Make These Changes to Your Social Media Bio and Get More Followers On social media, as in life, first impressions mean everything. Your social media bio can make or break your ability to grow your following.
By Syed Balkhi
Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.
Social media marketing is an important strategy for businesses today. However, many business owners and marketers focus solely on creating content to share on social media and forget about one little (but very vital) thing—the social media bio.
Related: 10 Laws of Social Media Marketing
Your business's social media bio might not seem like that big of a deal, but it is. Your bio is one of the first things that users see when they discover your business on social media. So, it needs to grab the attention of users, explain your business and make them want to find out more about you. Accomplishing all of this can be difficult when you're working with such a small space, but it's not impossible.
Here's how to sell your brand with a better social media bio:
Consider your audience and the platform
Your social media bios shouldn't be exactly the same on all platforms. Your audience will differ across social networks, so you need to create bios that are relevant to each. For example, your audience on LinkedIn will typically want to know about your professional accomplishments, including how many years your company has been in business. On the other hand, users on Instagram will expect your business to be a bit more personable and fun. So, be sure to study your audience on each platform and create a social media bio accordingly.
While each bio should cater to the specific platform and audience, remember that you need to keep your brand consistent throughout. Create a style guide that your team can follow. Include guidelines for images, colors and tone of voice to ensure brand consistency across multiple channels.
Tell your story
Social media bios should be kept short. You need to grab the attention of users and give them the information they need about your business, without boring them with a lengthy, wordy bio. But how do you tell the story of your business in just a few sentences? A good tip is to write what you do and who you do it for.
Related: Follow the 3 Ps to Grow Your Social Media Influence
For example, the Instagram bio of The Wing lets users know it offers work and community spaces designed for women. It also includes the company's mission. This type of information is important for the target audience to know.
Telling your story will help you connect with your target audience, especially if you can evoke emotions. According to Harvard Business Review, on a lifetime value basis, emotionally connected customers are more than twice as valuable as highly satisfied customers.
Use emojis
You may not associate emojis with professionalism, but if you want to stand out on social media, you need to use emojis in your bios. Not only will emojis help your brand stand out online, but they can also help you convey your message more effectively.
Related: 5 Smart Ways to Use Social Media to Grow Your Business
According to Vyvyan Evans, the author of The Emoji Code, emojis replicate characteristics of human conversation. He adds that "70 percent of the meaning of an oral conversation comes from nonverbal cues. Emojis add personality to the text and generate empathy among users."
Take a look at the use of emojis from Outdoor Voices. It uses several athletic and recreational-type emojis to connect with its sporty audience.
But don't just add an emoji for the sake of adding an emoji. Be sure to use emojis that are relevant to your business and your message.
Add a better call-to-action
Adding a call-to-action in your social media bio is important. After all, when a user finds your business on social media, you'll want them to take the next step and visit your website, sign up for your email list or register for a free trial. Instead of adding a link to your website and hoping users will click on it, create a better call-to-action (CTA).
In this Twitter bio example from Honey, the company informs users how to install Honey and use its new iOS app with a link for each.
Rather than adding a link without explanation, effective CTAs let Twitter users know exactly what steps to take next. You can also use an arrow emoji to draw more attention to your CTA.
Over to you…
The phrase "You had me at hello" isn't just for romantic movies anymore. By creating better social media bios, your target audience will be saying that famous phrase about your business. So, say "hello" and make a good first impression online.
