“Biographies are but the clothes and buttons of the man. The biography of the man himself cannot be written.” – Mark Twain
At first thought, writing a biography may seem like a piece of cake. Why, you know everything about your life, do not need to research anything, and can easily describe yourself in the best light possible. Moreover, who can write your story better than yourself? Well, not really. A mere description of your course of life and enumeration of significant events may turn into a boring read if you do not make significant accents for the intended audience. Any expert at the bio writing services online will tell you that producing a biography that will stand out for the reader requires a thoroughly thought-out approach.
Why Would You Need a Bio?
A personal or professional biography is a piece of writing about a person that includes their personal information, educational and professional backgrounds, and some facts about important life milestones or experiences. The content would greatly depend on the purpose of the bio and the audience it is intended for. Here are some examples of why you may need a biography:
- When applying for college, you may be asked to write an essay about yourself.
- A bio may be required as a part of the job application package. (Do not confuse it with a resume and do not duplicate the same dry lists of educational and professional accomplishments in it).
- If you have a personal or professional website, a biography is needed for the “About” page.
- You may need a short bio to be posted on your social media accounts.
- If you have written a book, your personal biography would serve as a wonderful Foreword to it. Or it could be published in a newspaper or magazine as a part of a promotional campaign.
- You may also want to write the entire book of your personal memoires.
Whatever the purpose is, your biography is your own reflection that presents you professionally either to the admissions committee, a hiring manager, prospective partners, readers, or clients. Therefore, to market yourself effectively, it should attract the target reader, increasing your sales. Yes, you can think of it as self-branding. You may hire a writer for biography to make sure that it is written in the best possible way. However, as it has been noted at the beginning of this article, there is no one who knows you better. So, it is time to make use of some valuable tips and learn how to write a memorable bio on your own.
But first, take a look at our super awesome infographic:
Tips for Writing a Biography
Consider the Purpose
Before writing a biography, consider its purpose and audience. A bio for a college admissions committee would differ significantly from the one intended to attract readers to your blog. Make a list of items you must include for this specific audience and start drafting a biography according to it. But for some mandatory details like your name, current position and role, skills, attributes, and personal and professional values, you may need to add some more facts about yourself. Just make sure that they are relevant to this specific purpose and audience.
Follow the Rules
Whatever the purpose of your biography is, there are sure to be some rules and guidelines for its writing. To start with, they may set restrictions on definite word count, which is especially true for college or job applications. Description tabs on social media platforms also often have word or character limits. Moreover, requirements for application letters may also offer a list of specific questions to be answered. Therefore, study the rules, requirements, and guidelines attentively and follow them precisely, making the necessary accents within this scope.
Advertise Yourself
A biography is the presentation of your personal brand, so you should advertise it to the audience. A good ad shows potential customers why they should care and how the product may help solve their problems. Do the same in your biography. Demonstrate what advantages entrepreneurs will get from networking and cooperating with you, how you can benefit the company and facilitate the achievement of its strategic goals, or why you are a valuable asset to the college. Depending on the purpose of the bio, you may also add links to examples or proofs of your work and prior achievements.
Appeal to the Senses
A good biography writer would definitely add some personal and unique details that can stick in the readers’ brains. Indeed, an emotional connection that can be achieved through sharing some personal facts a reader can identify with is a sure way to make the piece memorable. Besides, the majority of people are visual learners, which means that they perceive images and written text better. Thus, try to draw an image via your text. Present some unique facts about yourself and describe them in expressive and “sticky” words adding colorful details. Such a technique will also help the readers to see the real you, appealing to their senses even more. However, make sure to select only relevant facts that match your purpose and your audience.
Adapt and Adjust
If you know how to make a cool bio and follow the tips, you will really make it stand out and be memorable. However, you cannot hope for any success if you have written it once and only paste the same text everywhere for several years with no adjustments. First of all, it should be adapted to the specific platform and purpose. It is good to have three different variations of your biography: micro bio, which could be posted on Twitter, for example; a short bio of about a paragraph for platforms like Facebook, LinkedIn, or Instagram; and a long bio with additional facts that can be published on your personal or professional website or even in a book. Secondly, your life is not static, and you are sure to encounter new experiences and achieve new accomplishments as you move on. Therefore, your biography should be adjusted from time to time to make the necessary corrections and additions to reflect the current situation.
The final tip we can offer is thorough proofreading. You cannot hope for a positive impression and the influx of employers, partners, and clients with a careless bio full of grammatical, stylistic, and punctuation errors. So, never forget to proofread your writing several times before posting it anywhere. Invite a friend or a family member to have a fresh look at what you have written and offer feedback. You may even ask for professional help from a biography writer online. An accurate and thoroughly polished piece of writing will make a much better impression on any audience.
