The Anatomy of an Optimized Instagram Bio
If you’re struggling with making sales through Instagram, it’s time to focus on PROFILE OPTIMIZATION.
Maybe you're not attracting the right followers or you’re unsure how to showcase your offers. Maybe both!
The truth is, assessing your profile is how most people will decide to follow you or not.
It's VERY important real estate on Instagram because it's where you tell the world what your account and business are all about. It's one of the first impressions you'll make on a potential client or customer!
If a potential audience member can get a good feel for your account and business right away, then decide to follow you and start getting your content, you're well on your way to creating actual CUSTOMERS from your Instagram audience.
The first step towards establishing the context and value of your account through YOUR BIO.
You want to quickly showcase what your business does, what you talk about on your account, and who your content is for.
The goal is to make it super easy for your profile visitors to know what you’re all about so you attract an audience that is engaged and interested in your offers!
Let’s look at the 7 major areas to optimize inside your bio for sales:
1. Your handle
As a business, I recommend using your company name as your Instagram handle. Something simple, direct, and clear. If someone found your business elsewhere online and is on IG to find your account, this will help them find you!
2. Profile pic
I recommend a photo for MOST business accounts on Instagram, but agencies with 3+ founders might prefer a logo for their profile image. This is actually really important for sales because consumers are wanting to connect to the brands they follow. If you're able to show the face of a human who runs the account, you make that connection easier between you and your followers. You become more familiar which can also be important in the psychology of sales.
3. Name
The name area of your Instagram bio is SEO-friendly, so I normally recommend including your first name (so people know who runs the account) and a simple job title. Try to think of what someone would type if they were looking for you in the search bar on Instagram 😉
PS this is also why I recommend having your business as your handle.
4. Category
Your category is a way to show what type of account you run and the general type of content your ideal follower could expect to see from you. It gives the broadest context of what your account it about.
5. Bio
Your bio is the MAGIC behind your profile! It helps potential followers get acquainted with who you are, what you do, and who you do it for. Your bio should also indicate the overall content themes of your account.
How to test how accurate your bio is → Look at your most recent 9-12 posts and make a list of what that content is about. Are you talking about yourself, your offers, and content categories that make sense for your business?
Now take a look at your bio and see if those themes are reflected. Maybe your BIO is strong but you realize your content doesn't carry out those themes. If so, you know to change up your content topics.
If your CONTENT feels on-point but your bio doesn't accurately reflect your account, tweak your bio.
6. Link
Make sure you're giving someone a clear and easy way to learn about your offers or buy from/work with you after they find you on Instagram.
I can't tell you how many times I've gone to Instagram to find someone to hire, and it's FRUSTRATING how hard people make it to learn about their services, products, and pricing. Sometimes I even get a personal recommendation for someone to hire, so I go to that person's account and I can't find a SINGLE thing about what they actually do. They haven’t given me a way to get info so I feel comfortable that I won’t be wasting their or my time by reaching out, so I don’t. They miss the chance of even getting the sale with me.
7. Location
And finally, adding your location is a great way to find local customers, clients, and entrepreneur friends in your area!
Take this list and conduct an audit of your IG bio.
When you look at these 7 areas from the perspective of a complete stranger, how confident are you that your profile clearly establishes the tone of your account? Is it conveying a message that will help the right people click the follow button?
Having an optimized bio is so important because it lays the foundation for your content to perform well. By attracting good-fit followers, you’ll build an audience that is more engaged and responsive to your content!
