What a bio has to do
A reader decides in seconds whether a person is relevant to them. A bio is not a CV written as sentences. It answers four questions for a stranger: who are you, who do you help, what changes for them, and why should they believe you. Everything else is optional.
The five parts
Most strong bios contain the same five parts, in this order.
- Name and role, in a phrase a stranger understands.
- Who you help, and in what situation.
- What you do for them, stated as a result rather than an activity.
- Proof: a credential, a body of work or a role that can be named and checked.
- A human detail or a way to reach you, if the setting allows it.
Three lengths, kept together
Write all three at once, so the facts never contradict each other. As a working guide, a line is up to about 25 words, a paragraph 50 to 100 words and a page 250 to 400 words. These are our guidelines; if an organiser or platform sets a limit, follow theirs.
- One line: name, role and who you help. For profiles and introductions.
- Short paragraph: all five parts. For a website, a programme or a proposal.
- Full page: adds your path, your approach and selected work. For an about page or a press kit.
A weak bio and a stronger one
Adjectives claim; facts show. Replace each claim with something a reader could verify.
Weak: [Name] is a passionate and results-driven professional with years of experience in [field].
Stronger: [Name] advises [type of client] facing [specific situation]. The work leads to [specific result] and rests on [credential or body of work you can name].
One-line version: [Name] helps [type of client] [reach a specific result].
Third person or first person
Use the third person when someone else will read the bio aloud or publish it, such as a conference programme, a press kit or an introduction. First person works on your own about page, where the reader is already with you and the tone is personal. Keep the facts identical in both.
Mistakes to avoid
These are the ones we see most often when a bio does not work.
- Adjectives with no evidence behind them.
- Listing every job instead of the ones that support the claim.
- Leaving out who you help.
- Writing three paragraphs when a line was asked for.
- Not updating the bio after your focus changes.
How we handle bios at brand.app
A short and a long biography are part of the positioning step of every brand.app project. We write them from conversations with you, and you approve them before anything is designed or published.
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