If someone searches you on Instagram, what are
they seeing? Today we're breaking down how to
make your Instagram bio do the heavy lifting.
So it's reflecting your brand, your personality
and the services you offer. It's a topic I'm
very excited about. I'm just teasing. I love
it. It's, it's, I think we overthink and then
we fall into that, you know, rabbit hole of go
-go and then we lose the train of thought. So
I think this is really important too. Well, why
is it important to have this and how to go about
it? And I love that it can do the work for you
shockingly if you think about it. Absolutely.
Social media can be overwhelming. And I'm always
telling people, oh, you know, you need to show
up online. You need to show up online, especially
as a service provider, because they need to see
your face. But your bio is the first thing that
somebody sees when they go to your page. So that's
the first impression. It's your handshake, whatever.
Imagine somebody walking into your studio or
spa. That is the online version of it. It's the
Instagram version of it. And I'm focusing on
Instagram because it's popular because among
Gen Z, 46 % of users use social media. as a search
engine. And I think social media has surpassed
Google as a search engine. And a lot of times...
Oh, say that again. I don't think... 46 % of
social media users or Gen Z users use Instagram
as their primary search engine. Without doing
Google, so... Yes, it is. People need to hear
that. Google fell to third place with Instagram
being in first and TikTok in second. Yeah, I'm
sticking to Instagram though for that reason
and because Instagram has such a great search
Functionality so you can really use it to your
advantage and that's what we're gonna talk about
today and I'm gonna give you like step -by -step
on what you can do and It's achievable. It's
very doable. It's not like having to redo your
whole grid or make anything look pretty or fancy
or anything like that. We are just going to focus
on that little space. It may be tiny but it matters
a lot. I like that you say that because we think
a bio is like this whole description, right?
Or maybe that's just me and my age. No, and I
think sometimes people just don't actually and
I know I was guilty of this at the beginning
too is that I just created my profile didn't
think too much about my bio and then got into
got into it right so it's just kind of going
back and focusing on the bio and the other thing
I want to talk about was We always I always get
a lot of people who talk to me about using Instagram
or other social platforms to find clients, but
a lot of ways that social platforms are being
used are to as search engines, like we said,
but when people meet you, they would probably
go search you up. I've done it before. Like when
I've gone to networking events, I would go then
look to follow people as well. But I check out
their Instagram bio or I will also Google, but
I'm old. So I'm not Gen Z. I will Google or whatever.
And when you do Google, like your Instagram bio
does come up on your Google as well. So I think
that if you think of it that way, what would
I want people to see? And what would I want people
to know about me if they were searching for me
that way? And it just had a little tiny box to
see it in. Yeah, it's a reference. It's like
a continuation of whatever it is you started
in person, but also should be quite well -rounded
to give them a good idea. And it can be done
even in that tiny little space. So shall we get
into it? Yes. Three things. Perfect. Simplify
this. So the first one is your profile picture.
You don't need to hire a professional photographer.
Just make sure you have a good quality profile
picture. Our phones do an amazing job at that.
You want to make sure that you are taking a picture
of yourself. It's not like a logo or a room or
something like that. When you're taking the picture,
just stand in front of a window. It gives you
nice natural light or go outside and try to do
like shoulder up. You don't want it to be too
close because it is that roundness, right? So
you do want to have kind of a little bit of a
distance. And you can Use it to also show your
personality a little bit, like, are you wearing
certain, like, I don't know, like, do you wear
a smock, like when you do your facials or what
if you can, you can dress up however it is that
you want. Or you're a cat lover and you're holding
your cat. Yeah, exactly. Absolutely. So I think
playing around with that, but just, it also can
just be you, whatever. And then it could be as
simple as that. And the next part is your handle.
and your name. So your handle, this should be
whatever your brand name, if you're operating
as yourself, use your name. If you're operating
as your business, you can use your business,
right? And then your name field, I know I see
a lot of people repeating like their handle into
the name field, but you don't need to do that.
You can actually then use your name field as
a way to optimize search, because that is a search.
searchable field right so you put your name and
then what you do so for example mine is my name
and then brand and content strategy that's so
when somebody goes on my page my business name
is my handle and then my name is my name and
my title or what i do right so you can do your
name facials and skincare if that's what you
do or waxing and nails. You can decide on what
you want that to be, but think of what would
somebody be searching? Maybe you do it specific,
like Edmonton facials, if you're in Edmonton.
So is that a place where you could put your location?
You could. You can also put a value statement
there. You can put natural, holistic facials,
because that is something somebody might search
as well. Silly question. so many characters that
you can put in that little box? In your name
box, there is. I don't know the character limit
on the name box specifically, but there is on
the bio. So the bio, which is the text underneath
your name is 150 characters. Okay. I have an
enormous name and I was able to put my entire
name and the brand and content strategy. But
yeah, I'm not 100 % sure. Just Google it. Or
it'll tell you when you try to enter it. So you
start entering it in there, yeah. So that includes
spaces and periods and all those. If you like
to do emojis and all those things, it all counts.
So just be aware of that. Absolutely. So I think
just for the name field, just keep in mind, don't
just put your name. Don't just put your business
name. Help people find you by putting what you
do. Because it's searchable. Seems easy. You
know another thing I think of? What came to me
just now is that, so when you have, and we've
heard this from professionals out there, that
especially when they do more than one service,
like, oh my God, I don't know what's happening.
I don't have, you know, as many lash clients
as I had before. Well, this is where you could
change it. So if they're searching, right, because
it's the search engine you're saying, so that
could be a strategy in their own marketing that
they do that for three months, just try to hone
in on lashes and then change it up. Is that a
good idea or what do you think? I think that
it's something you have to try. Like with everything,
you have to try it and see what's going to work
for you. If you are trying to put a specific
service front and center for a short time, yes,
you could do that. There's a limit on the amount
of times. I think it's, you can only change your
name twice in within 14 days. So you'd have to
wait two weeks at least to do the change, but
you can, I would just. Kind of encourage to pick
a brand like pick something that is gonna identify
you I was thinking like quarterly in my head
business wise like what I would do for a time
frame to focus on some yeah I think even quarterly
I would just encourage What is, what is it, who
are you and what is it that you want to be known
for lashes and facials, but lashes and facials,
like you really hone in on what your brand is
or what you want to be represented as. That makes
sense. But you can experiment because that's
the best part about social. Yeah, actually that's
so true, isn't it? Because you don't know what's
going to bring in a few clients and go back to
your main brand again. I don't know. That's so
true. Okay, so underneath that is your bio text
and this one is a hundred and fifty characters
So not a hundred and fifty letters. It's a hundred
and fifty characters. So that includes the space
of the periods emojis all of that So this is
where you have to get like quite concise with
your words, but I have a little formula that
will help you in this bio text you want to say
Who you help and how you help them? So by how
you help them, you need to identify the problem
you solve and how you solve it. So it's like,
I help insert whoever you help with insert problem,
which seems very abstract. So I'm going to give
you some examples. Oh, good. Because I was about
to say, can we have some examples? All right.
So the first one. I help acne prone clients build
confidence with clinical facials, peels and home
care coaching. That can be one. Maybe you want
your nail tech. I help busy moms feel polished
and put together with long lasting gel manicures.
Or maybe something like if you use like a holistic
or energy modalities, this is where I would put
that. You can say I help women feel calm and
confident through and then whatever it is you
know intentional equals or whatever it is that
you that you provide what else do i have i have
busy professionals ditch the mascara and customize
with customized lash sets that last so nice you're
telling what you do now estheticians it's a little
it's a little hard because you do a range of
services so With that one, I think you have to
kind of focus on like the, I help women feel
calm and confident through personalized treatments
instead of facials. Like you can, or with facials,
waxing and pedicures, you can list them. So it
doesn't have to be specific to just one treatment,
but you can kind of just show who you help and
how you help them. And that can be like either,
through an actual treatment or through a feeling
and a vibe that you provide? Does that make sense?
It does. I think so. And I like that you give
some some good examples of that. And then, yes,
just additions. I mean, you do so many different
services and how do you reflect on that? And
and you might want to, you know, use chat GPT
to help you out a little bit. That might be a
good way to write if you're feeling stuck with
some words. I think that's a really good idea.
And actually what you can do when you go to chat
GPT to our good old friend chat GPT is you can
say to chat GPT, I'll give you a little bit of
a prompt. You can say, I'm an esthetician. I
want to write a value statement or a bio 150
character bio for Instagram that describes my
clients, my ideal client and what I do. and how
I do it. And you can put, I am, you know, I offer
and all the services that you offer, and then
you put it in there. And you could even put your
business name and it will find you. Yeah. But
I mean, you, you want to, you want to give it
a prompt. So you want to give it a prompt on
what you want it to say or what you want it to
like hone in on. So just simple. Yeah, that's
an easy way. Give me ideas for, you know, one
liner on who I help and how I help them. And
then this is all the services I do basically.
Okay. That's 150 characters. And then after your,
let me check my Instagram here. I'm pretty sure
after your, you know, info that one line, you
can add a location. So. You have to keep that
in mind with the character count. So you add
your location. If you're a business account on
Instagram, you can actually show your address
as well. So that can be done through the settings.
And then I would also, so add location, I would
add a call to action as well. So what do you
want people to do? If you have a platform that
books services, you can say, you know, link below
to book. or whatever. If you do booking through
your, you know, texting or DMs, DM to book or
message to learn more. Put an call to action
at the end of your bio. And I do encourage you
to use a link. So if you don't have a website
specifically, or use like a third party, because
there's the apps that they do bookings and stuff.
So just putting a booking link in there is really
helpful. It makes life easier for you. Well,
they want to know how to reach you. How do I
message? How do I get a hold of you, right? One
of them wants to do, yeah. Yeah, exactly. That
makes sense. And I think play around with it,
too, right? Like, I always end up writing way
more than 150 characters, and then I have to
take out all the extra words. But use Chad GPT,
write your own, and then pop it into Chad GPT
and ask it to help you, you know, dwindle it
down to 150. There's some things I did not put
in there, which one thing is hashtags. So I have
seen people that do use hashtags in their bio,
but you don't need to use hashtags in your bio.
It doesn't help with searchability and it just
looks cluttered. And most of the times when you're
using hashtags, they're more general. They're
not very specific to you. So then you're just
sending people to just more generic content.
Well, that's what the hashtags are, right? Unless
it's your own specific to you kind of thing.
Yeah, I mean, still use hashtags in your content,
like your posts in your story. Don't put them
in your... You're wasting your characters by
adding that. Precious real estate. Another one
I have is like tagging other accounts in your
bio. Unless it is your account, do not tag another
account in your bio. Even if it's a product line
you use or whatever. You can mention it by name,
but don't tag the account because you don't want
to send people away from your own page. You want
them to stay there. If they want to know about
that brand, let them scroll and look at your
content, but do not send them away. What a good
point. I feel strongly about that. Okay, let's
recap. That'll make it easy. Okay, so you're
going to update your picture. Your picture might
be okay now, but check your picture. Use your
name field strategically. So your name and what
you do and think about what people would search
in what you do and then your bio it clearly states
who you help and how you help them and that can
be also like your values or your personality
can go in that one and Save your hashtags for
your posts and your stories. You don't need them
in your bio. Don't forget a call to action and
Links if you have them as well And your location,
yes. And this can literally take you 10 minutes.
So I'm going to challenge anyone listening to
take 10 minutes and go update your Instagram
bio, take a screenshot of your update and send
it to at beauty called Canada. And we will share
it on our stories and give you a shout out. Awesome.
That's so exciting. Can we see what it comes
out of that? Yeah, absolutely. And if this is
a topic of interest, I can break it down. further
going into like your pin posts or anything like
that. So I want to hear from our listeners and
see if you want more or have an idea or question.
Let us know as well. Perfect. Well, thanks, Doreen.
That was amazing. I think it was really simple
and to the point and there's no excuses, folks.
That's right. All right. Well, thanks for listening.
Thanks for listening to Beauty Babble.