Many business owners tend to dive straight into creating a business bio that resembles a sales pitch. While highlighting your products or services isn’t inherently bad, a better strategy involves an educational approach.
Most of your potential customers may look for a business bio before anything else. A well-written bio should tell them about a company’s background, not just what it does or sells. Here are other important Do’s and Don’ts for creating business bios.
Do Start With the Essentials
A concise online bio should put the most critical information at the top. It allows your target audience to skim through the details effortlessly.
For example, the Inc.com profile of Paul Esterhuizen’s School-Days in South Africa presents the information in a way that can be easily read.
The format contains the following information:
- Industry
- Leadership
- Year Founded
- Company size
- Company website
- Social media site links
By just looking at the details from this list, a person already has enough resources to know more about School-Days.
Do Back Up Your Claims
Here’s the thing: a business bio reads more like a narrative that tells the story of your company. It’s okay to mention your business accomplishments, but keep them as factual as possible.
If you want to say that your business is the best, be sure to back this claim by presenting a list of relevant awards.
Do Explain Your Business Model
If you could clearly describe your business model, your target audience would know exactly how your company makes money. The Business Development Bank of Canada recommends the Business Model Canvas as a template, especially for online retailers.
In fact, the Harvard Business Review reviewed it as the most comprehensive guide for mapping out a business model. The canvas is only a one-page chart. Even if your revenue doesn’t come from e-commerce, it can definitely help with making better business decisions.
Don’t Stretch the Truth
You might think that it’s okay to bend the truth a bit, but most people can easily see through the white lie. Don’t write a business bio in the hopes that people won’t bother to be critical of it.
Avoid putting in misleading information as well. Let’s say your company won an annual award in 2019. It shouldn’t compel you to say that the business has been the best in the industry since that year.
Do Write in the Third Person
Resist the urge to strike too casual a tone when writing a business bio. Sure, you want to seem friendly and relatable among your customers. It’s safer, though, to gain a trustworthy image.
Remember that potential customers want a credible product or service provider. Most of the time, they’re not looking for friends.
Whether they’re published on a social media platform or a company’s flagship website, bios too often fail to include critical details and they’re often poorly written and structured. Start with these tips today to craft a succinct yet impactful profile.
