Ever noticed that there are some accounts on Instagram you just HAVE to follow?

I mean, even if you’re not into cats on Roombas (who isn’t, though?), there is SOMETHING about the account’s profile that draws you in and lets you know they’re going to brighten your feed every day.

This is not an accident, my friends. And there are things you can do to create that same desire to follow and like in others!

We’ve put together some of these tips and tricks on how to make your Instagram profile more attractive below!

You know what they say about first impressions, right? This is true in life AND online. It all starts with a profile that pops. Here are eight tips on how to create the perfect Instagram profile and make sure yours is among them!

Start by making sure you have an Instagram Business account. Some of the suggestions below will not work on a personal account.

Plus, you’ll want access to analytics and maybe someday – advertising options.

All set? Here’s how to start the Instagram profile optimization process!

---

[sc name=”triforce-text-cta”]

---

Instagram Profile Optimization Idea #1
Use a Photo That’s Really You

This is the photo other Instagrammers see when you share an image, make a comment, appear in notifications, or when someone checks out your profile.

So, should you use your logo or a photo of your own irresistible mug?

It all comes down to which one is most recognizable as your brand!

Then there’s superstar Marie Forleo. She’s approachable, funny, confident. And that’s reflected in her Instagram profile photo. Get the idea?

Instagram Profile Optimization Idea #2
Pick an Identifiable Username

Our next tip on how to create the perfect Instagram profile is to be particularly mindful when choosing your username.

Your username is that one-word lowercase “handle” that serves as your Instagram URL. So, for @tailwindapp, the URL for the account would be https://instagram.com/tailwindapp.

You have up to 30 characters here (no symbols or spaces). It’s also what people will use when they mention you in a comment.

So try to make it memorable – it’s your identifier and a crucial part of the Instagram profile optimization process.

If you already have an established Instagram account and want to change your username, think long and hard about it – you’ll need to make changes to any place you’ve used that username in the past – guest blog posts, business cards, etc.

Instagram Profile Optimization Idea #3
Choose a Searchable, Meaningful Instagram Name

Your Instagram name, on the other hand is your display name on your profile.

You have a bit more flexibility here (30 characters/spaces to be precise) to work in your keywords and improve your Instagram profile.

The name on your Instagram account does not have to match your username exactly.

In fact, for most people, expanding on the username to use keywords or explain what you do makes a lot of sense. For example, “AMRAP Life | Active Wear”.

If you’d like to capitalize on search, try logging out of Instagram and search the name you’re considering using.

Do you have a chance of appearing in the results? Might people actually search for that term in Instagram? If so, go for it!

It may be the perfect opportunity to not only improve your Instagram profile but also drive more visibility to it.

Changing your Instagram name doesn’t require you to go back to fix links (as would changing your username), so while it’s not something you want to change often, if you need to optimize it to create the best Instagram profile possible, feel free.

Instagram Profile Optimization Idea #4
Write an Instagram Bio that Sizzles

A thoughtfully curated bio is crucial to creating the best Instagram profile possible.

You get 150 characters here, so make them count! Tell people what you do, who you are, and what they can expect to see from your Instagram updates. Most importantly, tell people WHY they should follow you.

If you’re one of them, ask a friend or a few – what do I do? What am I good at? What words pop into your head when you think of me?

Use those to formulate a really fun bio that gets people excited to learn more.

Don’t forget to use emojis to add a little fun, and format your bio to make it easier to read!

When it comes to the Instagram profile review process, this step is a big one and we recommend you take the time to craft the most genuine and personalized bio possible!

Still a little lost on how to write a bio that stands out? Check out our step-by-step guide on how to create the perfect Instagram bio here!

How to Format Your Instagram Bio

1. Write your bio in an online character counter tool and keep it to 150 characters or less. Use an emoji dictionary to make sure you choose universal emojis.
2. Add in line breaks where needed.
3. Copy and paste to your Instagram bio on desktop. If copying from your online character counter tool, try pasting into Notes, Notepad, Evernote, or even a Facebook status update before you paste it to your profile in Instagram.

Note: You will not see the formatting on desktop, but when you switch to your phone you will!

Instagram Profile Optimization Idea #5
Choose a Business Category

Though this may not SOUND particularly glamorous, adding a category to your business account allows you to tell viewers more about you.

Basically, (“I’m a fashion model” or “I’m a local restaurant”) without taking up any of your precious bio real estate.

You’ll need to set this information from mobile, not on desktop. Here I’ve chosen News & Media Website.

Instagram Profile Optimization Idea #6
Set Your Instagram Contact Options

Pro Tip: If you don’t want to add your actual address (if you work from home, for instance), consider adding at least your city and state.

When you do, your location will be shown in your bio. People love to know where you are – and you could easily attract the attention of people who prefer to shop local!

This step may not necessarily lump into how to make your Instagram profile interesting, but is very important to making you and your business more accessible to followers and customers!

Instagram Profile Optimization Idea #7
Make the Most of Your One Instagram Link

And guess what? We have a FREE one, and it’s the most advanced link in bio tool out there!

Smart.bio by Tailwind allows you to:

• Personalize evergreen button links at the top of your page with custom CTAs and titles
• Use your brand colors on your own unique landing page
• Schedule Instagram post links to go live in real-time when you use Auto-Schedule for business accounts!
• Analyze in-depth insights to find out where – and what – your followers are clicking on the most!

And did we mention it’s totally free? Claim your personalized Smart.bio URL below!

[cta id=’17978′]

Instagram Profile Optimization Idea #8
Create an Instagram 9-Grid that Dazzles

Ready for your own Instagram Profile Makeover? Snag our “Instagram Profile That Pops” check list, see how yours stacks up, and optimize it today!

[sc name=”instagram boilerplate”]

In Conclusion: How to Create the Perfect Instagram Profile

For such a tiny piece of online real estate, your Instagram profile is a powerful little property!

Make the most of the space you’re given by utilizing all the fields Instagram offers to business profiles.

Spend the time to make it pop with the eight tips on how to create the best Instagram profile above and you’ll make a beautiful first impression and attract all the right people! PS – Don’t forget to get your checklist!

Check out this live (and lively) discussion with me and Jeff Sieh of Manly Pinterest Tips.

 Pin me:

Your Instagram bio is important. It’s the first real detail about your brand that your profile viewers see when they visit your page. In fact, what you say in your bio (and how you say it!) is the opportunity to inspire brand love and loyalty! 

Think about it. When you first visit an Instagram profile, chances are you look at the profile picture (or logo) first. Then your eyes travel to the right to the bolded Instagram name line. Finally, you drop to the Instagram bio written just underneath that name line and the link in bio at the end. 

The information you glean from the bio in just seconds is all you need to make a snap decision about whether an Instagram brand or presence is worth a follow!

No pressure, though! You can easily optimize your Instagram bio in just six steps to make an amazing first impression, and even drive traffic from your Instagram to your website. 

Keep reading to learn how!

Step 1: Introduce Your Brand With Your Instagram Name

You know how the saying goes. What’s in a name? 

The opportunity to brand your Instagram bio even more, that’s what!

Technically, you have two names on Instagram. One is your Instagram handle, which you choose when you sign up for Instagram and have to change in your Settings. The other is your Instagram profile name!

Check out where the two appear on travel blogger Helen Sula’s Instagram page, where “heleneinbetween” is the handle:

Your profile name shows up in bold right above your Instagram bio, just like a little heading. If you wanted to, you could just put your company or brand name in this line. However, you might be missing out on a few extra opportunities to brand your profile and attract more followers if you stop there!

You have 30 available characters in this line (including emojis!), and it’s a great place to describe what you do, who you are, or what you’re all about. 

After making sure your name and company name are clear from your Instagram handle and your Profile name, you might have a little additional space to add some keywords and emojis to clue your followers into what they can expect from you and your content!

If you use this trick, try to limit your chosen keywords to three of the most impactful words you can find to describe your business or brand words or less. That way, your name isn’t too lengthy and distracting, while still getting your point across. 

You’ll also want to use vertical slashes or symbols to space out each word, such as | or // to keep your profile looking clean and organized. For example, in our image above, Helene used her full name followed by “| Travel Blogger.” That’s a great way to add just a little bit of context in a way that really stands out.

Add Hashtags and Mentions to Your Instagram Bio

We get this question a lot, so we just wanted to clear this up. You can add hashtags and mentions to your Instagram bio to create a clickable hyperlink. However, you may be wondering if hashtags in your Instagram bio actually work?

The answer is, not in the way you’re used to them working. If you include hashtags into your Instagram bio, it doesn’t mean that your profile will automatically appear in that search stream. However, if you include a hashtag in your Instagram bio, users will be able to click on that hashtags and see all of the posts using that hashtag! 

If you’ve created a hashtag specifically for your community or business, it’s a great idea to include it in your Instagram bio so your profile visitors can see it – and it’s also a great spot to collect user-generated content! 

Adding a user mention works the same way in your bio (creating a clickable hyperlink), and is a great way to introduce the face or faces behind your brand if you’re hesitant to mix business and personal content. Just link your Instagram handle and add a little clue for curious browsers!

Check out how The Blonde Abroad includes both hashtags and user mentions in her bio.

Step 2: Helping Followers Fall in Love With Your Brand Through a Clear Instagram Bio

Did we mention that your Instagram bio only allows for 150 characters total? That’s why it’s important not to waste this valuable real estate on unnecessary details. For example, there’s no need to restate your name here;  instead, focus on providing any details that you didn’t get across in your profile picture and name line!

Also, keep in mind that your bio is usually the last thing people read before making a decision to follow you OR click on the link in your bio!

To make the most out of your bio space, do the following:

• Use different words (not the same ones as in your name line) to further describe your brand focus or blog content.
• Give your followers an idea of what they can expect from you by mentioning how often you provide new content. An example would be “new posts every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday!” or, “my IGTV videos drop every Thursday at noon!”
• Clarify what your followers can expect from your Instagram content, and the content they can find at your blog or website. Be careful not to be too broad or misleading, because the last thing you want to do is promise a type of content you don’t consistently deliver. That’s a good way to lose a follower (and a potential customer) for good!

After you focus on the message you want to convey with your bio, you’ll want to format it for easy readability and understanding. After all, you have just a few seconds to grab and hold the attention you need to gain a new fan or customer! 

Keep reading for some quick tips on how to format your Instagram bio to support your brand and make conversions so much easier!

Step 3: Format Your Instagram Bio For Easy Readability

After you’ve decided on the elements you want to include in your bio, it’s time to turn that little paragraph into an easy-to-read, visually flowing masterpiece that leads into your jaw-dropping Instagram feed OR the link in your bio!

How to Format Your Instagram Bio

Nothing turns off readers faster than a thick paragraph of words with no line breaks, spaces or easy-to-follow separators. A block of words might just make your followers’ eyes (and brains!) tired before they even begin.

Not exactly the impression you want to give when you’re looking for buy-in and excitement, right?

You can avoid this by formatting your Instagram bio with line breaks or those handy slashes we mentioned earlier.

Lettering artist Dawn Nicole does this really well in her Instagram bio:

When you type your Instagram bio, make sure to remove any spaces before and after each sentence that you want to put a line break around. Then hit return. (If you’re on an Apple device, tap the number button in the lower-left corner of your keyboard to find your return button!) This will move the next sentence down to its own line. 

You can create full line breaks in between each sentence by adding emojis, slashes or periods.

In fact, you might even consider switching out some words and phrases with relevant emojis to spark some visual interest and create a refreshing reset for your viewer’s eyes! 

Step 4: Drive Traffic to Your Brand Website With a Strong Call to Action

The next element of a perfectly branded Instagram bio is an important one! It’s the next step your followers or visitors should take to learn even more about your product, blog or brand. 

Most often, this would be going to your website or another location to view more of your content. That’s why it’s so handy to include a link in your bio by adding in a relevant URL.

Speaking of URLs, did you know that you can add links to your Instagram bio? Here’s how:

How to Add a Link To Your Instagram Bio

1. Tap “Edit Profile”
2. Enter your URL in the Website section
3. Tap “Done”!

Easy, right?

This URL is usually referred to as a “link in bio” on Instagram, and you can add super-simple calls to action (CTAs) to your post captions by telling your followers to click your link in bio to learn more!

However, just because most users on Instagram recognize a link in bio, doesn’t mean that you should assume every user does. You can spell out the next steps for visitors who may not understand what to do by adding a clue to the last line in your bio.

Say something like, “tap the link below to see our products” or “click the link to read my latest post”. You can make this even more clear by adding in emojis or symbols like arrows or sirens to grab attention and eliminate any lingering confusion.

psst… want more tips on driving traffic and promoting your latest blog posts on Instagram? Check out “5 Clever Ways to Promote Your Blog Posts On Instagram!”

Step 5: Get an Ultra-Clickable Instagram Bio Link Tool  (Like Tailwind’s Smart.Bio!)

While you can put a link in your bio directly to your website URL, this isn’t always the most helpful link to use especially if you want to direct followers to a certain page or promotion. That’s why a ton of Instagram users choose a link in bio tool that acts as a landing page for multiple links, including links shared with each post!

Tailwind’s brand-new FREE Smart.bio tool does just that! In just a matter of moments, you can create a clean, branded link in your bio (it looks like smart.bio/yourusernamehere) so that your followers enjoy a branded experience from start to finish.

When choosing a link in bio tool, it’s important to choose one that doesn’t create a distracting, lengthy link in your bio. Even better, a link in bio tool that allows you to create your own custom URL can keep your Instagram bio effortlessly branded!

Tailwind has a brand-new solution. Take a peek at Smart.bio below!

With Smart.bio, you can also upload a mix of static link buttons and clickable feed images to optimize the posts, links and offers you’ll always want to send your followers to. For example, links to newsletters, email lists, and guides make for perfect static links that catch the eye at the top of your smart.bio landing page.

For daily product promotions, blog post mentions and linked posts, simply drop a link into your latest Instagram posts for the image to appear in your Smart.bio feed. And that’s not all!

When you use Smart.bio with Tailwind for Instagram, your linked feed images will update in real-time on your Smart.bio landing page – even when you auto post!

No more having to go into another app to separately add in a link and coordinate the time it goes live with the time your post does – Tailwind does it for you automatically when you schedule your Instagram post!

Plus, Smart.bio is easy to brand, which is an important element of maintaining not only a perfectly branded Instagram bio but an entire brand presence on the web! 

Step 6: Customize Your Smart.bio Link Landing Page to Reflect Your Brand

Smart.bio by Tailwind is completely brandable, which is a feature either unavailable on most link in bio tools – or only available through a paid subscription! Cool, right?

With Smart.bio, you can customize:

• Your page title, so you can brand the headline that appears next to your profile photo
• Your button colors, with any color or shade to perfectly match your brand colors
• The CTA buttons that appear under each of your Instagram feed posts so your audience knows what to do next with uniquely-you instructions
• Your static link headers, including with emojis!

Plus, Smart.bio allows you to see analytics in real time, including total visits to your landing page, total link clicks, and the click-through rate of your content!

Using this information, you’re able to figure out if your Instagram bio is clear enough to lead followers to your link in bio tool, or if you should adjust your CTAs! 

These analytics also help you determine if your buttons are interesting and engaging enough to earn clicks, or if you should change your approach to get the most traffic possible.

Smart.bio allows you to meet your brand goals when it comes to your Instagram presence, and it’s now in public beta! If you want to be one of the first users of this amazing traffic-driving tool, click the link below to reserve your spot now!

[cta id=’17857′]

Main Takeaways

Branding your Instagram bio is critical to attracting new fans and followers of your blog, product, and Instagram presence! The six essential steps to creating a perfectly branded Instagram bio are:

1. Introducing your brand with a unique and informational Instagram profile name
2. Clearly defining who you are and what you stand for in your Instagram bio to help your followers fall deeply in love with your brand
3. Formatting your entire Instagram bio for clarity and easy readability
4. Including a strong CTA to lead your followers to your brand website
5. Choosing a link in bio tool (like Smart.bio by Tailwind!) that inspires curiosity and clicks, 
6. And customizing your link in bio tool with brand colors and voice!

Pin It For Later :