If you run an e-Commerce brand, there’s a good chance you have an Instagram account. How much time do you spend on your Instagram bio, though? You probably spend far more time crafting great-looking posts and engaging stories.
How long should E-commcerce companies spend writing their best Instagram bios?
It’s important to have an excellent bio since it’s one of the first things a user sees when they visit your Instagram profile. Often, however, it’s often an afterthought for brands that care more about their posts than their profile as a whole.
That’s a mistake. Bios aren’t user’s first impressions of your brand and set the tone of the whole account. Your brand’s bio needs to grab the user’s attention and get your core USPs across as quickly as possible.
Doing so is far from easy, however. That’s why I’ve drawn up a list of 10 of the best Instagram bios so you can see how it’s done.
10 Best Instagram Bios for E-commerce Businesses
When in doubt, I find it best to look at what’s working for the top brands in the industry. As they say, good artists copy, great artists steal.
Below, I’ve compiled some of the best ecommerce Instagram bios out there right now and highlighted what makes them so effective.
1. BarkBox
BarkBox is a monthly subscription box of dog treats and toys serving over one million dogs across the country. You knew that already, though, from their very descriptive Instagram bio.
That’s one of the reasons this bio is so good. Even if you’ve never heard of BarkBox before, you know exactly what they sell as soon as you read the first line.
That’s not the only reason I love it. BarkBox also does a great job of pointing consumers to other profiles they might like. Parent company Bark gets a shoutout, as does Super Chewer, the company’s extra tough toys. It’s topped off by a hashtag that shows users how they can get involved by posting their own content.
2. MVMT
MVMT sells premium yet affordable, American watches, sunglasses, and other accessories. They have a big Instagram following, and for a good reason. Not only do the brand’s posts look cool, but almost all of them are shoppable with the click of a button.
MVMT begins its bio with an emotive call to action that sums up what the brand stands for. Like BarkBox, MVMT uses hashtags to encourage audience engagement and point users to a sister brand. Most important of all is the call to action at the end of the bio, which tells users about their brand new watch range.
3. Pela Case
Pela Case makes the world’s first compostable phone case, along with several other accessories like sunglasses, watch straps, and AirPod cases.
Sustainability is key for this brand, and they use the globe and seedling emojis to make that point very clear. They also use emojis to highlight their CTA link as well as bullet points to give the bio a clear layout.
The succinct way that Pela sum up their USPs also makes this bio stand out. The most important facts about the brand are made clear in the first two lines. If that weren’t enough, they also update the bio regularly. In the screenshot above, for instance, they’ve got an International Women’s Day-related CTA.
4. Supply
Supply is a razor and grooming company that was featured on Shark Tank. Humor is the order of the day for Supply. Their bio lists a series of real-life reviews by well-known organizations and ends with a self-deprecating one-liner that shows the brand doesn’t take itself too seriously.
Supply doesn’t stop there, however. Their CTA also uses humor and intrigue to increase the likelihood that users click on their URL significantly. This brand knows their target audience loves this kind of humor, and they execute it perfectly.
5. Who Gives a Crap
Who Gives a Crap sells bamboo and recycled toilet paper. It also donates 50 percent of its profits to improve sanitation in the developing world.
Who Gives a Crap is another brand that uses emojis to grab user’s attention and structure their bio. In doing so, they’re able to get across a huge amount of information in a small space. You know what they do, why they do it, and the product’s USPs. You even know where they ship, too. It’s not even a struggle to read it!
6. Brooklinen
Brooklinen is a DTC brand selling luxury bedding. They put comfort and quality before everything else and that shines through in their stylish bio and account.
At first glance, Brooklinen’s bio may not look particularly special. There are no emojis, for instance, but that’s because they aren’t on brand. Instead, there is a very specific call to action, which is to visit their store in person.
This is what makes Brooklinen’s Instagram bio so good, in my opinion. While other brands focus on driving you to their online store, they show they aren’t just an ecommerce store—you can see their products in person, too.
7. Haus Laboratories
Haus Laboratories is the beauty brand from Lady Gaga and that’s not something they hide in their Instagram bio. That’s a good thing since it’s probably the brand’s biggest selling point.
Next, the brand sends a powerful and emotive message to readers, showing they aren’t just a faceless make-up brand. Finally, they use emoji to capture Lady Gaga’s tone of voice and point users in the direction of their CTA. A Gaga-reat job all around.
8. MeUndies
MeUndies sells what they claim to be the most comfortable underwear in the world. Their branding is fun, bold, and colorful, and they make a point of getting that across in their Instagram bio.
A clever pun in the first line gets the bio off to a great start and is quickly followed up by a cheeky peach emoji. The heart emoji is in an on-brand color and highlights the fact that a new design is on sale (a common feature of MeUndies). If that weren’t enough, another emoji points users in the direction of the CTA link where users can shop. Peachy.
9. The Sill
The Sill sends indoor potted plants directly to your door. Their offering is all about making your home look great and their branding reflects the elegance plants can add to your home.
Their Instagram bio drives that brand promise home in the first line. Selling “the best looking plants on the internet” is a bold claim, but it’s the kind of claim that will make users spend time browsing their posts to find out. That’s a win right there.
The Sill also uses a hashtag to let consumers browse user-generated content for added social proof and uses an emoji to break up the copy. A beautiful job all around.
10. American Giant
American Giant is an American clothing brand that aims to make better clothes right here in the U.S.A. This belief in making better quality products, with better materials, and better techniques is one of its core USPs.
No wonder their tagline is mentioned in the very first line of the bio. They reinforce that tagline with a crystal clear message about making high-quality clothing in the U.S. and back that up with an American flag emoji, in case there was any doubt.
The bio is topped off with call-to-action encouraging users to create their own content with the brand’s hashtag and a link to their store.
How to Create the Best Instagram Bio for Your Ecommerce Business
You’ve seen how the biggest brands in the industry do it; now it’s time to create your own. Here are a few tips to help you get it right.
1. Include a Call to Action
Is it a piece of marketing material if it doesn’t have a call to action? I don’t think so, and your Instagram bio definitely is one.
Instagram followers shouldn’t land on your profile and ask “now what?” Instead, give them a clear and obvious action to take. It’s even more important on Instagram because your bio is the only place in your profile where you can place an outbound link. Don’t waste it!
Calls to action for E-ommerce brands could be to visit your store, shop your profile or sign up for your email list. You don’t have to stop at one CTA, either. You could recommend users follow your sister brand’s account (like BarkBox), visit your store (Brooklinen), or get in touch with support (The Sill).
2. Incorporate a Brand Hashtag
Hashtags are a great way to encourage user-generated content (UGC). Encouraging UGC should be one of your top goals on Instagram. User posts featuring your products are great at generating buzz and providing much-needed social proof.
Adding a hashtag also gives consumers a way to quickly search your own and other users’ posts about your brand, which is great for users who aren’t familiar with who you are and what you sell.
2. Be Creative
Trust me, when you look at dozens of Instagram profiles a day, the creative ones really shine through. The more your bio stands out from the crowd, the more likely users are to stick around, view your posts, and maybe even hit follow.
It could be how you layout your profile, what you say, how you say it, or the emojis you use. While you should definitely learn lessons from the brands above, please don’t copy them completely. Forge your own path. 3.
3. Show Your Brand’s Personality
One of the best ways to be creative is to let your brand’s personality shine through in your bio. You’ve worked hard to develop your brand’s unique tone of voice, so make sure you use it when crafting your copy.
It won’t just give new users insight into the kind of brand you are, it will make regular customers feel at home.
4. Be Concise
You only have 150 characters to work within an Instagram bio, so brevity is essential. Don’t waste time explaining who you are. That’s what your name and profile image are for. The focus should be on the what and the why.
You need to explain what sets you apart from competitors and what your brand stands for if you want users to hit follow. If it’s not obvious to users, they won’t waste time trying to work you out.
6. Make It Readable
While you may not have many characters to use in your Instagram bio, you do have plenty of space to play with. Make sure you use it.
Rather than write two or three sentences in a row (however witty or concise they are), try adding line breaks or emojis into your bio to make it as easy to read as possible.
A bullet point list of short, punchy sentences is much easier to read. Don’t forget to prioritize your layout for mobile devices, either. Very few people, if any, will be looking at your Instagram page on a laptop or desktop computer.
7. Use Emojis
Emojis are a great hack to make your bio both readable and concise. They may not say one thousand words, but they can save a few dozen characters when used well.
They are also a great way to break up your copy and help users see what your brand is about.
Emojis don’t work for every brand, however, especially if you sell serious or business-orientated products. Even brands that don’t rely on humor (like American Giant) can use specific emojis in a subtle way.
8. Add Keywords
I can feel you raising your eyebrows about using keywords on Instagram, but hear me out. While your profile name and handle help people to find you, Instagram will also use what you write in your bio to determine what your page is about.
That makes it essential to have your most important keywords in there somewhere. Look at BarkBox, as an example. They have “toys, treats, and chews” in their bio for that reason. Pela Case has “compostable phone case” too.
The good news is if you create a succinct and concise bio, you’ve probably included keywords already. If not, pick the one or two that are most important and include them in your first line.
Conclusion
Instagram is probably the most valuable social media platform for E-commerce brands, but bios are regularly left as an afterthought.
Not your brand, though.
You’ve seen some of the best Instagram bios and understand what features make their bios stand apart from the rest. Now it’s time to craft your own powerful bio that captures users’ attention and directs them to your store.
Be concise, show your brand’s personality, and don’t forget to include a clear call to action.
If you need help for developing your social media strategy (and content marketing and SEO), reach out. We can help you!
What steps are you going to take to improve your Instagram bio?
