When I discover a new brand and land on their Instagram profile, the first thing I do is read their bio.
When done right, it gives me a peek into the brand, what they stand for, and even what offers they may have going on.
Want to learn how to keep social media users on your Instagram profile once they discover you? Let's dive into what makes a good Instagram bio and see brand examples.
What should your Instagram bio include?
Every Instagram profile should have the following:
- Name – This is your business name, which will help your current and prospective customers easily find you.
- Profile picture – Having your logo as your profile picture will help with brand recall and recognition. Just be sure to be consistent across all social networks.
- Link – This could be a link to your website or a link tree leading to various pages.
- Description – This can be anything from your mission statement to your latest product feature. It tells users what your brand is about in just a few words.
- Call to action – Want to direct social media users to your products and/or services? Use the "Shop Now" CTA. You could also have a "Contact Us" CTA to direct users to your phone or email.
Beyond the essentials, an Instagram bio can also have hashtags relevant to your brand or industry. Now that you know what to include, let's see some examples from real brands.
7 Instagram Bio Ideas for Business
1. Funny
Social media is a place to engage and have fun with your audience. So, if you're struggling to come up with a bio, stop overthinking and consider going the funny route.
Take Skittles.
As a household brand, there are so many routes they could have taken for their Instagram bio. They chose to keep it lighthearted and funny, a great reflection of their brand voice.
Cards Against Humanity is another great example.
Their Instagram bio is hilarious and straightforward. It tells users what their product is and pokes fun at their target audience.
2. Mission-Focused
Want a sure-fire strategy for your Instagram bio? Share your brand's mission and/or values.
Sabai Design, a sustainable furniture brand, did just that.
When a user lands on this brand's profile, they'll know exactly what they sell and what the company stands for. In today's world, consumers want brands that champion social responsibility and are transparent about their practices.
Another thing Sabai Design does is include branded hashtags in their bio and invite users to use them when sharing their content. More on hashtags in the next section.
3. Hashtag Heavy
Hashtags help Instagram users find you more easily, so if you have the space in your bio, you definitely want to add relevant hashtags.
Lifestyle brand Diarra Blu included multiple hashtags in its bio, such as #BlackOwned, #Conscious, and #SizeInclusive -- telling users a lot in just a few words.
So, in addition to improving discoverability, using hashtags also helps brands tell their story in a quick and succinct way.
4. Tagline or Slogan
Adding your tagline or slogan can be incredibly effective in attracting your target audience.
Take Fe Noel.
Their tagline reads, "Women's collection designed...for the leading woman."
Any user who identifies with that will be interested in learning more about the brand. And that's exactly the effect you want an Instagram bio to have.
Another example of this comes from home goods brand, Black Like I Never Left. 
In their bio, they explain what their brand is about and include relevant hashtags.
5. Emoji Heavy
Are you using social media right if you don't include emojis?
Many brands run away from emojis because they believe it hurts their brand's credibility. However, when used appropriately, it's an eye-catching tool that can help you attract users.
There are two routes you can take with emojis in your bio.
You can use several emojis to highlight multiple things, or you can limit your use to one emoji that relates to your brand.
For instance, The Jungalow, a home decor brand, uses multiple emojis to emphasize its copy. It stands out without being distracting.
Sharlene Robertson Designs takes the uniform look by using the same emoji throughout its bio and using the pin emoji to designate its location.
Both methods are effective, it's just a matter of finding what works for your brand.
6. Offer Focused
Another great way to utilize your Instagram bio is by highlighting ongoing product offers.
Say you have a big sale going on or it's the holiday season and you know consumers are looking for deals. Well, you can use your bio to share those offers and lead users to your website.
Hair brand Luvme Hair effectively uses the bio section to direct users to its sales, even using emojis to draw attention to their link tree.
This works great during the holiday season when promotions and deals are top of mind.
7. Call to Action
Social media is a major discovery point for most brands and many users find brands through hashtags.
As such, brands like Lulu and Georgia, use their Instagram bios to use their hashtags to invite users to engage.
This not only invites users to explore the brand's hashtag but it's also a great way for Lulu and Georgia to collect user-generated content that they can reshare on their page. A win-win!
Short Instagram Bio Ideas
Your Instagram bio doesn't need to be long.
In fact, in some cases, it's best to keep it short and sweet. Here are examples of brands that did this well.
1. NPR
Media organization NPR tells you everything you need to know about its platform in less than 10 words. It gives the page a clean look and remains consistent across all social platforms, which helps with brand recognition..
2. Malenki Shoes
This brand, which offers stylish shoes for petite women, gets straight to the point and tells users who its target audience is, what it offers, and where it's located.
It tells a compelling story while including information that will promote easy discoverability.
3. Mangishi Doll
Here's another great example of a short, but effective Instagram bio. When you read this bio, you know what the brand is about and what they offer.
At the end of the day, if your bio doesn't do either of these, that's when you're in trouble and should reassess. Otherwise, longer isn't always better.
What The Best Instagram Bio Ideas Have in Common
In this article, we've covered a wide range of Instagram bio ideas. So how do you choose one for your brand?
Well, as long as it meets these criteria, you are set:
- It tells a story.
- It reflects your brand voice.
- It complements other elements on your page.
There isn't a single right way to write your Instagram bio. You can try a combination of these tactics and or stick to one method and find great success with both.
In addition, don't be afraid to switch up your strategy during different times of the year, based on your marketing goals.
