By Alicia Honeycutt

If you want to make a good impression on readers, you need to give them high-quality contents and also prove that you are a reliable author. More than 90% of contemporary business followers want to see opinions from industry thought leaders. That’s what makes a successful bio one of the crucial elements of the author’s credibility.

There are many ways to create an exceptional and brief resume but still, some general rules apply to all models. In this article, we will show you some of the best techniques and examples of professional author bios.

How to Make a Great Bio

HR experts at TopAussieWriters recently noted: “Writing the author bio follows pretty much the same methodology as writing the article itself. It takes some strategic planning, audience targeting, and emphasizing traits that can distinguish you from competitors in the eyes of the readers.” But let’s see what these traits are and how to make the best bio.

• Explain what you do

The first thing here is to tell the readers who you are and what you do for a living. Write your current position and the company you work for. It’s necessary to add your title like this:

• Content Marketing Specialist
• CEO
• Company Founder
• App Developer

Basic information concerning your position within the company or organization tells a lot about your reputation and influence. This will make you look more prominent and people will appreciate the fact that you earned the position because of your knowledge and expertise. It adds value to your text and brings you new followers – just make sure to leave the trace to your social network accounts.

• Diplomas and awards

If you have valuable academic titles and awards, you should find the way to emphasize it subtly in your bio. For instance, see how journalist Dan Ferber wrote naturally about his doctorate in biology and award winning writings in many renowned publications.

Your current position will clearly suggest that you are the professional but details such as PhD. or the best writer award will definitely convince them that you are an expert. However, make the right kind of balance here. If you are a biology professor don’t use it as the evidence of your expertise in chemistry. Let the followers know only those things that make you more trustworthy.

• A little bit of bragging won’t hurt you

Author bio is always the part where you take some room to brag about personal achievements. This is totally acceptable as long as you don’t turn it into self-promotion memoirs. You can tell people about your life experiences, interesting adventures, or even personal beliefs.

Whatever you consider relevant is alright. You can say that you’ve traveled extensively throughout the world giving lectures and seminars for private and government organizations. If you are writing about hiking and orienteering, you are more than welcome to say that you’ve climbed Mount Everest. Just don’t say that you’ve been a basketball coach if you are publishing a tennis book – it makes no sense.

• Give more value to your profile

Besides professional experience and academic achievements, readers love to see that authors dedicate some time to altruistic activities, friends, and family members. For instance, say that you use part of your spare time to help local students conduct college essays or dissertations. Readers can hardly relate to the writer if this is the all-knowing business-only individual.

For this reason, you can sometimes add one or two personal details. Make it simple and appropriate for the target audience. If you are aiming at middle-age businesswomen, you can say something like this – A mother of two young boys, Merry is the master of multitasking and time management. It sounds real and convincing but not pompous.

• Add a professional photo

People will assess your writing and appreciate your superior credentials in the bio. However, keep in mind that people are visual beings who make first impressions through non-verbal communication. In this case, your picture will be the first thing on their radar so do your best to add a professional photo.

The photo can reveal so many things about you and your style. Are you a traditional businessman or a New Age-freestyler? It depends on your character, age, and vision. However, it is easy to make the wrong choice here. If you are a lawyer, you better not leave the comfort zone and stick to the standard tuxedo picture. But if you are into social networking or content marketing, you can probably make the alternative choice. Try to express your attitude and lifestyle but don’t let it look funny or absurd.

• Write in the third person

Writing author bios in the third person is almost universal worldwide, with only a few rare exceptions. The reason is simple – it makes the author box look more honest and objective. Thinking of themselves in the third person makes the authors more careful and precise. Additionally, people don’t like to see author bio written in the first person because it sounds like too much of a bragging.

Conclusion

You can write the most eloquent and well-researched articles but it won’t always make a good impression. Readers will doubt your expertise in case you don’t convince them that you are an experienced professional in the specific industry. That’s why you need to create the best author bio using these tips and examples. Try it out and let us know in comments if you have more valuable suggestions.