7 Tips For Writing a Business Bio That Makes You Money

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What happens when most business owners try to write their bio or “About Page?” They crash and burn. Or how about when you try to introduce yourself at a networking event? Same story.

I love helping entrepreneurs find what’s truly valuable about what they do and communicate it concisely and compellingly. They craft bios that pinpoint the pain their customers are feeling, identify what those customers desire, and show how they can provide the solution those customers really need.

That kind of business bio can make you money.

Here are my top 7 tips for writing bios that make money:

1. Don’t start at the beginning.

It’s tempting to start at the very beginning. But the real action–and the most compelling part of the story of your business–is the customers’ pain point. Start with the frustration, the missed goal, the deep desire, that has your customer looking for a solution.

2. Do include “what’s in it for me.”

Here’s a copywriting secret: your bio isn’t actually about you at all. Your bio is an opportunity to make a connection between what you do and what your customer needs. Make sure you include the desired outcomes or results–the real benefit–of what you do for your customers. That gives them more reason to go further with you.

3. Don’t use jargon.

If your customer wouldn’t say it, don’t include it. Jargon isn’t just what spews out of the mouths of the crew of the starship Enterprise. It’s all the little phrases you’ve picked up or invented that actually create barriers between your customers and you. Use as much of the same phrases your customers use as possible.

4. Do describe your work clearly.

Flowery copywriting is all the rage. It sounds nice but it won’t make you money. Clearly describe the value of what you offer. The easiest way to do this is to describe how your customers feel, act, and think before they work with you or use your product and then describe how they feel, act, and think after they work with you or use your product. Value is transformation, after all.

5. Don’t forget your personality.

You’ve got a unique point of view, a distinct personality. Don’t make your bio so “professional” that it erases all of your personality. Have fun with it.

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6. Do include a testimonial.

Show don’t just tell. The best way to show what you or your product does for customers is to let a customer tell their story. Include a short but powerful testimonial in your bio from a customer you’ve helped to transform.

7. Don’t be afraid to say how your business is different.

One of the easiest ways to position your business is by positioning it in opposition to the competition. That doesn’t mean being mean or even competitive. It means that you show how you solve your customers’ problem differently than others. Tell your customers why other solutions haven’t worked in the past and use your Unfair Advantage to show how your solution will be the one that works.

For more on writing business bios that make you money, be sure to check out Lesson 17 of Build a Stand-out Business with me, Tara Gentile.

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Tara Gentile is a creativeLIVE instructor, business strategist, and the creator of the Customer Perspective Process.