10 tips for writing a stand out Instagram bio for your fashion brand
Your Instagram bio for your fashion brand is the backbone of your Instagram account and it’s absolutely essential to invest some time and thought into nailing it. Think of it as your digital business card. You only have a few seconds to grab your visitors attention, so you need to make a great first impression to turn them into followers.
Your Instagram bio is your digital business card
As you only have 150 characters to play with you need to make them count. Core to your bio is ensuring you understand your brands goals, who your community is, and what strategies you need to have in order to grow and make the most of this brilliant business opportunity. But more of that later. Let’s get the basics done first!
Let’s write your Instagram bio
You now know how important an Instagram bio for your fashion brand is, so let’s get onto writing it! Here are my top tips for getting your business get noticed with a killer bio!
1. Instagram Name
2. Your USP
3. Linking to your website or shop
4. Perfecting your profile picture
5. Include your email
6. Keep it simple with a list
7. Have fun with emojis
8. Hashtags
9. Tag partner accounts
10. Utilise Instagram story highlights
1. Instagram Name
This is different from your Instagram handle. I am talking about the ‘name’ field and not your username. For example my username is @MrsMLMode on Instagram but my name is MARIE-LOUISE.
You have 30 characters to play with. If your Instagram handle is the name of your business you can use the name to explain more about your business or like I have done, put my name in there.
There has been a recent update to Instagram with the direct messaging. Now when you direct message someone your name comes up rather than your Instagram handle which can be confusing if you only have a description of your business in your name.
2. Your USP
Explain what your fashion business is and what you offer in your bio with your business’ key words. These will help your audience understand better who you are and what you do. If you are struggling, consider the pain points and interests of your ideal followers and use words that will help you resonate with them. This is important. Ask yourself, what are you offering your community and why should they follow you?
A good way of searching relevant key words are hashtags as they give you lots of options. For example, if you are a sustainable fashion brand, then key words such as eco, upcycled, and slow fashion will resonate.
Don’t forget the personality of your brand. Always remember social media gives you an opportunity to bring your brand to life. Show your spirit to connect with your community. Are there any quirky passions, campaigns or hobbies you want to highlight?
Crumpet Cashmere is a great example of showcasing USPs. It has ethical, soft, Nepal, and British brand in its bio. You instantly understand what this brand specialises in and its core values.
3. Link to your website
Instagram gives you one live link off the grid, and this is in the bio. Use this link wisely. It can be direct to your business’ website, or you can use it for marketing opportunities such as gathering emails from a competition or a free download. If you have a number of links you’d like to promote use Linktr.ee where you can put all the links under one umbrella.
My top tip is using the hand-pointing emojis to direct visitors to your links. Always be very clear what you want people to do. Use the latter part of your bio for your call to action directing customers to your most important business page.
4. Choose the perfect photo for your Instagram profile picture
You need to nail this! Your Instagram profile is your flag. Make sure you make a great first impression as this picture will be seen across the gram. It is a powerful calling card. While logos might be an obvious choice, research shows that using a real face will make a stronger impact. Consider using a campaign image or a model shot which really epitomises your brand. Bright and bold will always grab attention.
I love the way @sikadesigns has used a model wearing one of their pieces as their profile picture. It’s strong and memorable.
5. Include your email
Make it easy for your community to contact you by including your email in your bio. Keep it simple for your community to get in touch and ensure you have a team member ready to respond. Every connection counts. Your community will also direct message you through the grid and stories. It’s important to respond to everyone and point them in the right direction. This can be time consuming, so put strong systems in place and train your team in key messages and your brand’s tone of voice.
Swimwear designer Alexandra Miro has made great use of all the opportunities here. You can see who is stocking her brand, it’s easy to get in touch, and I like the way she has used the folders to show all the influencers wearing her outfits.
6. Use lists in your bio
Always remember you have about three seconds to make an impression through your Instagram bio for your fashion brand. Using line breaks to list out the key information is the most effective way to get your point across. It makes the scanning process easier and I always add in relevant emojis which act as bullet points and add to the tone.
If you’re looking for a good tool to add space and line breaks into your bio, then check out Apps4Life. I highly recommend it.
Revolve are leaders on Instagram with 4 million followers. They have kept their bio simple focusing on three key areas: brand hashtag #REVOLVEaroundthehouse, partner account @revolvebeauty and most importantly the link to shop from their Instagram feed.
7. Emojis are not just for kids
Instagram users love emojis and we use a lot of them! Remember one character can convey a great amount of information and when you’ve only got 150 characters to play with, they are super handy. I always recommend making the most of their power. They tell a big story in just one character. Plus are great for amplifying your personality.
Look at how BoldBelles has made great use of them here. I like the telephone for the Whattsapp order and their brand USP “Stand Bold in Who You are” – note how this sentence is talking directly to YOU rather than us. Talking directly to your community is very engaging and makes a big impact.
BoldBelles has also created strong highlight folders with branded covers and easy to understand titles so you know what to expect when you click on them.
9. Tag your partner accounts
Thanks to an Instagram update last year, you can now add other profile usernames into your Instagram bio. This is a clickable link and will take your community to another account. Look at how many Vans have been included in their Instagram profile here. They have one excellent brand message “off the wall since 1966” which is punchy and fun, conjures up skateboard tricks and nods to their heritage as leaders in skater shoes. So they’ve kept their description very short and used up the 150 letter to include all of their other Instagram accounts.
You might want to link to a founder or designer’s account here or if you are launching a diffusion brand you can launch it on your main account.
10. Utilise the highlights
As a fashion brand the Instagram Stories Highlights are a great way of creating permanent collections from your key Instagram Stories. Consider your brand image here and create a strong look. Take inspiration from brands such as Selfridges. They have taken the yellow from their logo to keep it simple yet strong. We love how they have a highlight in green for sustainability. If you google Instagram highlight templates you can buy ready made themes to create a brand aesthetic. There are some great ones here from Pinterest which are free.
In terms of content, use the highlights to create a permanent folder of key content for your community to access. This could be influencer outfit posts, great press trips, customer testimonials or campaign shoots.
Remember that Story Highlights are like a movie trailer for your Instagram feed, and they’re the perfect way to share the very best parts of your brand with new profile visitors.
Now it’s your turn to spruce up your Instagram bio!
Okay, now it’s your turn to get your Instagram bio for your fashion brand looking top-notch. Get a paper and pen and start the short project below…
1. Write down your skills
Write down your unqiue skills, profession, hobby and location. Explain what your business is and what you do. Make it easy to understand.
2. What are your keywords?
Keywords give your account focus and help you connect with followers. Identify five keywords and write them down.
To help you with this, think about both your own core values and the core values of your target audience. Using keywords that target your audience and niche will help users better understand who you are, what you have to offer, and whether or not your account is relevant to them!
3. Use this formula to define your business
To help you fine tune your key messages use the below formula:
I help [niche] to [solve problems / get results ] by [my service]
This formula will help you define your business. Once you’ve done this, go have some fun with your Instagram bio copy. Be engaging, quirky, sharp and original. Don’t forget emojis!
4. Other handy prompts when writing your Instagram bio
And finally if you’re still stuck, here are some handy prompts which might help your creative juices flow.
- My business helps customers by…
- My audience is inspired by…
- We’re/I am the best at…
- If my brand/I won an award it would be for…
- If my brand/I am an animal it would be…
- If my brand/I am a season it would be…
- My business super power is…
Still need help?
If you need help with your Instagram profile please get in touch to chat about my Instagram Training services.
I’ve helped many fashion brands create the perfect Instagram bio and offer one-to-one hourly sessions to identify your business goals, community and Instagram strategy.
Together we can create your perfect Instagram biography for your business!
Contact me on ml@mlpr.co.uk
I hope you have found this useful. Bye for now, Marie Louise.
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