How to Write a Bio That Actually Builds Trust
Most bios read like a form filled out under duress — job title, one qualification, a full stop. Nobody clicks through to "About" hoping to be bored, and yet that's exactly what most business owners hand them. A good bio isn't a highlight reel, it's a handshake — a few lines that make a stranger think "okay, I trust this person enough to keep reading." Here's the formula, plus what actually goes wrong when businesses skip it. 💖
What most businesses get wrong
- Leading with qualifications, not humanity — a string of letters after your name proves nothing if the reader doesn't know what you actually do for them.
- Writing about yourself in third person when everyone knows it's you — it reads stiff and slightly odd on a one-person site.
- Staying vague to sound impressive — "passionate about delivering excellence" could describe anyone, which means it describes no one.
- Leaving off a call to action — the reader finishes your bio with nowhere to go and no reason to go there.
- Running the exact same bio everywhere — a website bio, a LinkedIn About and a team page bio all need slightly different jobs done.
The fill-in-the-blank formula
Steal this structure — five moves, in order, that cover everything a bio needs to do:
Short version: use the first three moves only — credibility, what you help with, call to action — for a byline, a social bio or anywhere with a tight character limit. Long version: use all five for a website About page or a team page, where there's room for a bit of personality to land.
Three real examples
Same formula, three different jobs — notice how the personal detail changes weight depending on where the bio lives.
How much of this should actually be about you
Readers care less about your history than about whether you understand their problem — so the personal detail exists to make you memorable, not to be the main event. A useful rough split is 20% you, 80% them: what you help with and how to get in touch should take up more real estate than your backstory. If you're cutting a bio down to fit a limit, cut the personal line before you cut the call to action.
Mistakes to avoid
- Writing the bio once during onboarding and never touching it again as the business changes.
- Using the same bio, word for word, on every platform without adjusting the tone.
- Describing what you do but never saying who you help — readers self-select based on the "who," not just the "what."
- Making the personal detail so personal it distracts rather than humanises.
- Ending on a qualification instead of an invitation to get in touch.
Frequently asked questions
Should I write my bio in first or third person?
Honest trade-off: first person is warmer and suits founders and small teams. Third person can feel more polished on a formal team page or a press bio. Choose based on where it's published, not personal preference alone — and keep it consistent across the pages people will compare.
How long should a bio actually be?
Short version: two to three sentences, for a byline or social bio. Long version: roughly 80–120 words for an About page or team page — enough room for the personal detail to land without turning into an essay.
What if I don't have any big achievements to lead with?
Lead with specificity instead of scale — years doing the work, a niche you focus on, or the kind of client you're best suited to. "Ten years, one specialty" is more convincing than a vague claim to being "the best."
Do I need a completely different bio for every platform?
Not completely — a good baseline is one long version and one short version, lightly adapted for tone. Rewriting from scratch every time costs more than it's worth; adjusting the opening line usually does the job.
Keep reading 🤍
I help Gold Coast and Brisbane businesses grow with branding, websites and marketing that actually works.
Work with me ✦