Writing a short bio for a business publication differs very little from writing a bio for any other business purpose. The requirements of the publication will determine how long the bio should be. In many cases, your goal will be somewhere from one to two paragraphs or three to six sentences. That’s not much space, so knowing how to prioritize information is vital.
Gather useful bio information.
Obviously, your name is essential information. Beyond that the information you include is dependent upon who your target audience is. What will they want to know? That’s most important, and we’ll get to it in a moment.
How to gather information
Ask yourself the five Ws and H. This is the first step to gathering the information you need to write a short bio.
- Who am I?
- What have I done?
- When I have done it?
- Where have I done it?
- Why have I done it? H
- How have I done it?
Now ask yourself the same five Ws and H from a different perspective.
- Who do others say I am?
- What do others say I have done?
- When would others say I have accomplished these things?
- Where would others say I have done my best work?
- Why would others feel the way they do about my accomplishments?
- How would others say I have done what I have done?
These answers guide you toward what is the most important information to others. Use them as your first filter for which answers from the first set of questions could be included and which information is better avoided.
Know who your target audience is.
Once you have gathered your information, it’s time to determine who you are advertising yourself to. You may feel uncomfortable with the idea that your bio is an advertisement, yet you must accept the reality that a bio is just that. It is a marketing tool.
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Stay industry specific.
When a bio is for a business publication, it will be most effective if it’s tied to the industry of the publication. For example, a restaurant magazine’s readers will show more interest in what you have to say if your bio ties in with their business concerns. Consider linking your bio to a specific niche within the industry, even if you serve other industries as well.
Pare the bio down.
Everyone’s first draft is too long! It’s doesn’t help that there’s no way to set a clear-cut rule as to what you should include and what you should avoid.
When you are writing a short bio, deciding what is important information and what is not important enough to include is your biggest challenge. Here are the primary rules I use to trim a bio into effectiveness.This content is for members only.
Summary
Take the time to carefully craft your words so you send the message you want to deliver. You want to look professional and capable. Careful writing will help your business bio reflect your value proposition.
