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When is the last time you looked at or refreshed your bio (or, for small business purposes, the text that appears on your "About" page)? Is it a bit boring, essentially nothing more than a rote recitation of your resume? It doesn’t have to be.
Your bio is among the primary impressions you make upon the world, one of your very first bits of branding and PR. Take just a little bit of time to make it count. Here are a few tips on doing so:
Your first few lines are the most important, for SEO purposes. Don't waste your entire first sentence merely reciting your full name, title and company name - especially if those things already appear elsewhere.
Especially if you are a service provider, you no doubt wear many hats. But at least in the all-important first paragraph, try to avoid that commonly seen recitation of absolutely every kind of thing you might possibly ever do. (Whether you separate the items with commas or semi-colons, eyes will still cross.) There is a place for this exhaustive list of all services, somewhere (either lower down, perhaps using bullets, or in another section), but not right out of the gate. Get straight to the heart of the matter. What are the primary things you do, and for whom, which truly set you and your business apart? Why do those things matter - both to your clients/customers and you?
Make your case with case studies. Again, a lengthy recitation of all matters or projects isn't what we're going for. But a few short descriptions (bullets work well) of representative work that you've done, for whom and why it mattered helps potential clients to imagine what you can do for them too.
Even if only in one paragraph, at the end, consider allowing your personality to shine through. The extent to which you can do this will of course depend upon a number of factors, including your brand, your industry and customer expectations. Playful may admittedly not always be appropriate. But a little touch of the personal, to give people a sense of who you are and what it might be like to do business with you, can be a nice touch.
Reach out today if *your* bio could do with a reboot, to allow it to work more effectively for you. And we can use the information we gather create to update and optimize your LinkedIn and other social media profiles too.