Today, social media and business are inseparable – whether we like it or not. And, Instagram (IG) has emerged as a favorite platform for those who thrive on visuals – like us artists.
Whether you want to use a platform like Instagram to help grow your business or just want to create another online presence, is entirely up to you. But hopefully, these tips can help get you off to a solid start.
We so often spend time brainstorming what content we’re going to put on our Instagram page but the spot that often gets neglected is the Bio.
However, your bio is your storefront. It’s one of the first things people see when they visit your profile for the first time. And it’s the part they’re going to focus on to understand who you are and what you do.
I’m pretty sure I’m not the only one who’s landed on someone’s Instagram page and thought, “Oh they have nice pictures! But… what the heck do they do?”
When you’re a small business, a well-crafted IG bio has the power to engage visitors to stick around. Sure, they want to enjoy your content too. But your bio can tell them exactly what to do next – like visit your portfolio, sign up for your newsletter, etc.
Your bio is actually one component of your greater Instagram “profile,” so let’s take a quick look at that first.
What Makes Up an IG Profile?
Your Instagram profile is that entire section below your profile picture that gives visitors an instant, but brief, synopsis of you and your business. Your bio is just one part of your profile, but it’s a significant one.
THE PROFILE INCLUDES:
- Your name
- Your username
- Your pronouns
- Your bio (150 characters max)
- External links
- Your gender
You don't have to include your pronoun or gender. Leaving it on or off of your profile will not affect your ranking on Instagram.
If you have a Business Instagram page you can also choose to:
- Connect a Facebook page
- Choose a page category (ie. artist)
- Add contact info
- Add an action button (though this is more applicable to restaurants and bookings)
HOW (AND WHY) TO ADD EXTERNAL LINKS TO YOUR IG PROFILE
Links are the way to open your shop doors even wider. For art licensing, these could be links to your portfolio, your website, an Etsy store, a shop that’s currently selling your licensed art, a newsletter sign-up page, etc.
As of just a couple of months ago, Instagram now allows you to have up to 5 links on your profile. Previous to this many users were turning to outside apps like Linktree to navigate around the single link limit.
This means you now have two ways to approach the Links section.
- You can add up to 5 links per the Instagram allowance
- You can continue to use apps like Linktree or Hype that supply you with a single link that then opens into a pretty display page with all of your links.
If you click on the link in my profile, you’ll see that I was able to create a personalized link with Hype that matches my website and directs you to all the places I’d love you to visit. I still love this option the best as it allows me to show more of my “vibe” plus my artwork. And the best part is – they have a free version, which I'm currently using!
To add a link or links, tap “Edit profile” → tap “Links” → tap “Add external link”. After you add a link you’ll see space opens up to add more links. You can also reorder these links by dragging and dropping them.
HOW TO EDIT YOUR IG BIO
If you’re not overly familiar with Instagram let’s just quickly go over how to physically edit your bio section.
To edit your bio, simply tap the “Edit Profile” button on the left side of your page, just below your profile image and profile. Then tap on whichever section you’d like to edit. In this case, your bio.
OKAY, LET'S EDIT: THE BIO CHALLENGE
Designing your Instagram bio can be really fun but there’s a challenge here – it’s known as the “150-word limit!” Eeeek! Which means you need more than creativity here. You need creative brevity!
So, in this short and sweet section, we ideally want to focus (succinctly) on:
YOUR BRAND STORY + A CALL TO ACTION
→ Who you are, What you do + What you’d like them to do
How you do this, is a reflection of the personality you want to convey for your business. Your bio can be super short, funny, descriptive, or inspiring. But always make sure it's crystal clear and omit anything unrelated to your business.
Here are a few things to consider:
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Be Authentic
Social media has always had the ability to be unauthentic but today most followers seek an authentic experience. Whether that’s a star being honest about their struggles or a business that just “keeps it real.”
Your Instagram bio is your introduction to new friends, associates, and collaborators. So don't be afraid to inject some personality or humor into your bio, so long as it aligns with your brand. And, by the way, artists are allowed to be funny y’all!
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Take Advantage of Your Name + Username
Your username can either be your personal name, a variation of your name, or a company name. This will be the name of your account and will appear in bold at the top of your Instagram page.
The name section should be used to describe your art or what you offer. Try not to duplicate any words between your name and username. Take advantage of what little space you have in your bio to maximize words people might be searching for on their Explore Page.
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Include Relevant Keywords
If you’re an illustrator or zoning in on the art licensing biz, use those exact keywords in your bio. If you specialize in Surface Pattern Design, include those specific keywords too. This helps you to rank higher in search engines and attract more followers.
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Use Line Breaks
As you want your bio to stand out, you don’t want it to be one long run-on paragraph. Think "less is more".
One of the common ways people do this on Instagram is by using short phrases, each on a new line. If you take a look at my page you’ll see that I use 5 short lines in my bio – each with a distinct piece of information on it.
This is also a great place to use emojis to break things up…
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Use Emojis
Emojis are a really fun way to add visual appeal, break up the text, save on characters, and even inject some humor.
Choose emojis that are relevant to your brand but remember that emojis aren’t just silly faces, there are a whole host of symbols you can use too. For example, I use simple orange diamond emojis for bullet points in my bio. This helps my text to stand out.
Where emojis can really help though is by saving you precious characters when you only have 150 to work with!
For example, you could use the paint palette emoji 🎨 rather than using the word “art” in the phrase: “Click the link to view my 🎨 portfolio.”
The number one tip here is to use emojis sparingly to avoid cluttering up your bio.
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Highlight Your Credentials
How many years have you been creating? Do you have any notable clients or fun projects that you're working on? Do you have any special themes or mediums that your prefer to work in?
Your bio is a great place to showcase your credibility and expertise in a certain area. Just remember to keep this line short and sweet.
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Include a CTA (Call To Action)
As a business (or the beginnings of a business), you should include a clear call to action in your bio.
This can be as simple as encouraging visitors to click the link in your bio to view your portfolio or website. It might be a note to subscribe to your newsletter (as with mine) or to check out your latest blog post. If you’re having an art sale on your Etsy page this week, show them exactly where to go!
Keep your CTA clear, short, and to the point. An emoji often works well here.
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Update Your Bio Regularly
You should view your bio as an ever-evolving piece of your branding. As it’s so short it’s very easy to update it often. If anything new is happening in your business, show followers exactly where to find it. Even if it’s a one-day event.
Crafting a great Insta bio does require some understanding of your personal brand – or the one you’re aspiring to create. But it’s also not rocket science. Play with it. Change it often. See what works and what doesn’t. Check out your competition – what are they doing in their bios? Most of all, have fun with it!