo of your face. After all, photos with faces get 38% more likes on Instagram overall, so your profile photo can also have a good impact on the audience. nine0003

But that's not all. People like it when a business has a face because it looks more personal, friendly and open. When choosing a photo, remember that it should not be too detailed, otherwise it may look too incomprehensible. It also shouldn't look too formal, as Instagram is all about connecting with the audience, not distancing from them.

Here is a good example of such a photo:

This is a great example of an Instagram photo. It shows the character of a person. nine0258

However, if your brand is not associated with a person, use a logo instead. Keep in mind that logo symbols look better than captions when it comes to Instagram bios. So if you're using both captions and symbols for your identity, try to choose a symbol for your profile photo only.

Wave.video uses the logo as their Instagram profile picture

3. Write a bio that truly represents your business

Should the curriculum vitae be long or short? Should it include emoji or not? It all depends on your business, its image and vision. So take some time to put that vision into words if you haven't already.

It should also fit in with your overall social media strategy. How do you usually compose tweets or posts on Facebook? What tone are you using?

Think of the words you want to associate with your brand, the emotions you want it to evoke. Look at similar brand bios for inspiration (but don't copy - your brand should have its own unique voice). nine0003

There are biographies that are short but fit well with the brand image.

Old Spice Instagram biography is short and to the point

Bio5 Senses Coffee on Instagram is almost a motto

There are also more detailed ones, but still work well.

Check out Tim Ferriss' Instagram bio for inspiration on writing longer Instagram bios

4. Break it down

Many people find it easier to absorb information when it is presented in smaller portions. Therefore, separating biographical material using line spacing is often more efficient than writing it on one line.

London-based food blogger Fatma al-Bayti uses emoji to break lines in her Instagram bio

Tip: Since you can't use pauses when writing your bio directly on Instagram, use a note-taking app like Notes on iPhone or Google Keep on Android to write your bio on Instagram. nine0311 Once you are done writing your bio, just copy and paste it into the Instagram bio field.

5. Consider including emoji in your bio

Did you know that 50% of Instagram comments and captions contain emoji? People seem to like it a lot, so why not make the most of it?

Emoji are often used to make your brand look more emotional and friendly.

Emoji can also be used to separate bios more effectively. For example, why use bullet points when you can use emoji instead? nine0003

However, be careful with this. It is important not only to include emoji in your messages, but to do it appropriately. Not all people interpret emoji the same way you do, and there is emoji slang that needs to be taken into account.

6. Use branded hashtags

7 out of 10 Instagram hashtags are branded. So why not replenish this number?

If you have or would like to have a branded hashtag for your business, include it in your bio. This will give your audience an opportunity to share their content for you or give their opinion on your products or services. nine0003

These hashtags are also a great tool to collect feedback from your audience, whether it's testimonials, photos of your products, and so on.

7. Make the link part of your bio

Since a bio link is the only clickable link Instagram allows you to have, make sure you make it meaningful. You can use a tool like Elink to add a visual webpage to your Instagram bio link. nine0003

The link comes right after the bio, so naturally you might want to draw your visitors' attention to it with an extra character. Here are a few of the most popular emojis used in this case: 👇 ⬇️

To add more emphasis to a link, use several pointing or arrow emoji in a row: ⬇️ ⬇️ ⬇️ ⬇️.

Australian blogger Chloe draws attention to her latest YouTube video with emoji

Conclusion

An Instagram bio may be only 150 characters long, but that doesn't make it any less important. This is an opportunity to tell your audience who you are, how they can contact you, and which of your products or services they should check out. It can also help you drive more traffic to your site.

That's why it's important to take the time to write a good bio for your Instagram account. Keep in mind that the definition of "good" here is not too specific. You can write a serious biography, funny, short but impressive, or one that barely fits in 150 characters. Just write something that really represents your business and keep our tips in mind for better results. nine0003

It's important to take the time to write a good bio for your Instagram account

Do you think an Instagram bio is very important? Maybe you also have tips that you want to share with us? In that case, please do so in the comments below.

About the Author : Charles Ebert is a career mentor, edubirdies.org content coordinator, motivational speaker and HR consultant with over 10 years of HR experience. In addition to career mentoring, he loves photography and football. You can find him on Linkedin, Twitter, Facebook and Google+.

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