How to Create an Engaging Instagram Bio

Key Points

• Instagram is a key platform for branding and it is  important to have an engaging profile to stand out from the competition.
• A good Instagram biography should fulfill several objectives, such as highlighting brand information, establishing a communication channel with the audience, showing personality, and boosting commercial actions.

What is an Instagram Bio?

The Instagram Bio is the cover letter of any profile and like everything in life, the first impression always counts. This biography, located at the top of the profile next to the photograph, is a description in which you have up to 150 characters to introduce yourself and your brand to your users. It is worth noting that the Instagram biography is the only space available to share links that take the user outside the platform and is thus an excellent tool to increase traffic and engagement with your website.

What are the main objectives of an Instagram bio?

Your Instagram biography  should achieve the following:

1. Highlight information about who your company or brand is.
2. Establish a channel of communication with your audience.
3. Show the personality, tone and style of your brand.
4. Promote commercial actions such as links to access content, register for events  or visit your website.

How to Create a Good Instagram Bio?

A good Instagram biography is one in which users, from the first contact with the profile, cannot resist checking it out, interacting with it or following it. According to a study by the Missouri University of Science and Technology, users take less than two tenths of a second to form a first impression when viewing a website. In addition, the human eye takes about 2.6 seconds to fix its gaze on the most influential point and reaffirm its first impression. Therefore, creating a good Instagram biography is essential to ensure greater audience interaction with your company’s profile. The big question is how to achieve a good biography?

What makes a good Instagram bio that stands out from the rest can be subjective, however, there are some commonalities that you should include in the construction of your brand’s bio:

• A good profile picture; in the case of brands it is ideal to use the logo.
• The user name, which should facilitate the user’s search and ideally include your keyword.
• An attractive text, such as a creative phrase in the 150 characters available for the description.
• Contact details, so that users  can communicate with you easily.
• Links to your website, campaigns, or other company platforms.
• Creativity in the personalisation of the profile, using emojis, Hashtags, varying the typography and including featured stories.

What should a Brand put in its Instagram Bio?

If you are considering creating a profile on Instagram or simply want to optimize your bio, the necessary elements you should include are:

• A company or brand description: from the first moment the user should understand what your products or services are and the value your brand offers. This brief space should be so attractive that you can convince the person to follow you or to have some kind of interaction, such as a visit to your website or requesting information about your products/services.
• Select the category for your profile: consider that the category is the element that differentiates commercial and content creator profiles.
• Share a list of interests or brand values: one of the quickest ways to establish a link with audiences is through shared interests or values. A good example is the Spanish brand Krash Kosmetics, whose biography includes values such as “100% Cruelty Free,” “Vegan,” and “Gender Neutral,” which conveys clearly the brand’s philosophy, which is to be responsible in its production processes and respectful of gender diversity.
• Add contact information: add all the necessary information so that users can contact you, for example, a direct link to your website, customer service chat, email or phone number.
• Use keywords: keywords will allow people to determine whether or not the account is relevant to them. Think about what keywords define your brand and integrate them. If you have the ability to include your keyword in the main name and username, this could lead to better SEO positioning for your Instagram account, but if otherwise your business has an established name, which does not necessarily include the keyword that defines you, add it in the Instagram bio.
• Include a call to action: if your profile has caught the users’  attention, this is the perfect opportunity to invite them to perform some kind of interaction, such as visiting your website,  getting to know your catalog  of services, or purchasing products; the options will depend on your objectives.
• Integrate a link manager: to integrate several links within your profile today you have several tools available, such as Linktree, one of the most used free platforms; Bio that gives  you the option to share videos and newsletter sign-up forms, or Milshake, one of the most advanced app for brand and professional profiles.
• Set up your Instagram shop and featured stories: The Instagram shop functions as a showcase for your products. This is a valuable tool, but it will depend on your business strategy whether you decide to activate it or not. Featured stories, on the other hand, are recommended for most profiles as they increase the lifespan of your stories and therefore the messages you share through them.
• Personalize your profile with your own Hashtag and emojis: if you have an established community or are in the process of forming one, one of the best ways to strengthen the relationship is to use your own hashtags. With the hashtag you choose you can make people interact more with your content. Emojis 💡help you to reinforce emotions and better convey your message. Signaling icons ↴👇 will also allow you to draw attention to specific parts of your bio, such as a link to your website.

Different Types of Instagram Bio

The information you choose to use in your Instagram bio will depend on the tone your brand uses in its communications. Here are the most common types of bios that can be found on Instagram:

• Informative or descriptive: an informative biography focuses on describing who your company is, your location and any other information you consider relevant to your followers. No matter what style of bio you decide to implement, you should always clearly describe who you are and what your brand does.
• Creative: the more original you are, the more successful you will be. Using puns, creative quotes or phrases and of course a profile picture that speaks to your brand’s personality is a must in this style of Instagram bios.
• Funny: if it is part of your brand’s DNA, you can use humorous phrases in your description that will  help you connect more easily with the community.
• Convincing: humor and creativity are not the only ways to describe who you are on social media; you can also use motivational and inspirational phrases that talk about your values and the contribution or benefits that your brand can represent to consumers.
• Minimalist and easy to read: taking into account that the number of characters is only 150, what you decide to write should be clear, concise and direct. It should be clear to the audience who you are and what you offer.

Examples of Efficient and Attractive Brand Bios on Instagram

Here are some real examples of bios that adapt their information to the target audience and have managed to convey their messages clearly and effectively.

El Corte Inglés

In Spain, we have a good example of a brand that recognises the importance of the Instagram biography:  they keep the content updated, varying it according to the seasonal news.

El Corte Inglés is updating its Instagram biography with the company’s launches and latest news. In this case, spring is approaching and therefore they invite followers to discover their launches and include a specific Hashtag “Feel the strength #Yaesprimavera”, and they also invite users to discover the latest collection with Elsa Pataky.

Finally, they include a call to action with a link to their website and a contact phone number and email to facilitate communication with their followers.

IceCoBar

This brand is an example of a creative Instagram bio. They make it clear in their bio that their food offers the customer a fun and not at all boring experience. They also include a call to action by sharing a link to their website where users can learn more about their products, shop locations and more.

Additionally IceCoBar has organized their featured stories with eye-catching cover designs that keeps users longer on the profile.

MARYPAZ

Spanish shoe brand Marypaz is another type of bio that invites follower interaction with the brand. In this case they have opted for the phrase “Tag your look: marypazworld” to increase interaction around the brand and capture the attention of potential followers and buyers.

Alo Yoga

Alo Yoga, the American yoga wellness apparel and platform company, reflects a clear and distinct message in each of its accounts. In its main account, Alo Yoga mentions its secondary accounts that correspond to its various lines of business. They also include a link that directs the customer directly to their shop.

On the other hand, the Alo account, which is for the sportswear line, is a representation of an inspirational biography. The phrase included in its bio reflects the spirit of the company’s desire to reach out and promote women’s empowerment.

The British Museum

This is an excellent example of an informative Instagram bio. The British Museum’s account describes the museum’s mission through the use of emojis and symbols and includes a link to book tickets. This profile provides the necessary and concrete information that invites users to take action.

Don’t forget that the Instagram bio gives brands the opportunity to showcase their profile and motivate users to stay connected with the key messages shared, so no matter what style of bio you choose, let your creativity run wild and it will always be the most powerful tool to connect.