You have 150 characters to tell people why they should follow you on Instagram. Or as I like to say, join your community. The formula I use to create an Instagram-worthy bio doesn’t just apply to Instagram. You can insert these concepts wherever you like, including on your website, Twitter, LinkedIn, Pinterest or TikTok.
For 12 years, I have built my business as a food stylist, online course creator and podcaster on Instagram. It’s a place that can require a lot of care and attention, but it pays off because it can build real life connections with your community. A good Instagram bio can also lead to friendships, collaborations and paid partnerships.
Make the most of your space by using these 5 tips for an Instagram-worthy bio:
1. Include your name.
It seems obvious, but if your IG handle is not your name, tell people your name somewhere in the bio. Remember that your handle is searchable. This can be absolute gold! If you don’t use your name, having a handle that stands out makes a huge difference. I was @chefcarla_c for over 10 years. I recently shifted to @itscarlacontreras to include more content such as my podcast, online courses and an upcoming book.
2. Know how your ideal community finds you.
Treat the bio like a website. That space is searchable. So think about what your ideal clients and community look for. For me, the terms they search for are: Chef. Food Stylist. IIN (Institute for Integrative Nutrition) Coach. Many of the people who search for any of those words become clients.
3. Tell me why I should follow you.
What do you offer? If you’re in business, how can I work with you? Examples are: Sharing recipes from… Writing about… I teach… I work with clients to …. This tells me what kind of content I can expect, why I should connect and helps readers get to know you and your work.
4. Include a call to action.
At the end of your bio, include a call to action. Examples are: Listen to my podcast, read my blog or work with me. This is a clear call for people to do something that goes beyond just interacting with your profile.
5. Link to your website.
Add a direct link to your website as opposed to adding a page with links, such as Linktree. Doing so assures that everyone lands on your website. Since I added the direct link, my email subscribers are up 300%. Create a freebie that people get in exchange for sharing their email address. You want to create a relationship that goes beyond Instagram.
An Instagram-worthy bio is just the starting point to creating a relationship with your Instagram community. A strong bio guides the content on your feed and also your stories. It also provides a connection point to your website and work beyond Instagram. Remember that you don’t own your Instagram followers, but you do own your email list.
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Carla Contreras is a trained chef and content creator. She teaches food and wellness entrepreneurs about content creation and how to build their audience online. She is also the host of the podcast Show Up Fully. Find Carla, her online courses and all social links at carlacontreras.com.
(Photo courtesy of Gabrielle Henderson on Unsplash. )
Thank you for sharing… great tips!
I really liked how you called out the 150 character limit and keeping it clear on what you actually offer, like sharing recipes or teaching classes. Treating the bio like a searchable page makes sense since folks usually decide within seconds if they want to stick around. If you ever want to double-check how your setup reads on mobile or desktop, running a quick check on face-rating.net might help spot any tweaks before you spend hours rewriting it.
These tips are helpful but I think the initial issues (for some Insta users) originate from how they determine who belong to their desired community.