At first glance, an Instagram bio might seem pretty simple. It’s just a few words and a link, right? Well, at its most basic, yes, but when you’re trying to sell yourself on the internet (and like it or not, that’s exactly what you’re doing as a musician), you need to stop and think hard about what to say, how to say it and how to get more out of just a few characters and a single link.
Spend some time examining bios of top and mid-tier musicians to see what they have done, and read this article to understand why each little piece of this section is incredibly important to you and your career.
Here are seven things you might not have put a lot of thought into in your Instagram bio.
In This Article:
Your Name
Who Are You?
A Great Photo
What You’re Promoting
Show Who You Are
Emojis
Link
Your Name
This may sound obvious, but believe it or not, people still make choices that may hurt them on Instagram when it comes to something as simple as their name. It’s highly suggested that when you’re still building a fan base, you keep this straightforward. Use your performing name or the moniker your band uses and that’s it. Don’t opt for any nicknames, even if your fans love them, as they can make it more difficult for people to find you, or even to understand who you actually are.
For example, pop/hip-hop musician Blackbear currently just goes by “Bear” on Instagram. That’s fine for someone as established as he is, but for newer acts, it may be a hindrance.
Who Are You?
The vast majority of Instagram accounts belong to people who are just, well, people. When you’re launching a profile for a business, a public figure, or as a musician or band, you can label your page as such, which helps those who visit your site understand what exactly they’re looking at and which comes with other perks as well.
When you switch to a musician profile, Instagram gives you access to benefits like insights into who is looking at your content, their demographics, and where they come from. This info helps you target advertisements, plan tours, and much, much more.
If you need help switching to a musician account, here’s a great YouTube tutorial that should tell you everything you need to know.
A Great Photo
Again, it sounds obvious, but there are many musical acts whose photo doesn’t really say anything about them. Your Instagram bio is so small and limited in scope, you have to make the most of every single element to brand yourself and tell a story.
When selecting a photo for your main profile picture (that little circle next to your name), pick something that shows you fully (or your band) and lets everyone who may click onto your page that you’re a musical act. This may be a live shot, or at certain times, an album cover. Make sure to change it up occasionally, especially if you’ve gone with a single or CD cover for a time.
Check out our blog on press photos for more information on how to use photos to best promote your music.
What You’re Promoting
Inside your bio, you should always be promoting something…but try to keep it to just one item at a time, otherwise the entire thing can begin to feel too sales-y. Whether it’s a just-released music video, an exciting new single, an upcoming album or perhaps even a tour, feel free to include one line telling your fans and would-be followers what the biggest thing happening in your career right now is.
This should also include a call to action, such as “Watch now on YouTube,” “Tickets available at the link” or “Streaming Spotify next week!”
Show Who You Are
This is where you can get really creative, but remember, you only have a very limited number of characters to say anything that will catch people’s eyes. Maybe you want to include a lyric from a recent song, or a funny joke that shows everyone your band doesn’t take itself too seriously. There could be a quote you love or even a political statement of some kind.
Keep it short and simple, as you have actual work to do in your bio as well!
Emojis
Emojis are a fantastic and modern way to say a lot, but keep your character count down. They also mix things up, as your bio is sure to feature a lot of text. That can begin to look boring after a while, so these little images will ensure your sentences appear even just a little more interesting.
BTS have used emojis brilliantly, as they are currently promoting their new single “Butter.” In addition to having a link where fans can buy the track and mentioning it in their bio, they have also included actual emoji of butter. They’re fun, visual, and a great way to express themselves.
Link
This may be the most important section of your Instagram bio, but I see so many rising musicians wasting this golden opportunity. Instagram only allows every account just one link, but there is a lot you can do with that space, if you think intelligently.
There are a number of services that allow anyone to create extremely simple web pages that act solely as extensions of that one link. For example, if you want to encourage people to visit your Twitter, buy tickets to your upcoming tour, listen to your EP on Spotify and watch your latest music video on YouTube, you can create one of these landing sites with separate links to all of those places (and many more).
I personally use a service called LinkTree, which looks very plain…but you only want people who click through to focus on the links, not on the page itself. There are other competitors out there, both free and paid, so you should be able to find something that fits your needs.
Don’t miss out on making the most of your one link. If you do, you’re leaving money on the table and missing out on untold streams, views and follows!
If you’re looking for more about how to bump up your instagram game, check out our full instagram guide for musicians. However, if you are looking to take the next step to extend the reach of your music, see what we offer in terms of online promotion for musicians among our many other services. We are always looking to add cool new acts to the Planetary Group roster! Call us at (323) 952-5050 or send us a message at info@planetarygroup.com
