How to write the perfect Instagram bio

Have you ever discovered an account on Instagram and followed it within a matter of seconds?

Every now and then, I’ll come across an Instagram account and do just this. Before I’ve taken the time to scroll down the account’s feed, I’ve hit the pause button – on the bio. Why? Because it’s engaging and totally relatable.

But how did the person behind the account capture my attention in a matter of seconds with just the Instagram bio? Let’s look at the key elements that make up a perfect Instagram bio.

Image – potential followers want to see you!  

You get one tiny little circular image to display your personality – so let it shine through.

Choose an image that:

• Is clear – we want to see you;
• Displays your personality; and
• Is a headshot – don’t include a photo where you look like a tiny little dot in the background or a picture of your coffee mug or cat for that matter – people won’t be able to see you!

Bio link – you only get one link!

Your bio link is the only space Instagram allows users to include clickable links (and the only way viewers will be able to find out more about you!), so make the most of this precious space.

Some of the ways you can use this area:

• Include a link to your website, blog, YouTube account or any other site you want to direct viewers to;
• Update with a direct link each time you publish a new blog post; or
• Promote an event, webinar, or podcast.

Be aware that Instagram favours links that start with ‘http://’ – so make sure you include this before your web link to avoid your link being taken down.

Email – for when brands or fellow ‘grammers want to take things off the ‘gram

Your email address is key if you want people to be able to reach you – be it a brand, a contributor, the media, or a fellow Instagrammer just wanting to say hi.

Better yet – you can enable Instagram for business, which will draw key information from your Facebook page and also create a ‘CONTACT’ button that will link directly to a fresh email with your address in it.

Where’s the fun? Inject your personality.

Your bio is a tiny but worthy little space where you can let your personality really shine, all the while letting viewers know what you do. Here are some of the ways you can get creative in your Instagram bio:

• Are you an emoji lover? Include emojis that describe who you are! Coffee lover? Add the coffee mug. Ocean lover? Why not add a wave or a dolphin!
• Play around with spacing to align text vertically in the mobile app; or
• If you use a hashtag consistently, include it in your bio to encourage other users to hashtag with you. For example, I use #sheislight in the bio of my online community’s account – @sheislight.