How to Create an Instagram Bio that Generates More B2B Leads

Since it introduced its ads feature more than ten years ago, Instagram has been the platform of choice for many successful businesses. However, it seems that the platform still isn’t the first choice in the B2B marketing space, with only 33% of B2Bs having an Instagram account.

But this isn’t necessarily a bad thing!

If you start now, you have a higher chance of getting ahead of the competition. With its two billion-plus users, your target audience is likely already scrolling through Instagram, which can lead to business growth.

Is a Well-Written Instagram Bio Important for B2B Leads?

Although the B2B sale cycle is far from linear, B2B buyers are common people who also use Instagram for product discovery.

Your Instagram bio is the first part of your profile that users see when they land on your page, whether through an ad or organic search. Everyone knows how important it is to make a good first impression, and your bio can either encourage visitors to scroll through your page and hit “follow” or press the arrow back button.

For a B2B business, a well-written Instagram bio is not just nice to have. It's a necessity. You’re likely targeting more “serious” buyers and decision-makers, and your bio can quickly prove your legitimacy, build trust, and communicate your value proposition at a glance. It's your first opportunity to make a strong impression on the platform, so make it count.

Despite its small space, a good Instagram bio can:

• Explain to your audience what you do - If you have an Instagram business profile, you can set your category and name, quickly telling your audience what type of business you are. You also have a description section where you can summarize what you do.
• Urge your customers to take action - Always leave space for a call-to-action (CTA) so profile visitors know what to do after landing on your page.
• Show your brand’s personality - Branding and personality often set identical businesses apart. Your bio is one of the first points of contact with your brand, which means it’s a crucial tool to showcase what makes you different.
• Help your organic account’s growth - Adding keywords and hashtags to your bio can help you rank on Instagram search and therefore help to find someone on Instagram. When customers are still researching, they will type keywords into the search bar, hoping to find a brand that meets their needs, so keep this in mind when crafting your business description.  

Overall, a well-written Instagram bio can be one of lead generation strategies. So, consider your bio the Instagram version of an elevator pitch. You have 150 characters plus a few elements to help you tell your prospects who you are and why they should consider your business. 

A Step-by-Step Guide to Creating an Instagram Bio that Generates More B2B Leads

Because the Instagram bio is such a small space, you only have a few seconds to make an excellent first impression. To help you, we’ve listed a step-by-step guide to craft an Instagram bio that stands out and generates leads. 

Upload a Clear Profile Image

While your Instagram profile image may be small, don’t take it for granted. A clear, high-resolution photo shows you’re a trustworthy, professional business. The standard size is 320 pixels by 320 pixels. Unlike before, Instagram now allows profile visitors to expand and view your profile photo more closely, so it’s now more important to use a high-quality image.

If you haven’t uploaded a profile photo upon setting up your Instagram business account, you can update your photo by clicking your profile on the lower right-hand portion of your screen, tapping Edit profile in your bio, and selecting Edit Photo.

As a B2B business, you must create a logo, specifically resized for Instagram. It’s crucial to be consistent about your logo usage because consistency can aid in brand recognition. Whenever anyone shares content from your Instagram page, your logo will be introduced to a new audience.

Take a look at this B2B Instagram profile photo for inspiration:

Image source: Cisco

Despite being a big name in the IT space, Cisco still includes its brand name and logo. Only a handful of brands can get away with being recognized with their logo alone, especially in the B2B space, where logo differentiation can get a bit blurry.

Adding your brand name to your profile photo will help your audience remember your logo and identify your profile when searching. This is especially important if you’re a startup and still building your brand identity. 

Select the Right Category

Your business category is displayed in the upper portion of your bio, right below your display name. Instagram currently has over 1,500 categories available. You can find and choose your category under the Public Business Information section when you click on “Edit Profile.” Simply search for the most relevant category and tap on done to update your profile.

Your business may be part of two or more categories, but Instagram will only allow you to choose one. To help you decide, it’s important to think about how your customers would describe your business. It’s also important to research keywords to understand what terms can help your profile rank in search and, therefore, increase brand awareness.

Image source: Build Up Development Co

Suppose your audience is still in the research stage. In that case, they may not have specific brands in mind just yet, so it’s important to integrate as many keywords into your bio as possible—your chosen category included.

Describe Your Business

B2B brands don’t have as much freedom to get creative with their Instagram bios. It’s more important to describe exactly what you do and offer.

As mentioned above, you only have 150 characters to summarize your business, translating to around two short sentences—ideally less.

Take a look at Buffer’s Instagram bio description:

Image source: Buffer

When a lead lands on Buffer’s page, they can quickly determine that Buffer is a social media management tool. With this information, the lead can then decide whether to learn more by looking at the rest of the profile or clicking on the link in the bio. 

Increase Trust

Today’s consumers are a little more careful about who they follow on social media. It’s important to establish your legitimacy wherever you can. One way to increase trust with your audience is by ensuring everything you post is of high quality, including your profile photo and description (no grammatical errors, please!).

Adding contact information and a business location is also an excellent way to show your audience you’re a real business. If you have won awards or been recognized by publications, it is important to include this information in your bio as well.

Take a look at the example below:

Image source: McCann

While McCann is a known name in the industry, each local agency includes its office address on its Instagram profile. Establishing that you have an actual brick-and-mortar office is a simple way to boost trust.

What is more, it can be a smart idea to use your bio section to share reviews, as this increases brand trust and encourages B2B buyers to consider your product as an option, resulting in more B2B leads.

Include a Unique Selling Proposition

When crafting your Instagram bio, ask yourself what differentiates you from the competition. This can help you create a bio that doesn’t just describe your business but also one that helps you stand out.

Take a look at how this Australian marketing agency does it:

Image source: Young Folks Agency

Young Folks Agency highlighted its unique selling proposition in its bio by mentioning that it specializes in brands that “do good.” It also mentions that it’s a B Corp and Climate Active, both of which require special certifications. Want to know the best part? This B2B business also makes the most of its bio link and hints visitors at where they can sign up for more information.

With data analytics, B2B brands can then understand whether Instagram bio is one of the leading channels for lead generation.

Add Action Buttons

In addition to adding a CTA to your bio, action buttons are an excellent way to gather more leads. Having action buttons in your bio simplifies the customer experience and encourages your audience to take action as soon as they land on your profile. Instagram currently allows only one action button, so choose wisely.

These are the action buttons you can choose from:

• Book Now
• Reserve
• Buy Tickets
• Start Order

If you add contact options to your profile, you can also include Call or Email buttons.

Image source: Slack

Adding contact buttons can also help you generate more leads as users won’t have to enter your contact details manually. Clicking the “Email” or “Call” button automatically opens another window with prefilled contact information. 

Make Good Use of Bio Links

Your ‘link in bio’ is precious real estate because you can’t add clickable links anywhere else in your Instagram profile. Thankfully, Instagram now allows you to add up to five links to your bio, which you can change depending on your needs. You can also use third-party link-in-bio solutions to add more links or create a micro landing page with all your links. 

The link in your bio is the best place to add lead capture forms because it’s easily visible. In addition to lead capture forms, you can add other helpful links to encourage page visitors to learn more about your business and build interest in your brand. 

Take a look at how this branding studio makes use of its’ link in bio’:

Image source: Serious Studio

Serious Studio uses the third-party link-in-bio tool Linktree to create a micro landing page with all its links. The landing page has visible subscribe buttons to capture leads and links to brand-building content that can help educate leads about the brand and move them lower into the sales funnel.

Another example of this strategy comes from one email testing tool. Olesia Kuzmyk, a marketer at Mailtrap, claims: "Instagram is not our primary communication channel, but we've mentioned that our Instagram presence helps to reach B2B prospects who are interested in learning more about the product, so we use the active bio link to provide them with additional information–it redirects users to the website and our Youtube channel where we publish explainer videos on how to use the product."

Image source: Mailtrap

Start Crafting Your Bio

Use these tips to help you create an Instagram bio that makes the best first impression. Remember: a well-crafted bio can help you boost your following, capture leads, and achieve organic growth. 

About the Author

Val Razzo SMM Consultant

Val Razo is a freelance SMM consultant who believes in the power of Instagram for businesses of all sizes and niches. With 8 years in the industry, Val also writes for digital marketing websites to share her tips and best practices on using social media.

See full profile