How-To Optimize Your TikTok & Instagram Profiles

Today I want to talk about something that might seem small but can make a BIG impact on your TikTok and Instagram game - your profile!

Are you showcasing the 'value' your channel provides?
Have you included a strategic CTA?
Are you using keywords to rank higher SEO-wise?

If you've answered 'no' to any of the above, I think you're really going to enjoy this blog post. Let's get straight to it 👇

Profile Elements

Your profiles on Instagram & TikTok are made up of a few different elements:

➡️ Profile Photo
➡️ Username or Nickname
➡️ Bio (this is SUPER important)
➡️ Links
➡️ Highlights (Instagram only)

Think of your profile as the front door to your ideal audience. It's pivotal that it is able to make a good first impression. It needs to be inviting, captivating, educational but also strategic. There are a number of small changes you can make that can help make your profile more discoverable, attract your ideal viewer and help drive people to your offers! Next, I'm going to break down each of these elements and share some actionable steps to optimize them 👊

1. Choosing the Right Profile Photo

Didn't someone once say, that a little circle can say 1000 words??

Lol maybe that's a stretch..

BUT it is super important that the profile picture you choose reflects how you want people to identify you. If you're a business selling a product, more often than not, this is going to be your logo. But if you're a creator or service based business, you probably want that image to be of yourself. Make sure the photo you choose is personable. Headshots are great for LinkedIn, but I'd suggest going with something a little more casual and approachable for social.

Example: Let's say you're an interior designer. Is there a photo of yourself that shows you in this element? This could look like you sitting on a trendy chair or standing in a beautiful living room. This small detail can help people identify what you do, what to expect from your channel and even give them the impression that you are an expert in this particular niche.

2. Picking Your Username

Ask yourself this: If you met one of your viewers in a bar, how would you introduce yourself? (Maybe stray away from things like Princess476 🤣)

If you sell a product, you can totally just stick with your brand name here. If you are trying to grow a personal brand as a creator, feel free to use the name you want to be identified as. But if you provide a service, you could consider adding a short description of the service you provide.

Ex. Jane Smith - Interior Designer

Note: Adding keywords to your Profile Name (like Interior Designer above) can significantly help with your SEO ranking in your niche - more on that below!

3. Crafting Your Bio (this is SUPER important)

Think of your bio as an elevator pitch. If you only had ONE shot for a viewer to decide whether your content is worth their time, what would you want them to know?

After reading these 150 characters, the viewer should know exactly who you are, what value you provide and how they can learn more or support you.

When writing your bio, I find it easiest to think of it like this:

First line: Who you are
Body lines: What Value you provide
Last line: How you can support the viewer (CTA)
Link: Where you want to drive them next

Your bio is also an opportunity to work in some keywords to help improve your SEO (search ability within the app). A good rule of thumb is to try working in a minimum of 3 keywords from your niche into your bio write up. (A few weeks back I sent an email all about the importance of SEO for social, if you haven't read that yet, I'd search SEO in your inbox to check it out!)

I'd love to reference one of our students Steph here as an example, as I feel like her bio knocks it out of the park!

 

Notice the keywords she has added to her bio write up: moms, smaller homes, space-saving, minimalism.

If someone is searching for content in these categories, these keywords will help Steph's profile come up as a suggestion to check out.

4. Profile Link
We always suggest creating a LinkTree to add to your profile so that you can drive your audience to your different offers. List the links in your LinkTree by order of importance and always make sure they are up to date! I also always suggest adding a link to each of your individual social platforms (TikTok, Instagram, YouTube), that way your LinkTree can work no matter which app it is displayed in.

**Note: Some content partnerships may require specific links to be displayed in your profile for a limited time. This is totally fine, just remember to switch it back to your LinkTree once the partnership is over.

5. Highlights (Instagram Only)
Instagram highlights are another aspect of your profile that I find are wildly under utilized. This is a way to make selected Instagram Stories evergreen, so your audience always has access to view them.

I've been noticing a really cool trend lately where people use the first highlight to share their story (who they are). That way, new followers who may have no context as to why they should follow you, have an opportunity to meet you!

If you're not sure what the Highlights following should be, think about organizing them using your Content Pillars (you can learn more about those in this post I put together).

Using the interior designer example from earlier, these highlight themes could look like:

- About Me
- Budget Decor Solutions
- DIY Design Hacks
- Bedroom Inspo!
- Decor Amazon Finds

Well there you have it, a quick crash course on how to get the most out of your Instagram/TikTok profiles! As always, if you have any questions, feel free to comment below! 😊

Until next time!

- Meg
✨ Chief Inspiration Officer ✨