11 Ways to Strengthen Your IG Bio
SAMPLE Pro Platform post. Hello! Thanks for checking out my blog. This post is a sample from my subscription Pro Platform. I share 1-3 similar posts per week there for our members and the content is based on their suggestions and questions about what is happening behind the scenes at Little Farmhouse Flowers. We cover all kinds of topics related to running farmer-florist operations. You can learn more here. I think you’ll love it!
I also have a FREE public webinar coming up this week on Wednesday August 9th at noon ET about web and social media marketing. I hope you can join me. You can register to receive the zoom link here.
Hi! I’m back with some marketing tips this week. There are some simple ways to encourage customers to trust you and your company. One of my best suggestions to flower farmers, farmer-florists, and just small businesses generally is to look to the people and accounts that you admire.
Analyze their accounts for inspiration. This post is just about Instagram bios, but I recommend applying the same ideas to an analysis of the content you are sharing. If you are looking to reach a broader audience (grow your Instagram following) it never hurts to take some cues from people who have already grown their Instagram following.
Here are 11 ways that you can improve your Instagram bio. It’s that small space on Instagram where you introduce your brand/company and try to tell your customers what you do and how they can engage with your products/services. The changes you make there are small, but mighty!
Make your account a BUSINESS account. If you haven’t already done this, take the leap. Business accounts have more options and controls. You gain access to Shopping, Ads, and Insights.
Make sure you have a simple Instagram handle. Instagrams handles are searchable, so you want your name to match your business. It should be your business name if possible.
Use a portrait photo of you as your profile image. Should your business have a logo? Absolutely. Are you Nike, Coca-Cola, or AT&T with a recognizable and memorable brand identity in the world? Probably not. My recommendation for small businesses is to lean into your human-ness. Local buyers want to know that their seller is a trustworthy person.
Share your name. When looking to buy from a small business customers are more likely to make a purchase when they feel like they know who they’re buying from. Who will be accountable for taking their money and providing the promised goods? Your customer isn’t able to purchase from your without sharing their name, why do some sellers work so hard to hide behind their brands. Sharing your name also helps customers feel more comfortable reaching out to ask a question if they have a hesitation about buying.
Add your preferred pronouns. Just one more way to help people communicate with you.
Tell people what you do. Are you in the business of selling flowers? Say that and tell people how you sell them and where, etc. You’re not making a long term commitment here. You can always change your bio whenever you like.
Share your location. Are you a small business looking for local sales? PLEASE mention where you are in your IG profile. You don’t have to share a specific address -even just adding your town and state can be helpful.
If you have hours, share your hours in your profile, too
Share a direct link to your website. Or a linktree or linkin.bio or similar to multiple pages on your website. If you don’t have a website yet I encourage you to get one, ASAP. Check out our new Website Starter Course! And if you’re not ready for that, provide a means for customers to order like your phone number or Facebook page with a shop linked.
Add a means for people to communicate with you easily. Add a link to email and/or call you directly.
Consider Meta Verification. Blue check verification in Instagram is no longer something you can necessarily earn through notability. To add the service, purchase it for $15 a month. Verification requires the submission of some documentation and you must use a clear profile photo of YOU (another reason to use a portrait as your profile image). Along with the feeling of legitimacy that the blue check may inspire in your prospective customers and audience online, you are also provided with services to protect your Instagram account from hacking.
What do you think about these Instagram bio tips? I hope they are helpful. How can you learn best practices for things like this? I follow a very simple bit of tip: “Never seek advice from someone who hasn’t already done what you hope to do.” Erin Benzakein shared that with me and It’s advice that has guided my business from the start and helped me turn off suggestions from people who’d like to tell me “what I should do.” This is also why I think it is so dangerous to seek advice from unknown people in social media groups.
When I look for inspiration and tips, I look to some of my favorite Instagram accounts in our industry. What are those account holders doing? What type of image are they using in their bios? How are their bios formatted?
Speaking of bios! —Coming soon to the Pro Platform is some information and a template that you can edit for improving your email signature and helping customers trust you and your brand even more.
Then, if you’d like to learn more about social media marketing and website best practices, join me next week. On Wednesday, August 9 at noon ET, I’ll be offering a free public webinar. I’ll send you access to it. No need to register separately. I’ll be sure to share a recording of the program back to the Pro Platform for you.
UPCOMING:
After this Wednesday’s marketing program, I’ll next be live for our monthly Instagram Live session about Integrated Pest Management on @littlefarmhouseflowerspro on Wednesday, August 16 at noon ET. This is a Pro Platform membership benefit.
Phew! There' is a lot going on this month. As always, take what you need and remember that everything that I share with you is banked in the Pro Library for members. There’s no hurry or rush or need to watch everything all at once!
Best,
