Writing a Good Profile Bio

1. 60

   Amadaunposted 12 years ago

   Okay...I think I've gotten the hang of most of the stuff around here.  However, I'm still dragging my heels when it comes to my bio.  I've never been very comfortable about writing bios, so I have a few questions.
   
   Is it better to have my bio about me, about the articles I'm writing, or a mixture of both?  I've seen all three kinds as I've looked around.
   
   What sort of things do you expect to see in a bio?
   
   Since it's available to search engines, how long is too long?  How short is too short?

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2. 84

   Simone Smithposted 12 years ago

   Hey Amadaun! I'm glad you're getting around to writing your bio, and actually putting some thought into it!
   
   We've found the best bios are:
   1. Short (they don't get cut off visibly in the public profile)
   2. Professional (e.g. not about personal struggles, not rambly)
   3. Polished (no grammar or punctuation mistakes)
   3. A mix of both personal background and interest (e.g. I am a trained nurse who specializes in pediatric care, however in my free time I also love to write about extreme sports.)
   
   Visitors want to know who you are, why they should bother listening to you, and why you're on HubPages. Answer those questions in a succinct, polished manner, and you'll have a great bio!
   
   Hope that helps!

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   1. 60

      Amadaunposted 12 years agoin reply to this

      Thank you, it does help.

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   2. 77

      Faith A Mullenposted 12 years agoin reply to this

      Great tips! I find that if a bio section is longer than what fits on the public profile without being cut off, I lose interest and stop reading. Concise and polished is definitely my preference. My bio needs improvement, so I will be re-thinking it with these tips in mind.

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   3. 0

      Lesleysherwoodposted 12 years agoin reply to this

      Thanks Simone for the tips.  I have amended my bio now ;

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3. 60

   paradigmsearchposted 12 years ago

   Hi, Simone. Is what I've done on my profile page "bio" a good idea or a bad idea?

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4. 86

   jansharesposted 12 years ago

   Yeah, Simone. What you've written makes me want to change mine which is sort of long. Could you have a look-see when you get a chance? Thanks.

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5. 84

   vocalcoachposted 12 years ago

   Thanks Simone for posting the points for a good bio.  I've copied your suggestions and will re-do mine.  A great help!  So glad this question was posted.

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