Initially, I felt excited about writing this post.
Even if you don’t need a short bio right now, writing one is a great exercise. You learn how to say more with fewer words. You learn how to position yourself and how to make a big impression from the get go.
But last week, when I started preparing this post, I made a big mistake.
I looked for inspiration on Twitter.
I scrolled through hundreds of Twitter bios, and I almost gave up on this post because most Twitter bios are utterly dull. And they say almost nothing, like this:
If you try to explain a lot about yourself in a few words, you end up saying nothing. No personality. No big impression. No sense of connection. You sound the same as everyone else.
So, I decided to look for inspiration elsewhere. How do fiction writers introduce their characters in a few words?
4 examples of saying a lot with a few words
I skimmed through the books I’ve read recently to look for powerful descriptions of people.
For instance, here’s how William Kent Krueger typifies an FBI agent in “Boundary Waters:”
How powerful is that comparison to a pit bull! In only 11 words, Krueger gives us a picture of an aggressive guy who’s persistent, too.
It made me wonder, if I were a dog, what dog would I be?
Here’s a longer example by the same author, from “Iron Lake:”
Why is this description powerful? Because the author focuses on one aspect of the person and he gives specific examples. The description is visual, so we can picture this guy sparking fires, tying knots and shooting arrows.
The description may be a little long, but you can cut it easily by 50% and still make a strong first impression.
Here’s a shorter character description from “Force of Nature” by Jane Harper:
Three specific details (jogging, yoga, deep-conditioning her hair) help us visualize Breanne, and we can imagine how she glows even in the unflattering office light.
And here’s one last example, from “The Keeper of Lost Things” by Ruth Hogan:
Again, three specific details express a lot: Prozac, Pinot Grigio, and pretending things weren’t happening. The words even alliterate for extra flair.
When you focus on one character trait or skill, you make a strong first impression and you invite readers to learn more. In contrast, if you try to say too much too quickly, a description of a person falls flat and nobody gets a feel of who they really are.
Choose what to tell in your professional bio
Of course, the fiction examples above are different—you wouldn’t write about Prozac in a professional bio.
But the principles of what makes a good bio remain the same. Choose what to tell and, even more importantly, what to leave out. You can’t cram your whole resume into one sentence. You have to be ruthless.
Twitter bios, for instance, are so short, you can only communicate one or two things. That’s it.
The Twitter bio of Unbounce’s Twitter bio explains what their software can do for you plus invites you to try it for free:
Casa Collective’s bio is similar:
If you Tweet as a person rather than a company, I like bios that show personality, like this one from Haemin Sunim:
Or this bio from John Espirian:
Or this bio from Kitty Kilian is one of my favorites (the original is in Dutch, I’ve translated it):
A Twitter bio is super short, and you can only make a strong impression if you choose carefully what to write.
The 3-step professional bio
If you have three sentences, for instance for an author bio, then you can say a little more. But be careful, the same rule applies as with the one-sentence Twitter bio. Keep it short to make a strong first impression.
For a three-sentence bio, consider these three objectives:
- Tell readers who you are and what you do
- Reveal a glimpse of your personality
- Encourage readers to find out more
For instance, my author bio is:
In three sentences, I explain what I do (writing), what I’m passionate about (stamping out gobbledygook), and I invite you to join my course so you can learn how to write more persuasively.
Jessica Blanchard’s bio follows a similar pattern:
And Ry Schwartz’ bio:
Ry’s call to action isn’t very strong, but “More reclusive than J D Salinger on a rainy day” is a superb way to sketch a personality in a few words.
How to write a short professional bio
Want to make a big impression with only a few words?
Communicate less instead of more:
- Start with answering the question “What do you do for your clients?” or even better, finish this sentence suggestion from Mark Schaefer: “Only I …”
- Think about an adjective describing you well; Ry Schwartz uses “reclusive,” John Espirian uses “relentlessly helpful” and I use “irreverent” to present a quick glimpse of who we are
- Consider a metaphor to communicate more with fewer words, such as the “pit bull” or “delicate as a hand grenade”
- If you have space, have a clear call to action
In short, communicate what makes you different, and tell clients what you can do for them.
Because a professional bio is not only about you.
It’s about your clients, too.
Books mentioned in this post:
- The Keeper of Lost Things
by Ruth Hogan (highly recommended)
- Force of Nature
by Jane Harper (highly recommended, her other book The Dry
is even better)
- Boundary Waters and Iron Lake
, both from the Cork O’Connor Mystery Series by William Kent Krueger (recommended)
by Ruth Hogan (highly recommended)
by Jane Harper (highly recommended, her other book 
is even better)
, both from the Cork O’Connor Mystery Series by William Kent Krueger (recommended)Recommended reading on writing about yourself:
How to write a sparkling About page
How to write about yourself
How to share personal stories (even if you’re shy)
I love the way you gave perspective from books you read. Very relative and helpful. You keep giving me hope. Thanks.
Thank you, Andrea. Happy writing!
Thank you! You helped me make mince-meat out of a project I always dread – writing about myself. I did a quick search for “how-to write a short bio” and found my favorite writing coach.
Wow. So, great when Google delivers exactly what you need 🙂
And thank you also for your lovely compliment, Amy.
Yet another comment, after reading close to a couple of your blogs.
l was asked for a CV today.
Definitely l had to make a search. These days whether its something about writing or not, l first input the search topic with Enchanting marketing.
Sometimes , l don’t really get anything but when l do like today, l get so thrilled like a 5 yr old with a favourite toy.
Let me stop gaping at your writing talent and get on with this CV. Thank you & Cheers Henneke.
Thank you so much for your lovely comment, Emily. I’m happy to read that Enchanting Marketing has become your #1 source for writing advice. Good luck with your CV!
I just landed a new job and it asked or a bio. Google search presented me this page. What an inspiration… I am awestruck with all the wisdom in such a simple article, yet as mentioned in several of the conversations below, writing something in a couple of sentences is far from easy. I admire your patience in responding to every individual comments. I have to get to work in crafting something, which is creative and succinct.
I’d say clarity is more important for a bio than being creative. Being creative is a bonus but not a requirement. Have fun!
Thanks so kindly, Henneke. This is quite helpful.
How does this sound? …a necessity entrepreneur, an avid supporter of women entrepreneurs, helping small business owners fall in love with their business.
I don’t know what a necessity entrepreneur is. But maybe your potential clients know what it means? That’s more important than that I understand it.
Also, it’s unclear whether you help women entrepreneurs or all small business owners. Better to focus on one option instead of risking confusion.
If you are guest posting, and the host allows for a much larger word count, do you include more information about yourself? Or do you include more about your results? Or maybe 50/50?
Or do you keep with the short version and resist the temptation to change it any?
I’ve revisited all mine and realize how many I’ve written, each one different. I did not even notice until now, so thanks for that!
Also, I totally missed this post when it first came out and I love the tulips! 🙂
I’m glad you enjoyed the tulips!
The bio I used for guest posts is the one I’ve quoted above—it’s relatively short: Henneke Duistermaat is an irreverent writer on a mission to stamp out gobbledygook. Get your free 16-Part Snackable Writing Course for Busy People and learn how to enchant your readers and win more business.
Even if the host allowed a longer word count, I haven’t made the bio longer because I was always afraid people might lose interest. Also, they’ve already read a whole blog post so I’ve already built up some credibility with the advice shared in the blog post. But this is not something I’ve tested. It’s mainly based on gut feeling.
Thanks!
I think you’re right!
Am still kind of confused but am sure I will get the hang of it.
And thanks a lot.
What are you confused about?
Wow! I stumbled upon this article and you have successfully provided the unique kind of ideas I was looking for : )
Thank you Henneke
Great 🙂 That makes me happy. Have fun writing your bio!
Oh my goodness! marvellous bio! Thanks.
Thank you so much, Henneke.
Thank you, Abhinav. Happy writing!
You play a dangerous game when you automatically assume the author who used the pit bull reference intended to self describe as aggressive. Pit bulls are smart, loyal, and most of all affectionate. People like you spread bullshit and add fuel to the stereotype of pit bulls being aggressive. I highly suggest you educate yourself before making a blanket statement about an entire breed of animal. Do better.
The example you refer to is from the book Boundary Waters, a thriller, in which the author describes one of the characters as a pit bull. He’s an FBI agent who comes as aggressive in the remainder of the book—a fighter.
Hey, Henneke
Really amazing content. You’re right a bio define a person and about their profession. So, it’s really important to write an awesome bio.
I will surely use your tips to write a bio of my social media accounts.
Cheers
Marketer ExtraOrdinaire, like a stick of dynamite, I blow up old ways of doing things, bringing fresh ideas. The pink bunny can’t keep up with me.
Indeed, First impression last. Making an impressive bio needs to convey both professional status and personality in just one or two sentences which creates a great impact to the clients. I sometimes say or write too much and with no idea where I was going or how to make the points I wanted to make. It felt like I was writing in circles, as a result, I was saying nothing. Now I know what to do. Great tips, Henneke.
I sometimes write in circles, too, as I don’t always know exactly what I want to say. The writing (even when it seems to lack purpose at first) somehow brings clarity.
Thank you for stopping by to leave a comment, Rebecca 🙂
Thank you so much, Henneke.
🙂
My pleasure 🙂
I like this. Always playing around with my Short bio for social platforms. What do you think of my twitter bio? @davidgcant Could be improved? Give it your best shot..
A risk savvy health and safety consultant extraordinaire. Cuts through the red tape (with a safety blade of course).
I like it! I’d be tempted to shorten it a little: A health and safety consultant who cuts through the red tape (with a safety blade of course).
(To me the phrase “risk savvy” doesn’t add a lot as it feels kind of obvious that a health and safety consultant would be risk savvy; that’s what the job is about.)
That reads much better. I was thinking of replacing risk savvy with refreshingly practical. What do you think? Or is that too much?
The idea of cutting through the red tape already indicates that you’re a practical person rather than a rigid you-must-follow-the-health-and-safety-bible type of person. So, I’d say adding “refreshingly practical” doesn’t really add anything new as you’re already telling me you’re practical—you understand client’s objections to health and safety, plus you have a sense of humor.
Succinct and thereby excellent, Henneke. Have to say that I’ve read words of many copywriters down through the years – some good, some not so, even if near-legendary.
In my view your writing surpasses most. Please keep it up because I’ve learned more from your posts than I have from anyone else’s. Thanks.
Thank you for your lovely compliment, Paul. I appreciate it! 🙂
Helpful post, as always, but I really just wanted to say I love that drawing of Henrietta with the tulips, on a grey cold day like this it warms the brain. Not that I can complain about the greyness, NSW where I live is 100% in drought. I hope the clouds are not just teasing. Best wishes.
Thank you for your lovely compliment on my drawing, Susan. That means a lot to me! I hope the rain will soon ease the drought.
Hi Henneke,
Thank you for a great article. I remember when I first came across your website (last year, I think), I was impressed with your bio and made a note to myself to use that as inspiration for mine. Of course that mental note was long forgotten! This time I’ve already made a first attempt for my social media profiles. I’ve been a longtime lurker, this is my first comment and is well overdue. Thank you, I can hands down say I learn and apply something useful from each of your articles.
That is a lovely compliment. Thank you so much, Sonna.
My own default position is also as a lurker. I appreciate you stepped out of the shadows to leave a comment. Have fun with writing your bio! 🙂
Insightful and incisive
Love the bonus recommended reading 😉
Thank you, Hendel. I started adding the bonus reading recommendations recently as I was asked so often 😉
Henneke: Few weeks back, I came across your blog and book.. I not only like the content and but also the presentation style… I really enjoyed reading this article and response to the many comments. I drafted by first short Bio.. could you please review.
Chandra is a Meditation teacher who conducts group meditation sessions in-person and on-line. Her Smile and her energy is contagious. Her mission is to encourage many human beings e discover their SacredSpace with in them through powerful meditations. To know more about her journey visiti https://cvelpula.wixsite.com/mysite/blog/journey-of-discover-sacredspace-within-you
I’m glad you enjoyed this blog post, Chandra.
Great start on your bio! You may want to consider tightening it a little as you use the phrase “meditation” three times which is usually a sign that you can make it more concise. Also, what is the ultimate aim of your clients? Do they want to discover their SacredSpace or is their a deeper purpose? This depends on who you’re targeting.
Henneke, this was very helpful. I always have trouble writing shorter than longer. Thanks.
I find it hard, too. And it takes more time than writing longer!
Thank you for stopping by, Anita. It’s always good to see you 🙂
Now this is powerful stuff Henneke and thanks to Lisa for sharing.
My bio is not more than 2 sentences but this post just gives me a lot of meat.
I hope you are having a great week
I’m glad you found it useful, Enstine! Thank you for stopping by.
Hi Henneke – I hadn’t thought about writing my bio until I read your article. I’ll certainly follow your excellent advice when the time comes.
All the best from sunny Sydney
I hope you’ll have fun writing your bio, Paul!
Still cloudy here 🙂
Ooh! Henneke, I love this post. And who is Henrietta’s new friend? (or did I miss a post?) I love these smart, smooth, silky, bio’s and would love to add my own. I dream♡ This is my first attempt. Your comments would be sooooo valued. Thanks for all your gorgeous posts Henneke.
Like Columbo shelling his morning egg Joan reveals you to yourself; then helps you delete what no longer serves you and install what does. Joan is an NLP Master Practitioner and Professional Coach working with coaches and service professionals. …… this would be followed with a short CTA
Henrietta’s puppy is called Arthur. He’s been around for ages, but often I’m too lazy to draw him! 🙂
You can probably take one step further with your bio, by defining the real benefit of what you do. You can find the real benefit by finishing the sentence: she helps you delete what no longer serves you and install what does, so ….. What is it your clients really want to achieve?
Thanks, Henneke, that helps. I did add that initially but thought it made it too long – I wrote – “so that you can make a difference and make money as you grow your Lifestyle-Biz.”
I’ll keep playing with it. Now I’m thinking the Columbo piece sounds a bit ‘cheesy’.
I’m not sure the Columbo reference adds a lot. I do like the phrase “reveal you to yourself.” I also like “make money as you grow your Lifestyle-Biz” as it’s a true benefit and it’s also specific to your audience. “Making a difference” is a little abstract. So, I’d be tempted to leave that out, or to make it more specific (but that might make it even longer).
Terrific, just leave that Columbo piece out. I’ll play with the rest of it. Thanks for the extra input Henneke. ♡
The short takes are never easy. How to sum up Hetty in 3 sentenceso ha!
So…. Easy going until taken for granted. Lover of stationery, determined to be a success in business.
Express your thoughts in our Ankara Fabric Covered Notebooks
Great start on your bio, Hetty. It makes me wonder what’s special about your notebooks and why are you passionate about them?
Brilliant and enchanting as usual! Thanks for confirming how difficult it can be to engagingly summarize one’s life in two sentences. I get to put a short bio on most of the articles I write for magazines and I am so disappointed in the various versions I have come up with over the years. Now I see why, I conveniently left out my real personality. Shoot.
Don’t beat yourself up over it, Thea. Most people leave their personality out of their bios. It IS a tough challenge.
Thank you for your lovely comment. I appreciate it! 🙂
To be honest, I skimmed your initial email the first time and, because my day is the usual crazy, didn’t click through initially. But I’m so glad I made the time to do it now. This was an absolutely genius post—and the examples were outstanding! I’ve added a note to do some brainstorming on my bio next week. As always, thank you for the inspiration and the easily digestible and actionable advice!
You know, it really humbles me when you make time on a crazy busy day to not only read my post but also leave a comment. You’re a star. Thank you 🙂
Thank you for the valuable insights.
Thank you, Mohsin. Was there anything in particular you found valuable?
Hi Henneke:
For me the fight to find the perfect bio is unending…seems like I’m forever tweaking. Also, in my constant state of evolving (or is it experimenting?) I’ve taken to changing my bio for different places I publish! Oh Henneke, why can’t I just do one perfect one like you and it’s everywhere!!! Geez.
P.S. But, don’t forget you need to add “illustrator” to yours!!!
Bi Oh My!! Take care, Sue-Ann
I don’t have one perfect bio either. I don’t think the perfect bio exist. Unless you’re Andy Murray whose Twitter bio simply says: “I play tennis.” How brilliant is that? Unfortunately, that doesn’t work for mere mortals like you and me.
And you see … you already mention “illustrator,” but somehow it didn’t feel right. Also, I have a different bio on Instagram because I mainly share my drawings there. My Insta bio is: I play with words and colored pencils.
Perfection doesn’t exist. Experimentation is what life is about, isn’t it?
Ha ha! I always laugh at Murray’s twitter bio as it’s so deceptively simple yet at the same time understated. I like how he doesn’t feel the need to list out all his achievements. By the way, I missed my flight home from NYC in 2012 to see him win the US Open, which was amazing.
Anyway, back on topic, trying to do a short About section for my new “personal branding photography” landing page. Trying to work in something like my “hobbit-like stature and tenacity”, along with being eco-friendly and helping businesses save time by creating images for their online content. It’s still a work in progress.
Murray’s bio is brilliant. I love how understated it is. And lucky you for seeing him play (and win!) live!
I like “hobbit-like tenacity” 🙂
Thanks, Henneke. I’m honoured to get a mention here – much appreciated!
I hate it when all those letters, spaces and punctuation marks don’t amount to anything meaningful.
It was rather demotivating to read through all those Twitter bios!
Thank you for stopping by, John.
Great post and I loved the examples you gave.
I find writing bios very hard. I have this instinct to look at what others in my field are writing and try to find something that would work for me. It’s insane! I know it’s wrong, I know it’s useless and yet, I’m attracted to it.
What’s with the copycatting? I have a strong identity, I know what I want and who I am. Why does it all go to smoke when writing things like bios on social media?
I’m going to get to work in a dark room with no phones or internet and write away. Well, scratch the dark room part. You know what I mean. 😀
I think most of us look at what others in our niche are doing, and there’s nothing wrong with trying to learn from others. I’ve found it’s often easier to look outside our own niche for inspiration.
And out of all the different writing tasks, writing a bio is probably one of the most difficult. Play for a while, then let it simmer for a while, and then play a little more. Have fun!
Thank you for stopping by, Elfin!
You’re inspired me! Awesome post – and glad you said it took weeks to come up with your bio. These examples make it look easy.
Writing so often looks easy, but we don’t see how much effort has gone into it. For me, the biggest challenge was to decide what I wanted to say. I was just starting out and I hadn’t figured out my positioning yet.
Thank you for stopping by, Cathy. I appreciate it 🙂
Great advice Henneke! I took notes and will check out some of your examples!
Yay! Happy bio writing, Kim 🙂
Hi Henneke,
Thank you for this post. It came just in time as I am currently trying to re-do my website about page and social profiles.
Here’s what I came up with after reading your post. What do you think? Storytelling is my superpower, so I thought to highlight that. So how’s this for a try:
Enamored with writing. I spin engaging stories about your brand so your clients don’t have to shop elsewhere. Just call me your Fairy Wordmother.
I’m glad this post came at the right time, Zika 🙂
Using a positive is often stronger rather than a negative. So, for instance, instead of “so your clients don’t have to shop elsewhere,” you could have: “so your clients fall in love with your brand.”
Thank you so so much, Henneke.
I read your post not for my own bio actually but because I need help writing one and two sentence introductions for 40 – 50 historical puzzle pages. And it works for that! Where yesterday I was plodding through it like an elephant in quick sand this morning I’m inspired to have more fun with my project. Especially love the suggestion to use metaphors. That would make a whole blog on its own. Maybe you already have?
Yay! I’m so glad you feel inspired, Patty 🙂
I wrote about metaphors here and here. But I could probably write another one 🙂
Brilliant and not boring bios. That draw you in.
Excellent article Henneke.
Thank you, Ray. I appreciate your comment 🙂
I’ve rewritten my Twitter bio using this post as inspiration! It originally said;
#Blogger & #copywriter for #software & #tech (esp #IoT). Loves #design, productivity & mindfulness. Newcastle upon Tyne. Ravenclaw. INTP. Chocoholic.
I was clearly so very guilty of trying to say as much as possible in a short space of time. Now it says this;
Chocoholic copywriter LJ enjoys making tech sound fun, not scary. She’s also as subtle as a sledgehammer and wants to help startups build brilliant blogs. Start here; http://eepurl.com/cS8g99
My dad is the one who describes me as being as subtle as a sledgehammer 😉
I love the changes you’ve made! 🙂
I wonder whether you can connect “subtle as a sledgehammer” somehow to building blogs. Something like: Subtle as a sledgehammer, she helps startups build blogs that rip through online noise. Maybe not quite, but it’d be great if you could show the advantage of being like a sledgehammer 🙂
What do you think?
One of your best Henneke!
I’ve long felt the same about “elevator speeches” — the reason they don’t work is we try to jam too much information into what should be a single thought-provoking nugget.
Yep, I agree with you. The idea of elevator speeches makes me roll my eyes. But that’s silly because a good elevator speech is fab. As you say, you need just one thought-provoking nugget, something to connect with your audience.
Great tips and examples Henneke!! It’s awesome to see examples that are different from the norm. Love the visuals.
You’ve inspired me to improve my byline. What do you reckon?
Cynthia is a copywriter powered by chai lattes, rockclimbing, and remedial massages. She’s on a mission to draw out personable, reputable, small health and fitness businesses from the shadows. Grab her free guide on how to sound intelligent by writing in plain English.
I like it. You can probably still improve the second sentence a little more. Try to find a stronger phrase than “draw out from the shadows”—something that sounds more positive, and reduce the number of adjectives as “personable, reputable, small health and fitness businesses” is quite a mouthful.
I love the idea of a free guide on sounding more intelligent 🙂
Thanks for the feedback. I find it tough to keep it simple sometimes! 🙂
How about this version?
Cynthia is a copywriter powered by chai lattes, rockclimbing, and remedial massages. She’s on a mission to help small health and fitness businesses connect with clients through writing that sticks in their reader’s minds. Grab her free guide on how to sound intelligent by writing in plain English.
Yes, I like it. If you like, you can consider making your mission more specific to your audience. For instance: help small health and fitness businesses inspire their clients to lead a more healthy lifestyle.
I like it! And Henneke’s suggestions.
Hi Henneke,
Another great of your posts here. The goal of every writer is to have their target audience read through to the last word. That said, it is genius to be artistic if a writer has to stand out of the crowd. This is where you have touched best ~ Use of a BIO ~ and a captivating bio for that matter. Most of the time readers will look at the bio of an author before they could dedicate their time to read the author’s article. You nailed it as always. I always read your articles to enrich my knowledge
Keep doing what you do BEST 🙂
Tony C
Thank you for your lovely comment, Tony. A dash of creativity can definitely make a bio more captivating.
‘More reclusive than J D Salinger on a rainy day,’ >> yes! Jealous of that.
And thanks for including me 😉 Interesting that the second sentence translates from 6 words in Dutch to 11 in English – usually it’s the other way round.
Yes, I found it also weird that I ended up with more words. I somehow couldn’t make it shorter and it doesn’t feel as good as the Dutch version (probably because that one is shorter).
I love “delicate as a hand grenade,” too! 🙂
Henneke, I love this one: “Because a professional bio is not only about you. It’s about your clients, too.”
We have to think more like our own client to help us create a catchy bio that will work and answer “what’s in it for me?”
Thanks for the info and the great examples here Henneke. I’ll be playing around with mine in the coming days.
“Playing around” is a good phrase for writing a bio!
I can’t remember how long I played around with mine, but it was weeks rather than days (and writing this post makes me wonder whether I have to revisit my Twitter bio again!).
Happy playing, Lisa, and thank you for stopping by.
Oh yes, I try to update my Twitter bio every month or so. Things change, you know?
You are most welcome. Love your mugs by the way as I’ve seen them via Sue-Ann.