Write a less boring bio. 10 tips to leave a memorable impression for your personal brand.
Transform your bio into a personal brand moment they’ll actually remember — magnetic and unmistakably you.
Don’t write a bio that your reader quickly clicks off from or swiftly skims past. Make a memorable impression with a magnetic and market-ready personal brand bio.
1. Have a magnetic hook
Have you ever paid attention to the first line of a well-written book? It’s usually the boldest. Clever authors open every new chapter with this technique. It's designed to stand out. To draw you in.
You likely already know your hook highlights your value upfront. But think outside the box. Get creative. For example, the first sentence of my opening hook tells my audience what I’m not. It serves multiple purposes. It’s designed to differentiate my personal brand, while also telling them up front if I’m not for them. It’s the unexpected opposite of selling.
You don’t have to be as brazen in your hook, but find your own way to say something bolder than the usual bland openings. More than a hook, it helps you market like a magnet: repelling the audience you don’t want and attracting those you do. Those who resonate with your story. Which requires you to…
2. Know your narrative
Humans crave storytelling. It’s been hardwired into our brains for tens of thousands of years. The science shows that facts are 20 times more likely to be remembered when they are shared as part of a story. Whether it’s for your LinkedIn profile or your personal brand website, see your bio as a story.
When I initially ask clients about their professional story, I capture this word-for-word as much as possible. It can be polished to perfection later. But, it’s usually in the unfiltered moment that the personality of their personal brand shines most.
What’s your story arc? Don’t simply state your experience and what qualifies you for your field. Connect the narrative. If you need help doing this…
3. Follow a storytelling structure
Spoiler: Even your About Me isn’t all about you. It’s about your audience.
If you want to craft an even more compelling personal brand bio, follow a simple storytelling structure. One that speaks to the problem your audience is trying to solve, and positions you as a go-to Guide.
My favourite storytelling structure is Donald Miller’s Story Brand framework which he shares in Building a Story Brand. It’s a 7-part storytelling strategy for your brand:
• A character (your audience is the hero)
• Has a problem
• They meet a guide (you). With 1) Empathy and 2) Authority
• Who gives them a plan
• And calls them to action
• That helps avoid failure
• And ends in success (what’s the transformation your reader can expect by being connected with you)
These elements, in particular, deserve an honourable mention…
4. Infuse Empathy and Authority
If you struggle to articulate every element of the framework, make sure you have at the very least highlighted these in your bio:
Empathy: Show your audience you understand their problem, feelings or experiences. Be relatable on a human level. This isn’t about manipulating your audience. It’s usually about adding your personal connection back into the story. Your personal understanding and experience of the problem adds to your authority.
Authority: What else qualifies you to be their guide? Be specific about what gives your personal brand credibility.
This is like mixing storytelling with facts, as we discussed earlier. They are more memorable when they work together.
Your authority is not simply your current title either. In as few words as possible, aggregate your career to give your audience more context. To set the scene.
At this point, it’s more important to understand your goals and key points before you even start writing anything. Because you want to…
5. Write for the space
I recently read a book about the art of floristry. It surprised me to hear the expert florist say to start with the vase. Because the vase dictates the design. Though I should have known this. After years of overseeing graphic design in my marketing roles, and to this day, writing for particular spaces, I understand the importance of considering the ‘container’ for your idea.
Writing for the space is about much more than writing for a word count. Especially if you’re writing a bio for your personal brand website. This is you styling your writing to perfectly suit the design. You’re creating visual interest. Like varying paragraph sizes or ensuring there’s no lonely single words on one line (called ‘orphans’ in writing). This careful curation of words automatically makes your ideas more compelling, because you have to….
6. Ensure every word earns its place
In the book Writing for Busy Readers, Todd Rogers and Jessica Laksy-Fink highlight the ruthless editing style of Nancy Gibbs, former Editor-in-Chief of Time magazine. Gibbs would advise her writers that every word has to earn its place in a sentence. And every sentence has to earn its place in a paragraph. And every idea has to earn its place in the text.
Cut every word or idea from your bio that doesn’t add value. If you feel like you’ve edited the life out of your bio, don’t worry, because you’re going to also…
7. Edit your tone
By now, you’ve likely made your point. But have you made it compelling? Have you infused your signature style? The tone of voice communicates your personal brand for you.
Where more interesting alternatives exist, swap out beige words for more engaging alternatives. This doesn’t mean more complicated. It means more interesting and more aligned with the personal brand you want to project. The tiny detail makes all the difference in…
8. Making your messages sing
I’ve shared more about making your messages sing in an earlier blog. But here are some highlights:
Use alliteration: Words that start with similar sounds are exciting to our ears.
Create contrast: Like in visual design, contrast makes key elements pop.
Think in threes: Humans are wired to look for patterns. Ideas organised in threes appeal to our preference for patterns.
Create a rhythm: Like music, add thoughtful repetition that makes your messages sing.
9. Package your profile
Headlines are a chef’s kiss of your personal brand bio. It breaks up texts and draws attention to key ideas. The headlines connect a narrative. Be creative. My headlines connect to each other to create more visual interest and encourage my viewer to keep reading.
Add a headline to your profile overall, too. Hint, it doesn’t need to be ‘About Me’. For example, mine is currently ‘On a personal note,’ a subtle nod to my personal brand theme. Speaking of subtle nods, go back to your bio draft and…
10. Create memorable moments
You won’t just find me with a ‘tea’, you’ll find me with ‘green tea’. After hours, this doesn’t just switch to a ‘wine’ or a ‘red’, it’s ‘Shiraz’, more specifically a ‘South Australian Shiraz’. And for my nationwide clients, this ties in with my hometown, known for its wine culture.
Green tea and Shiraz were subtle nuances I noticed others remember about me. It was a part of my personal brand long before I proactively embraced it. As is reading, playing the piano and watching Denver Nuggets in the NBA. Add personality to your profile by sharing more of the person behind the personal brand.
You don’t have to include all your interests and hobbies. I don’t. Only include what’s most relevant. What adds to your tone, positioning or the picture you’re creating of your personal brand? Like a character in a story, it provides context. It sets the scene for a more human-to-human connection. You never know what tiny detail someone might resonate with to decide you are their people.
Make your bio more memorable and attract your people to you.
Bonus Tip: Add a visual hook
It may not be about writing, but where possible anchor your bio to a personal photo. This will make it feel more like you’re talking directly to your reader. Like you’re right there with them. For added elevation, don’t default to just your usual profile photo. Pick a picture that shows you in action. That adds to the credibility you’ve conveyed in your bio. While your bio is telling, your image is selling. Extra points if you can find a picture that feels like you’re connecting directly with your reader without having to be the standard headshot.
Don’t write a bio that bores your audience. Write a magnetic bio that connects your personal brand to your people.
