Write a Less Boring LinkedIn About Bio: Communicating Credibility & Character

Your LinkedIn bio shouldn’t read like a job description that could belong to anyone. Write a LinkedIn About section that’s credible, human and memorable.

More so than ever, many LinkedIn bios sound like they were written by a robot. They are buzzword-heavy and full of corporate clichés. Swap the “strategic thinker”, “passionate”, and “hard worker” fluff for a bio that actually makes people want to connect with you.

Unlike your resume, which can feel more formal, your LinkedIn profile is a chance to communicate with personality while strengthening your credibility.  

In my previous blogs, I’ve talked about how to: 

• Refresh Your LinkedIn Profile Photo to Elevate Your Professional Personal Brand

• Create a More Engaging LinkedIn Banner for Your Professional Personal Brand

• Write a Better LinkedIn Profile Headline for Your Personal Brand 

• 1-Minute Wins to Elevate Your LinkedIn Profile and Professional Personal Brand (6 Tiny Tips).

Now, I want to discuss more on making your value proposition and personality pop on your profile. 

1. Sharpen Your Hook 

LinkedIn only previews the first few lines of your bio, so like all good writing, don’t bury the lead. Let visitors to your LinkedIn profile know upfront: 

• What you do: Think target search engine optimisation (SEO) words.

• How you do it:  Your in-demand skills should shine from the start.

• Who you do it for: Let your ideal audience know they have come to the right place. 

But ticking the SEO boxes and qualifying your audience isn’t enough to make an impact. As Simon Sinek says in his book Start With Why: 

“People don’t buy what you do, they buy why you do it.”

• Add a transformation state to your hook. 

From recruiters to potential contacts or an audience for your content, this lets your LinkedIn profile visitors know what’s in it for them. It shows the impact connecting with you can have. 

Here is my current bio hook:

“WELCOME. I'm Dianne, personal brand coach, consultant and speaker for executives, emerging leaders and business owners. Use personal branding to differentiate your trusted brand in the marketplace and build industry influence.”

The more you progress into your career and influence, the less you’ll need to rely on SEO. But for most everyday professionals like myself, I’d recommend finding the balance between clarity, SEO and transformation. 

P.S. For more on LinkedIn SEO, see my earlier blog, How to Search Engine Optimise Your LinkedIn Profile (8 Tips).

2. Word Games

With the hook out of the way, you can lean into a more conversational tone. Instead of writing like a resume Value Proposition, think chatting with colleagues in cafes energy. 

You can use simple copywriting techniques to make otherwise ordinary points pop on the page, for example: 

• Alliteration

• Turn of phrases

• Word play 

For example, instead of simply saying, I offer services Australia-wide, in the paragraph below, I keep the location for SEO, while adding a touch of a turn of phrase: 

“From Adelaide, South Australia, I deliver online 1:1 personal brand coaching Australia-wide. So, if you’re outside of Adelaide, my digital door is still open to you. Or, if you're within Australia, ask me about travelling to you.”

Here’s a way to convert a common phrase: 

“Strong attention to detail” can become…

“With an eye for often overlooked details….”

To avoid less generic phrases and words, see my earlier blog, 9 cliches to cut from your LinkedIn profile: from lacklustre to leader energy.

3. Create Contrast 

Simple formatting techniques can also create visual contrast in your bio to: 

• Break up text 

• Create a hierarchy across the content

• Draw the viewer’s eyes to keep reading

Use capitals, paragraph headlines, emojis or symbols to add visual contrast to your profile. 

Creating contrast is a design technique that makes key elements stand out, and it works in writing too. That’s where the real magic happens for creating contrast for your LinkedIn profile. How are you positioning yourself as a unicorn value proposition? What differentiates you from everyone else in the marketplace?

For example, in the first line of this paragraph, I distinguish myself from the common social-media-centric career histories of many others in personal branding:

“A CLASSICALLY TRAINED…

I’m not your typical social or media maverick talking personal branding. With 15 years in marketing, branding and business, I’ve led teams, brands and personal brands in entertainment, sport, retail and education.”

In a few sentences, this features differentiation, alliteration, SEO, industry experience and, importantly credibility. 

4. Creating Credible Guide Energy  

Your LinkedIn About is your career story, but remember, the real hero of the story is your audience. You play a different important role. 

Donald Miller’s Building a Story Brand, shares a timeless storytelling framework. You can learn more about this framework in my blog, How to share better stories for your personal brand and business. But a key takeaway is that you are the Guide and have two important characteristics: 

• Authority 

• Empathy

This shows your audience:

• Why they should listen to you

• How you understand their pain points

My earlier paragraph established authority - it provided the proof points. I go on later to share a personal mentor story others might relate to: 

“INSPIRED BY MORE THAN MARKETING …

With the passing of my greatest leaders, my grandma and dad, came a life-changing lesson in leadership. Legacy. Making the most of yourself to help pave the way for others. I began personal brand coaching to help empower people to make business personal and create legacies to be proud of.”

Your own bio might also share: 

• Your origin story 

• The catalyst for a career change

• A mentor story

• A career highlight

5. Creating a memorable moment 

Before I bring a more meaningful point home, I added another minor section with high value.  

Your profile doesn’t need to be dripping in wordplay and over-emphasised creativity to communicate personally; it just needs a memorable moment. For example, I say: 

“MODERN DAY MARKETER

Between all things personal brand coaching, consulting and speaking (plus, my blog, YouTube and podcast), I’m sipping green tea, devouring my business book of the week. While piano reminds me that big visions need attention to detail.”

In a couple of sentences, I contrast my traditional corporate marketing pedigree with my future-focused marketing outlook, subtly referencing my content, sharing my hobbies and a few of my favourite things. 

6. Communicate a Call to Action

There’s no use selling your value and personality without making the connection official. People need to be told what to do next. In Donald Miller’s Story Brand framework, he reminds us that you’re not just a Guide. You're a Guide with a plan who calls your audience to action.

Ask your audience to: 

• Connect on LinkedIn

• DM you 

• Connect on your other platforms

• Email you

This is the digital version of handing over your business card and saying, “Call Me”. It welcomes LinkedIn lurkers out of the shadows and into your world. 

Uniquely You

A good LinkedIn bio shouldn’t feel like a stiff corporate resume. It should feel like you, conversational, credible and with character. The people who stand out on LinkedIn usually aren’t the loudest. They’re the ones who clearly communicate their value with personality and confidence.