Time is of the essence for everything these days, including your professional bio. But while you want to keep it brief, you still have to make it sizzle.
What most people don’t realize when they are writing their own bios, or hiring someone to write them on their behalf, is just because a bio is for business, it doesn’t mean it has to be boring. A bio is where you can let your personality shine, as one of the most important purposes of a bio is to show someone what it would be like to work with you, whether they are hiring you, becoming your client or going into business with you in some way. And of course, this is going to differ if you are a pet groomer or a CPA or a childcare center or some type of advocate. Certain professions may call for a fair amount of decorum, while others will be better served by being less stiff.
What Should Be in Your Bio?
Your Name
Your Company/Title, if applicable
Who are you/what’s most important about you/what drives you
List a few key accomplishments
A personal fact to help people warm up to you
Links to websites and anything else you want seen
Contact info, if not listed elsewhere, such as on LinkedIn
First Person Versus Third Person
Most bios are written in third person, especially if they are being used on your behalf, such as an author’s bio in a book, or a speaker’s bio in a program. However, for your website or on social media, a first-person bio feels more personal. I recommend having both and using both, removing the personal portions for the third-person versions.
My Bio
As an example, I’ve included my bio below. The goal for my bio was to show how all my skills work together to give me an edge that others in my industry don’t have. I think it worked quite well!
I’m Karen Buscemi, owner of KB Promo, a full-service promotional group building brands through strategy, design, words and products. I've been working in the writing and graphic design industries for more than 25 years with an emphasis on fashion and style. What differentiates me from other companies is that I understand style at a top level: in graphic design, in the written word, and how products look, fit and feel. This means whatever services I provide to you, from branded clothing to a custom website, you will get something that is both attractive and effective.
See, that's not boring! It's confident, it differentiates me, and it plays up my skills right up front. Now for the part that shows some of my accomplishments:
For most of my career, I have written and edited articles for a variety of local and national publications, along with writing copy for ads, websites, blogs, social media, newsletters and more. I was contracted to write content for the patient portal for University of Michigan Health System, and was contracted by Zest Books to write a book for teens shuffling between houses of divorced parents. I even gave a TED talk. On the graphic design side, I can build websites, edit photos, create logos, layout pages, design presentations - what do you need? I'm highly skilled in Adobe Creative Suite and Microsoft Office, and I build websites in Wix, Shopify and Squarespace.
It's very easy to go on and on in this section. Stick to what matters most or your reader will get lost in here. And then my favorite part, the personal touch:
I love sports and skincare. It's important to soothe yourself after yelling at the TV.
Personal and fun. You get a good feel for me, and I'm pretty sure you know we'd have a good time working together.
Links
KB Promo: https://www.kbpromoproducts.com
Writing portfolio: https://www.kbpromoproducts.com/writing-portfolio
Design portfolio: https://www.kbpromoproducts.com/portfolio.
Need your bio written? Email me at karen@kbpromoproducts.com and let's talk about the best approach for you!