When someone sends me a friend request and I don’t know them personally or we haven’t been in touch for a few years, I would immediately visit their social networking profile on Facebook, Twitter, Google Plus or LinkedIn to find out more about the person sending me a friend request. People underestimate the power of the profile section on social media. Your profile section on social media is a vital marketing component especially if you are using online to market yourself.
If you are not taking your online presence seriously, if you are not taking your brand seriously then how do you expect sponsors, brand builders, customers and investors to take you seriously and invest in you?
If you are looking for clients, sponsorship, investment, partners then you need to set aside some time and work on your online presence and a good place to start is to begin sorting out the “about” section of your social networking profiles. You will need at least a short bio, a long bio and a very short bio. It is very handy to have these ready before you join any network.
Short Bio
Your short bio should be around 3 to 4 sentences long. You generally would use your short bio in social networking sites like Facebook and Twitter. There are also times when other people will need something from you, like guest bloggers and article publishers and people interested in promoting you.
Long Bio known as a Biography
This generally consists of a paragraph or two around 250 words or more. This is used on your website or when someone requests information from you, like a magazine or newspaper. If they don’t stipulate the length, I would ask if they are looking for a short bio or a biography. A good place to post your long bio is on LinkedIn and Google Plus.
Shortest Bio
The shorted bio is about a sentence long, describing yourself in a nutshell. Also known as your USP. Good for Twitter and networking.
Some suggestions of what to include in your biography?
It’s recommended that your bio should always be written in the 3rd person. Writing it as if someone else wrote it. A very good reason for this is when someone needs to use it they can. I personally think that its a bit old school with how the world has evolved and so recommend to write in the first person and from the heart or do what resonates with you. If writing in the 3rd person feels easier to you then do that. What I recommend for speakers, actors and entertainers is to have a personal and media bio and publish it online and state for media use.
How to write your bio?
The first and foremost question you should have in your mind when writing your bio is: “who is my ideal client?” If you are in a career, “who is my ideal employer?” Ask the question: “What do you want your ideal person to do after reading your bio? Then write down 3 things you want your bio to deliver in relation to communicating your most prominent skills/talents. Tailor your bio using the language your ideal person speaks.
Then you can begin to formulate your bio with what you do on a daily basis (your specialist area), highlighting skills and achievements. The aim is to give the reader an accurate sense of who you are and what you do.
Bio’s are flexible and you can include as much or as little information as possible. As we evolve and change so will our Bio’s. At the beginning of each year re visit your profiles and amend your profiles to reflect the changes. The core message will always stay the same, your brand image in terms of your personality will always be the same but maybe you’ve moved into a new direction.
My recommendation is to try and keep it short and to the point. We are already suffering from information overload. Think of your bio like an advertisement, keep it short but make it interesting.
- Your specialist area or field of expertise
- Who you work with
- High points of your career
- Publications you’ve completed
- Community projects or maybe you’ve acted in movies, or been on radio or tv
- Achievements
- Your passion, your skills, your strengths
- Tell people what it is you are looking for
- Contact information
Make it easy to read and understand. Don’t use big words or try and confuse the reader. Keep it simple.
For online profiling keep the tone conversational, take your brand and personality into account. If you are down-to-earth then write your bio in a light hearted down-to-earth manner. If you are creative, then be creative. If you are a comedian add a joke or two. Align your bio with your personality. Avoid being too formal and take the audience into account. You can be formal on LinkedIn but less formal on Facebook.
Key Social Networks to focus on
You need to focus on making sure your Google profile/Google Plus and LinkedIn profiles is up to date at all times and update your Facebook and Twitter profiles regularly as well. People love looking at what people are up to on Facebook.
Entrepreneurs, business owners and coaches your profile is a great asset that helps you to let people know what you do best so that they can tell others about you or even use your service personally.
Think about it, if you take your online presence seriously people will start to take you seriously. You are more likely to attract opportunities and if you are in entertainment, sponsors and brand builders will take you more seriously.
The market is becoming more and more saturated. How are you making it easier for your clients to find you?
Romany Thresher