I think I should start at the beginning with this whole Instagram thing. A very good place to start. When you read, you begin with… Ok, getting a bit carried away here. This is not the Sound of Music blog ?
Anyhow… If you just want your friends and family to see your Instagram feed, your bio can say and look like whatever. But if you want the public to see AND follow you, you need to give the public and idea what it is you have to offer. Especially if you’re new. This is like a job interview or speed dating. Those first few seconds matter.
Are you a doll crafter? Are you a home decor shop? Or are you a flat lay floral and stationary feed? Where are you located or where will you be? What is your cause if any? Or what other important details do you want others to know?
Instagram gives you a small space, above all your little squares, to tell others a bit about yourself and your feed. If you are a business or somebody who wants to grow their IG feed, this is one important and easy place to focus your mind on.
There are a few limitations: Your name cannot be more than 30 characters, your bio cannot be more than 150 characters and the keyboard “return” for a line break is not an option. The text limitations make sense, the keyboard confuse me still, but it’s ok, we can work with this!
Instagram is a visual platform. Due to this, while the usage of emojis and special characters are not required, these little symbols can help simplify a few words and also enhance the aesthetics of your bio.
Use my profile as an example. All text on the first screen capture and a bit of emoji goodness on the second.
Can we agree that the second bio is visually better than the first?
How can you create this you say? Give the little video below a play and find out!
Easy right? I have no idea why IG removed the keyboard return option but it’s the way it is.
Below I want to share two of my Instagram friends’ bio and feed. The first is Shea (@conversationwithmysister). She used special characters to enhance her bio. You can clearly see what her feed is all about, where she’s located, her website and more.
The second is Ellie’s (@dy_ellie). Hers is a business account thus the “Contact” button. A quick look at her bio and you get the idea that she loves to travel and tell stories via her photos that were taken using an iPhone. She also created a hashtag that she’d love everybody to use when in Cambridge.
The last is mine. Mine evolved from being detailed about what I photograph (I think one time I had emojis of kids, map, flowers, house, coffee, car, bicycle and unicorn) to something a bit more simple. I just want folks to know my name, what I use to photograph (because people kept asking), more less where I am located and that I am an American living in the UK. The later I added in hopes that people will know that I photograph and tell stories about the UK from an American’s point of view.
I hope you find this little bit of information useful. The bio isn’t much but it is an important tool to help the Instagram community get a better idea of who you are.
How humbled and proud am I (all at once) to see the CWMS Insta up on your site Savitri. Thank you so much for your support. ?
You have a fab feed!!! ?