How to Write Your Bios

Your bio is a summary of who you are, and what you do. As a holistic practitioner, your bio will appear in all sorts of places, from your social media profiles to directories and on your Google Business Profile, your website, and other marketing materials.

Your bio is often your first impression, whether on social media, a directory, or your website. A strong, clear one can be the difference between someone scrolling past or getting in touch.

It’s important to have a consistent bio that people will easily recognise as you. The easiest way to do this is to have templates ready to copy and paste as and when you need them. You can always tweak them to suit the platform, but having a strong foundation makes it quicker and easier.

When crafted thoughtfully, your bio can even help people find you via Google or search directories – especially when it includes relevant keywords naturally.

If you have a marketing message already, this will help you craft your bio – if not, this article will help you create yours.

Start by creating two bios: a short one for social media platforms, and a longer version for your other marketing materials.

Short Bio

Your profiles on social media need to be short and to the point, as you’ll have a limited number of characters depending on the platform.

This version uses your marketing message as the basis of your bio with a few tweaks:

• Your title/approach
• The people you help
• The problem you solve
• The results you help them achieve

Try this simple structure to get started:

[Your title/approach] helping [type of person] with [problem] so they can [desired result].”

For example:

• Homeopath, helping anxious children to feel calm and confident.
• Osteopath, helping achy and stiff office workers to regain comfort and flexibility.
• Baby Sleep Coach, helping new mums get their baby to sleep through the night.

Depending on the platform, you can then add in a few words, bullet points, or emojis to personalise your bio and add in keywords that people search for. These could be around your offers, your approach, or even your personal life (if appropriate).

Be mindful of character limits on each platform, for example:

• LinkedIn headlines - 220 characters
• Instagram - 150 characters
• TikTok - 80 characters
• X (Twitter) - 160 characters

Common Mistakes to Avoid

Avoid these common short bio mistakes:

• Using jargon or overly formal language
• Cramming in too much detail
• Focusing only on your qualifications or approach rather than on how you help
• Writing in third person instead of first person

Longer Bio

For these bios, you have more space to elaborate on what you do. You have the opportunity to let people have more information about you, your experience, and how you understand their issues and can help them. These are ideal for use in leaflets or presentations and other applications where people need to understand more of your story.

You need to include the following elements:

• Your short bio
• Your experience
• Your story
• Your approach and the results your clients achieve

• The next steps someone can take to connect with you

For example:

I’m an Osteopath with 6 years of experience in helping achy and stiff office workers to regain comfort and flexibility.

After spending a decade sitting at a desk for hours, I felt old before my years. I hurt every time I moved and started to realise I wasn’t able to do the things I used to. A visit to my Osteopath quickly identified the issue and after a short course of treatment and some practical lifestyle changes, I was feeling better than ever and inspired to train as an Osteopath myself.

I understand how miserable and limiting it is for my patients, struggling to get moving after being sat for periods of time. I combine my skills as an Osteopath with providing the practical advice and support required to get them living their life to the full. I believe with the right healthcare and support, it’s possible to feel both young at heart, and in body.

Connect with me on social media @xxxxxxx

If you’re wondering whether your story is interesting or relevant – I hear you. But your personal story will help to build trust and connection. It’s part of what makes you unique and memorable.

Use Your Bio Everywhere

Once you’ve written your bio, don’t just use it once! Repurpose it for your website, social media captions, email signature, podcast guest intros, online directories, and even presentations.

Review Your Bios

Writing your bio isn’t a job you do once and never look at it again. They need to evolve as you and your business do, so they will need to be reviewed and tweaked regularly.

Set a reminder to review your bios every quarter or when you launch something new. Keeping them up to date means they’ll always be current and reflect your best work.

Your bio is an important element of your marketing and is the first thing someone sees about you - a good one will help them decide that you’re the right practitioner to help them.

Feeling overwhelmed with your marketing? Let’s turn the chaos into calm together. I’ll help you clarify your best next steps and explore the right support for you. Book a call today and take the first step towards marketing that feels authentic, simple, and effective.