A great bio serves as a flash point of connection. It makes people want to meet you, work with you, and maybe even climb aboard your mission to the moon. Whether you want to spice up your LinkedIn profile, add a bio to your website, or share your story in a nutshell - there’s an art to writing a professional bio. I should know. Since I started my content writing business in 2016, I’ve written well over 200 professional bios for clients of all stripes. From artists to accountants, to entire non-profit boards, I’ve honed the skill of telling your story in a powerful 300 word punch. Here’s my step-by-step guide for how to write a killer professional bio.
1. Start with a brainstorm
To begin your bio, start with a quick brainstorm. Jot down as much as you can using the five categories below. Don’t worry about being fancy or even using complete sentences.
Current position
Additional (relevant) work experience
Education
Community involvement
Personal information/interests
2. go deeper
Now that you’ve got your facts down, it’s time to go deeper. We need more than just surface information. We need emotional content. Don’t worry about what you will end up including in the bio or not. Just write down everything that comes to mind.
Values and core beliefs - what is really important to you? These are the things that (hopefully) inform the direction of our life and our work. For some people it’s family. For others its authenticity, integrity, or creativity. Here’s a list of values to help you. Zero in on one or two which really have meaning for you. The more you list, the less genuine they sound. Now ask yourself: how does it relate to my work?
Skills and strengths - do you have any special skills? Can you speak Greek? Have you mastered the art of teleportation? (Hey, a girl can dream.) What would people who know you well say your main character strength is? Are you compassionate and people oriented? Are you a master of efficiency and organization that can rival a robot? Do you have a knack for leadership? A snarky sense of humor that cracks people up?
Purpose/mission or “why” - in the famous words of Simon Sinek, “People don’t buy what you do, they buy WHY you do it.” Your why is bigger than the product you sell or the service you provide. It’s inspired by your values and your life story.
For me, my “why” as a writer is all about connection. I connect with people by writing their stories, and those stories help them connect with their people in turn. I believe connection is the secret sauce of the universe. From connection, understanding, possibility, and inspiration are born. I crave connection because I lived many years of my life feeling horribly disconnected and alone. Hey, I told you’d we’d be going deep!
3. Sort through your information
Now that you have all this information on yourself, it’s time to sort through and pick out the good stuff. It’s like packing for a trip to Europe. You could bring all this stuff…but it’s going to suck and everyone is going to be mad at you. The key to writing a great bio - and anything really - is packing light!
Ask yourself, what feels the most important and relevant to include, based on my intended audience? Which brings us to the next step: identifying your audience. As a content writer, I always write with the reader in mind.
4. Identify your audience
Who are your people? Who do you want to connect with? Write down who they are. Be as specific as you can. Ask yourself, what do I want them to know about me? Now stand in their shoes. What might they want to know about you? What information would help to build connection, credibility, and trust?
5. Build your bio
Now it’s time to put your bio together! If you’re not big on writing, there’s a simple way to do this. Try this bio formula:
Opening statement or question that hooks the reader
What you do
Why you do it/what makes you unique
Educational background
Community involvement and/or professional organizations
Personal information/interests
Here’s an example bio using the formula:
Hi, I’m Emily.
I believe in the incredible power of words.
When used creatively and effectively, words enable us to share our stories - the most valuable thing we have as human beings. When you use the power of words to share your story with another person, you open up an opportunity for connection.
As a writer, I’m essentially a connector of people, a catalyst for relationships! This is what I love about my work. My specialty as a writer is understanding you and your business on a deep level, and tuning into your voice so that what I write for you feels authentic and true. This is the heart of what makes me different from other content writers - my ability to connect, listen, and intuitively understand your voice.
I founded my content writing business in 2016 when I saw a need for quality, creative, connection-inspiring writing online. I continue to hone my writing craft with ongoing education and through facilitating a writing workshop - The Word Power Writer’s Workshop - which I founded in March 2020. I have a B.A. from Temple University in Environmental Studies and Creative Writing.
When I’m not writing, you can find me bodysurfing at Magic Sands beach, training Brazillian Jiu-Jitsu, or playing with some clay at the Donkey Mill Art Center. I live with my cat and creative muse Malu in Kailua-Kona, Hawaii.
6. Some additional pointers
Consider point of view (POV). Traditionally, a professional bio is written in the third person POV. However, more and more bios (particularly on websites) are using the more informal first person (like I did in my sample bio).
For example:
Third person: “Emily has a B.A. from Temple University in Environmental Studies and Creative Writing”.
First person: “I have a B.A. from Temple University in Environmental Studies and Creative Writing.”
Consider verb tense. I try to write as much as possible in the present tense, which I feel makes the story come alive for the reader. However, this doesn’t always work. As a general rule, try to make the tenses uniform. If you’re going to use past tense, write the whole bio in past tense. If you’re going to use the present tense, write the whole bio in the present tense.
7. Get Creative
I like to break the rules. The fun thing about writing for websites and social media is that there aren’t really any rules. You can experiment and try new things. Instead of writing your bio in the traditional way, you can get creative. You can make it more like a conversation with the reader than a monologue about yourself.
Here’s an example of a bio I wrote for a client to use on his LinkedIn profile. Note the conversational tone and unconventional style:
Being a business owner is like ‘building a plane while flying’.
“Where are we going? Oh shit, is that a mountain range up ahead? Do we have a wrench that fits this size bolt? We’re running out of fuel…” As a service-based SMB, it can be a real challenge to focus on the big picture, when you’re busy with the daily grind of helping your clients.
I’ve been there. In 2002, when I started my entrepreneurship journey in digital marketing, there were times when I didn’t know how I was going to finance my next grocery run, let alone what my agency might be worth in 10 years.
Multiple businesses, investments, two continents, and nearly two decades in entrepreneurship later, I’ve gained some solid experience on what it takes to own and operate a successful SMB, and what it takes to sell it.
Yikes, did that four letter word scare you?
I get it. As strange as it sounds, business can be extremely personal. It’s hard to let go of a business you’ve invested so much time and energy into. You want to know it’s going to be in trustworthy, capable hands. But hear me out - investment is the key word. You deserve to cash in on all your hard work and sell that proverbial ‘plane’. To build your business in a way that you have the option to sell - one day - means more FREEDOM and FLEXIBILITY in your life.
And who doesn’t want more of that?
I’m here to help and share my experience. As an investor that’s stood in your shoes, I bring a unique set of tools to the table, as well as a TON of respect for how hard you work. Do you need support in growing your business, but don’t want to spend tens of thousands of dollars for someone to tell you how to do it? Are you open to the possibility of selling your business, or entering a strategic partnership? Are you looking for an investor that brings valuable resources, beyond just $$$ to the relationship?
Connect with me and let’s talk.
8. Edit
Read your bio out loud to check for errors. Running it by a trusted friend or colleague who has a good grip on the English language can be helpful too. Grammarly is another great resource for common spelling and grammar mistakes.
More Bio Examples
Here’s a few more examples of bios I’ve written for clients HERE, HERE and HERE.
Still need help?
I write professional bios! All you need to do is show up for a phone or Zoom interview (30 mins - 1 hr.) and I’ll do the rest. You’ll have a chance to edit and review the rough draft. Then bam! Your bio is ready to post to your website or social media profile.
Did you take a crack at writing your bio, but need some feedback? I offer editing services too.