“Biographies are but the clothes and buttons of the man. The biography of the man himself cannot be written.”
Mark Twain
At first thought, writing your biography may seem like a piece of cake. After all, you know everything about your life, do not need to research anything, and can easily describe yourself in the best light possible! Moreover, who can write your story better than yourself?
Well, it’s not that easy. A simple description of your course of life and a record of its main events may turn into a boring read if you don’t tailor it to your intended audience. Any experienced specialist at
bio writing services online will tell you that producing a biography that will stand out for the reader requires a thoroughly thought-out approach.
Why Would You Need a Bio?
A personal or professional biography is a piece of writing about a person that includes their personal information, educational and professional backgrounds, and some facts about important life milestones or experiences. The content will greatly depend on the purpose of the bio and the audience it’s intended for.
Here are some examples of why you may need a biography:
- A college application may include writing an essay about yourself.
- A job application may need a bio to balance the dry list of educational and professional accomplishments included in a resume.
- A personal or professional website with an “About” page.
- Social media accounts.
- A foreword to a book you have written.
- To support a promotional campaign in a newspaper or magazine.
- Your own full autobiography!
Whatever the purpose, your biography is your way of presenting yourself. Whether it’s the admissions committee, a hiring manager, prospective partners, readers, or clients, you can think of it as self-branding. And although you may consider hiring a writer, as we said, no one knows you better.
So, it is time to learn some valuable tips on how to write a memorable bio.
But first, take a look at our infographic to help you see the main components of a bio:
Tips for Writing a Biography
1. Consider the Purpose
First, consider its
purpose and audience. A bio for a college admissions committee would differ significantly from the one intended to attract readers to your blog. Make a list of items you must include for this audience: not just the obvious details like your name, current role, skills, attributes, and values, but more facts about yourself. And make sure they are relevant to your purpose and your audience.
2. Follow the Rules
Whatever the purpose of your biography, there will be some rules and guidelines for its writing. To start with, there may be restrictions on the word count (especially true for college or job applications.) Description tabs on social media platforms also often have word or character limits. Moreover, requirements for application letters may also offer a list of specific questions to be answered. So study the rules, requirements, and guidelines and follow them closely.
3. Advertise Yourself
A biography is a presentation of your personal brand, so you should advertise it to the audience. A good advert will show potential customers why they should care and how a product may help solve their problems. Do the same in your biography! Explain the advantages of networking and cooperating with you, how you can benefit their company and help to achieve their strategic goals. Or maybe you’ll be a valuable asset to a college. Depending on the purpose of the bio, you may add links to examples of your work and previous achievements.
4. Appeal to the Senses
A good biography writer will add some personal – and unique – details that will stick in the readers’ minds. Indeed, you can achieve an emotional connection by sharing some identifiable personal facts, and it’s a sure way to make the piece memorable. Don’t forget that most people are visual learners, meaning they perceive images and written text better. So try to draw a picture with your text. Present some unique facts about yourself and describe them in expressive ways. Using
“sticky” words will add colorful details. This will also help readers to see the real you, which will appeal to their senses even more. But don’t forget to stick to what’s relevant to your purpose and audience.
5. Adapt and Adjust
These tips will teach you how to create a compelling and readable bio. But don’t stop there: don’t say, “That’s it,” and use the same text everywhere with no adjustments. Although they tell the same story, every bio should be different because it will be adapted to the platform and purpose. It’s also a great idea to have three different variations of your biography:
• A micro bio, which could be posted on Twitter, for example.
• A short bio of about a paragraph for platforms like Facebook, LinkedIn, or Instagram.
• A long bio with additional facts that can be published on your personal or professional website or even in a book.
And remember that your life is not static! You will surely encounter new experiences and achieve new goals as you move on. So make sure you update and adjust your bio from time to time so it stays current.
6. Proofread - Thoroughly
The final tip – and one that is overlooked too often – is thorough proofreading. If your bio contains grammatical, stylistic, and punctuation errors, you cannot hope for a positive impression with employers, partners, and clients. And events and ideas expressed badly will have the same negative effect.
So, never forget to
proofread your writing several times before posting it anywhere. Invite a friend or family member to have a fresh look at what you have written and offer feedback (make sure it’s honest!) You may even ask for professional help from a biography writer online.
Wrap Up
From this article, you can see that writing a good bio isn't just a case of sitting down and running off "stream of consciousness" stuff that enters your head. It needs a steady and controlled process that isn't hard to understand, but essential to have.
So we hope these tips will help you to create an accurate and thoroughly polished piece of writing that will make a great impression on any audience.
