Are you struggling to write a Bookstagram bio that gets you benefits like more followers and free books? These Bookstagram bio ideas will boost your profile fast and help you reach all of your Instagram goals.
As a former lawyer and current full-time blogger, I am educated and trained in persuasive writing and approach all writing as a craft. This post shares my expertise on both general copywriting principles and specific Bookstagram bio ideas to help you master the art of growing your Instagram page within these limits:
- 30 characters or less for your name
- 150 characters or less for your bio
Helpful Bookstagram Bio Ideas
Below are my best Bookstagram bio ideas and tips, beginning with general copywriting principles, and then sharing specific ideas on what to include in your book Instagram bio.
First, let’s take a look at my current bio for Bookstagram ideas, which I will reference throughout. I’m not saying it’s perfect, and it’s definitely subject to change at any time, but I think it will show you why I included what I did and help you think critically about what you decide to include in your bio:
General Principles to Follow
Generally speaking, if you want your writing to make an impact, you should always consider the goals you want to achieve and the audience you want to attract.
On Bookstagram, your goals may be to attract more followers, get free books, connect with like-minded readers, etc. Based on these goals, you may choose to include the following in your bio:
- To attract more followers: “Follow for more [insert specifics, like a genre, etc.]”
- To get free books: “DM me with ARC offers.”
- To connect with like-minded readers: “Comment your favorite [insert specifics, such as a genre].”
My personal primary goal is to get people to know about my book blog, which is my full-time job, and to hopefully get them to become readers, so I: refer to it; share its reach to gain trust and authority in the field; AND link to it.
I also love to connect with people on Instagram, so I included a few tidbits like my location, personality type, and style to help me make new internet friends.
Likewise, think about the audience you want to attract. Trying to appeal to everyone is akin to appealing to no one, in some ways. While you may want to grow your account in any way possible, it’s also important to have an engaged audience.
So, you may choose to include things like your most shared book genre or your favorite celebrity book club.
For example, if you only read and share romance, fantasy book lovers may be unlikely to become engaged followers.
(And brands and publishers with whom your work may ask you for or track your engagement metrics.)
I personally most wanted my audience to see me as a cozy, classic introvert and a passionate book blogger.
Now that you know some general copywriting principles to persuade your audience to help you achieve your goals, let’s talk about some more specific Bookstagram bio ideas to include.
What should I put in my Bookstagram bio?
You should put a combination of the following in your Bookstagram bio:
- Photo
- Personal details
- Personality highlights
- Reading preferences
- Call to Action
- Links
- Emojis
Let’s talk about them!
Photo
Your photo will be the most memorable connection that people have to your page, so think before you upload! Did you ever get thrown off when someone you follow changed their profile pic? Me too! That shows some real power in the pictures.
I personally think photos that are a personal headshot humanize you, especially since many Bookstagrammers are introverts and don’t like to be on camera or video a lot otherwise.
A full-body shot or art-style portrait (like a cartoon rendering) may lack the detail to make a connection with your followers since the photo is so small.
A few quick tips to get a good headshot using your phone are: to stand facing the window on a day that’s not too sunny and to shoot in portrait mode. That’s exactly how I took my photo.
It’s worth noting that, if you have a business associated with your Bookstagram account, it may be more important to you to use a logo. I do this for my book club account @therorygilmorebookclub because that account is more about what my blog readers want to talk about and share. I’m just the facilitator.
Name
You get 30 characters to state your name and, here’s a helpful Bookstagram tip: you can include relevant search terms to help people find you.
So, for an example of these name ideas, if your name is Jill Smith and you write thrillers, you may state your name as “Jill Smith: Thriller Author.” This way, you can attract users searching your name, genre, AND your profession.
I personally chose at this time to just include my name and to add that I am a blogger in the description. But, I may change it to be more search-friendly.
Some people also include their email addresses, but I personally think this is wasted space, as you can do this on a separate button in your Instagram settings (see my bio) and also because anyone can direct message you on Instagram.
Related post: Bookstagram Name Generator
Personal Details
It’s very common to add personal details, like your pronouns, age, location, profession, and family details (i.e., “boy mom”) in your Bookstagram bio, and I have found that this is a great way to both grow your account and connect with people!
I personally almost always follow other Bookstagrammers in my location and my profession because it feels like a personal connection.
When I was a lawyer, I would often DM other lawyer-Bookstagrammers, and they became trusted friends to me over the years, especially when dealing with “lawyer problems.”
Likewise, following other local accounts has led to in-person friendships.
Personality Highlights
It’s also very common on Bookstagram to include a few personality highlights, like your Hogwarts house, Enneagram number, or personality type. (Those 3 are especially common, and they are definitely known to grow your page and make connections in the same way your personal details do.)
Again, think about your goals and who you would like to attract. If you are a massive coffee enthusiast, then you may attract other coffee enthusiasts or coffee brands by mentioning that.
I personally mention the more generalized “introvert” versus more detailed personality details, and I added that I’m “preppy” both to give me dimension as a human behind the account and connect with other preppy bloggers, who I love to follow and interact with in addition to Bookstagrammers.
Reading Preferences
Similar to your personal details and your personality preferences, your reading preferences can definitely boost your Bookstagram. I find it to be SO helpful when other Bookstagrammers do this so I immediately know whether their bookish posts are likely to be relevant to me.
And, as a bonus, it can help you “brand” your account and provide name recognition. If you’re the “beach read gal,” people may start to seek out your page when they are in the mood for a beach read book review or recommend your account to another person looking for this type of Bookstagram post and Bookstagram caption.
It can also help you connect with the publishers and authors that are the best match for you. Next time you request an ARC of a beach read (for example), imagine the impact it may have to link to your Bookstagram account, specifically stating that you are a beach read lover.
It’s also fairly common to include things like your reading goals and your current read in your bio, but I personally see that as wasted space, as I think it’s less likely to meet any of your goals or attract the most aligned audience.
Call to Action
I personally believe every Bookstagram bio (or public Instagram bio, for that matter) should include a call to action — a direction telling people what you want them to do.
It may surprise you how well it works statistically to actually TELL people what you want them to do. And it helps to just pick ONE thing you want them to do.
If you don’t believe me, just take notice in the future when you follow a call to action versus when you just move on to something else. I think you will notice yourself following calls to action much more!
So, since getting people to visit my blog is most important to me, in my Bookstagram bio, I refer to my blog and to myself as a blogger a few times, then I specifically direct people to read it, point to the link with an arrow emoji, and then link to it (more about links later).
(You may note that the rest of my bio includes much more subtle references, like my location and personality, to help the reader decide whether they feel enough of a connection to follow me and/or my blog.)
As another example, an author may state that fact in his or her name and then use the directive “Buy my book here” with a link to purchase it.
Links
You probably already know that you only get one hyperlink in your bio. So, you can either choose the most relevant link of your choice to link to, or you can use a service like “Link Tree” (which is what I use) to link to a page that contains numerous links.
If you add numerous links, I still recommend keeping them limited. It’s another general principle of copywriting to keep a consumer’s options simple and easy to follow, or they will just get overwhelmed and click away.
I personally only include four links to my blog, email list, discount codes, and book club, as these are the links I most often reference on Instagram. Even though this may be a bit too much, it’s still fairly concise and I think it is easy enough for me to direct people to click the link in my bio, then click [X].
I’ve noticed that when other Bookstagrammers link other social media accounts, like their GoodReads account, I will usually click and follow them. I have also noticed that when Bookstagrammers list more than a handful of links, I usually click away. If I have to scroll in order to see all of your links, I’m usually overwhelmed at that point.
You also shouldn’t overlook the fact that, in ADDITION to the one hyperlink you are allowed to include in your bio to anywhere on the web, you can ALSO link to any other Instagram accounts using the “@” symbol.
So, on my personal account, I link to my book club, @therorygilmorebookclub, and visa versa. And I definitely notice people following both at the same time.
AND, you can ALSO include Bookstagram hashtags. If there’s only one you created or love to tag, this is a great way to advertise it.
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Emojis
I look at emojis as a “bonus” item in your bio. I think they are generally just fun to look at, but not totally necessary.
However, you can definitely use them to your advantage. For example, using a book emoji quickly tells viewers that’s what your account is about (especially as you have so little time to grab someone’s attention).
And, as mentioned, I like to use an arrow to point to my link to help persuade readers to click it, since my blog is most important to me.
Now you know the best Bookstagram ideas to grow your Bookstagram account fast and reach all of your other Bookstagram goals.
Related Bookstagram Posts
If you loved these Bookstagram bio ideas, you will love these Bookstagram posts:
- Ultimate Guide to Bookstagram
- Ideas for Bookstagram Props
- Bookstagram Name Generator
- Free Bookstagram Story Templates
- Ways for Bookstagrammers to Make Money
- Guide to Bookish Holidays
