Nothing is more cringe-y than writing your own bio, am I right?

Whether it’s for an online summit, podcast interview, or even your own website and funnels, it’s hard for a copywriter – someone who’s used to putting their clients in the spotlight – to do it for themselves.

I am certainly no exception. Ugh, I just sit there staring at the blank screen, waiting for inspiration to strike, hoping and praying I don’t come off sounding braggy or like I’m in love with myself.

In fact, I’ve been known to wait until the eleventh hour only to word vomit something boring out into a Google doc and send it. Ew.

Finally one day, I’d had enough. This is what you DO, Christa! Get it together! 

There had to be a better way to write bios that didn’t make me feel like I wanted to crawl in a hole and hide. What I needed … was a recipe.

Recipes and Frameworks

If you’ve followed me for any time at all, you know I dearly love a good framework or system. A set process – a recipe for success, if you will – cuts down on the time it takes to produce a copy project. But there’s another additional benefit that in this case is key.

Frameworks and recipes take emotion out of the equation. 

When you have a set process for doing something, it’s so much easier to detach yourself from the feelings you may have about the project and just write.  

Don’t like bragging about yourself? Just follow the recipe. Not sure what to say without sounding like a snore? Follow the recipe. 

That’s what I needed when it came to writing my own bio. I needed a step-by-step, no-fail framework that I could pull out any time I needed to and pound it out in less time without the emotional cringe factor. 

A good bio accurately promotes you and your accomplishments in a way that grabs the attention or the reader and compels them to learn more about you. Here are four things that must be considered every time you write a bio.

Think About the Audience

The first thing to consider when writing a bio is the same as the first thing a copywriter considers anytime they write – the target audience. 

This is an easy one to overlook. It’s tempting to think, “It’s just a bio … same old, same old information about me … does it REALLY matter who reads it?”

Yes, yes it does. You never know who will stumble across your bio after a presentation or guest interview and need the exact services you offer. Ask yourself:

• Who will be reading this?
• Why will they be reading this?
• What do I want them to know about me?

For example, the bio I write for my website for my high-ticket copywriting services will be very different from a bio I might submit as a podcast guest for a fellow online course creator. The audience is different, so the bio content must be different.

Remember The Platform

Another thing that can help you determine what to include in your bio is where it will be seen. Where the bio appears determines how it will be displayed. It can also affect the tone and style of the bio. Ask yourself:

• Will it be featured on a website, social media page, printed media? 
• How many words do they need? 
• What type of content is usually found on that platform?

Keep the Ultimate Goal in Mind

Bios serve more of a purpose than just display space – at least, they do if you write them purposefully with the end goal in mind.

The ultimate goal of a bio is more than just putting a face to a name. A good bio does more than just create a, “Oh, hey that looks like a cool guy” feeling.

A good bio pushes traffic straight back to, you guessed it – YOU. Ask yourself:

• What action do I want the audience member to take after reading my bio?
• Is everything in place to support that action?

Take me, for example. Because I’m a service provider and a sales copywriter coach with a training program, I will have different end goals depending on the audience. If the audience is full of potential high-ticket clients, I’ll want to have them visit my main website so they can check out my services. I’ll need to go make sure I have an attractive free opt-in there they can grab and that my scheduler is all hooked up and ready to take calls.

On the other hand, if the audience is full of aspiring sales copywriters, I’ll send them to a funnel with a free value-rich downloadable guide or training, which will push them to the Written Results Academy waitlist page. 

Be a Human Being

One of the most important parts of a good bio is the part where you talk about what makes you YOU. Readers love to hear about the person behind the persona, so don’t forget to mention your partner, children or pet goldfish named Freddy. It’s memorable and fun, and it reminds them that you’re just like them.

You can also feel free to throw in some info about the things you enjoy when you’re not writing. Common interests are big connectors, and anytime you can connect with an audience, you’re creating more of a know, like, and trust factor with them.

The Bio Writing Handbook 

Once I started looking at bio writing as a recipe, writing them got so much easier! All I had to do was work through the framework in order, and I could bust out a bio in short order without wanting to put a paper bag over my head. 

That’s why I created the Bio Writing Handbook. It’s a 12-page downloadable recipe for an engaging bio people actually want to read. It breaks down step-by-step how to write a bio without the cringe factor. You’ll be able to stop dreading it, unplug from the “Ugh, I hate talking about myself” and just get it done.

Want to get your hands on the Bio Writing Handbook? People love this guide – I led a workshop on it before an in-person conference before COVID-19, and every single person said it helped cut the time (and stress) WAAAAAY down. 

I’m giving away the Bio Writing Handbook now for FREE. All you have to do is go HERE to request a copy and I’ll send it straight to your inbox.