User interactions on social media are expected to generate $153.4 billion in revenue in 2024, emphasizing the importance of your brand’s Instagram presence in a competitive landscape.
To boost brand presence, brands should strive to make their Instagram page as discoverable as possible.
This article explores how an Instagram bio can boost brand presence, what elements your bio should include, and what other elements are important on your Instagram page.
Can my Instagram bio boost my brand presence
Yes. A well-optimized bio with a primary keyword will help your brand’s Instagram page appear in the search results of those seeking your expertise, making it easier for consumers to discover you before your competition.
Your Instagram bio is vital for building credibility, highlighting your offerings, missions, and values, and converting potential followers into followers and customers.
A successful Instagram bio for a brand should:
- Show potential customers where they can shop for your products.
- Tell potential customers how to contact your brand.
- Confirm where you are based with an address or location.
- Prompt consumers to take a desired action, like signing up for emails or viewing your online store.
- Provide consumers with social proof that builds trust and credibility.
What elements should I include in my Instagram bio
With the right mix of elements, your brand’s Instagram bio can give both current and potential customers the information they need and guide them towards interacting with your brand.
Here are the elements you should include in your Instagram bio:
Bio copy
The word count for an Instagram bio is 150 characters, and you can use letters, numbers, punctuation, and emojis. Just remember, this is your first chance to make a lasting impression on potential customers.
Here are some types of copy you can include in your Instagram bio:
- A sales pitch that highlights the benefits for customers who interact with your brand.
- A call to action (CTA) that allows them to subscribe to your mailing list, order food, view your website or landing page, and more.
- A description of what your business offers or the products and services you sell.
- Social proof, including awards you’ve won or mentions you’ve received for top players in the industry.
- The branded hashtag (#) used in your post captions, so consumers can easily browse your content and user-generated content (UGC).
- Your missions and values. For example, if you want to prove to customers that your brand uses sustainable packaging.
- Primary keywords that boost your brand’s searchability. However, avoid keyword-stuffing because you could be singled out as a spam account, pushing potential customers away.
Remember, if you have a lot to say about your business in the bio, use emojis and line breaks to make it easier to read and understand.
In this example, iHeartRaves have used emojis at the end of each short line to create a clear and engaging bio. They’ve also opted for an arrow emoji to direct profile visitors to click on their link, which is a way to boost website traffic and brand presence.
Bio link
Your bio is the best place to put your links because, unless you run paid ads, Instagram does not hyperlink URLs in post captions.
You can place a link to your website’s home page in your bio, but it’s often better to link to a mobile-friendly landing page. That way, you can prompt potential customers to take the desired action.
In this example, ColourPop Cosmetics have linked to their website, online shop, TikTok, and a current competition they’re running. This increases the chance of profile visitors completing a desired conversion. Running a social media giveaway or competition is also a great way to boost brand presence.
Remember, broken links that throw up malware warnings can deter potential customers, so regularly check all your bio links.
Location
While this element won’t matter as much for eCommerce stores, a location is essential for brick-and-mortar stores. Your location is a key component in the Instagram algorithm, putting your page in front of users who are looking for location-specific businesses.
Potential customers need to know where your brick-and-mortar store is located so they can assess whether it’s suitable for them and plan their visit.
There are many ways brands can use their Instagram bio to make their location clear, including:
- Update your contact information with an address to display it in your bio.
- Use relevant flag emojis in bio copy.
- Use city abbreviations like NYC, LON, or BER in bio copy.
- Insert a link to Maps, which consumers can open to find your location. This feature is only available for users viewing from a mobile device.
In the example below, Seven Tattoo Studio has provided their profile visitors with a clickable address which allows users to view their location via Apple or Google Maps, and get directions.
Call-to-actions (CTAs)
Your Instagram bio should prompt profile visitors to take action. You are more likely to convert visitors into customers if you place a CTA saying ‘View Shop’, ‘Book Now’ or ‘Order Food’ below your bio. However, these can only be viewed from mobile devices, not desktop.
Each CTA works with a list of approved third-party platforms such as Deliveroo, Resy, or Schedulicity.
In the below example, restaurant and takeaway Pizza Punks’ have used an ‘Order food’ CTA, which takes users directly to their menu on Deliveroo, to increase online sales.
Business category
By adding a business category to your Instagram bio, potential customers will know what your brand offers at first glance.
Instagram has over 1,000 category options – including Artist, Restaurant, Grocery Store, Health/Beauty, Product/Service, and Shopping & Retail.
In the example below, Nando’s USA clearly states they are a restaurant. Whilst most users will know about Nandos, the business category is essential for lesser known brands.
More than one category may apply to your business. However, try considering it from your target audience’s perspective and choosing the category they’re most likely looking for.
What other elements should I include on my Instagram page
Business name
Consumers who have visited your website or other social media channels may already know your business name. So, to boost your brand presence, stick with the same business name across all channels.
However, Instagram doesn’t have many restrictions on your business name, so you can use a range of special characters and emojis, giving you more room to be creative.
This said while it’s encouraged to be creative when it comes to crafting your Instagram name, ensure that it is as close as possible to your business name/URL. This makes it easier to seamlessly link out to your brand within your bio and drive traffic to your website.
Instagram username
Since your username, also known as your social media handle, is a key ranking signal for search, choose something your customers would search for when wanting your offerings.
Using your business name as your username is a good idea so potential customers can search for your brand and easily find your Instagram account. However, remember there is a 30-character limit.
If your business name is already taken or it’s longer than the character limit, consider abbreviating it or adding more information, such as your city or region. For example, @lavish_raleigh is the Instagram handle for Lavish Property Management, based in Raleigh, North Carolina.
Adding the city is an easy way to differentiate yourself from brands with similar names or offerings and stand out in consumer searches.
Remember that your username can only include letters, numbers, and punctuation, such as underscores and periods. You can change your username anytime, but doing so can often confuse your followers.
Profile photo
Your Instagram profile photo – a logo or a photo of your storefront is ideal – should help followers identify your business instantly. Here are some top tips for your profile photo:
- Upload a photo that’s at least 320 x 320 pixels to ensure it displays clearly.
- Ensure that Instagram’s circular frame doesn’t crop any critical details from your photo.
Contact details
Instagram makes it easy for potential customers to contact your business.
You can add your email address, phone number, or WhatsApp business number to your brand’s profile page. You can also enable Instagram audio calling.
Phone calls are best for time-sensitive or complex issues, texts for convenience, and emails for formal communication.
The more contact options you include, the easier it is for customers to pick the most convenient one for them, making it more likely that they will contact you.
How to monitor the success of your Instagram
Once you have optimized your Instagram bio, it is essential to monitor what is and isn’t working for your brand.
Using Keyhole’s Instagram Analytics tool, you can monitor engagement metrics which allow you to track your page views and link clicks. This will enable you to edit the CTA in your bio accordingly, if hundreds of users are visiting your page but none are taking the desired action. You can even check what posts are popular among your followers as well.
In addition, Keyhole’s Social Listening tool allows you to track what users are saying about your brand, products, and competitors. This will help you pick up keywords in your industry that are performing well, which you can then add to your bio.
Wrapping up
Getting your brand’s Instagram bio right is essential for boosting brand presence, which drives traffic and conversions. As your traffic increases, you should track user data to know how to improve further.
With Keyhole’s Instagram Analytics free trial, you can measure your influencers’ metrics, monitor hashtag campaigns, and uncover data from your Posts, Stories, and Reels in one dashboard.
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Frequently Asked Questions
1. How long should my Instagram bio be?
The word count for an Instagram bio is 150 characters, and you can use letters, numbers, punctuation, and emojis.
2. Should I place links in my Instagram bio?
Yes. In fact, your bio is the best place to put your links. This is because Instagram does not hyperlink URLs in post captions, unless you run paid ads.
3. What other elements of my Instagram page can boost brand presence?
In addition to a well-optimized Instagram bio, your business name, username, profile picture, and contact information can also improve brand presence.
4. Should I include a call-to-action (CTA) in my Instagram bio?
Yes. Your Instagram bio should prompt users to take action so try including a CTA which allows them to easily book a table at your restaurant, order food from your takeaway, or shop on your online store without leaving Instagram.
