How to Write an Effective Company Profile

Writing a company bio for your website can be a very daunting task. It is easy to write about a topic of expertise, but writing about your company or yourself is difficult and often pushed off.

Overall, your audience usually wants to see a personal side of the people they may be working with. It is sometimes considered the most important page of your site. Many will either hire someone else to do it or re-purpose documentation from another source, such as a brochure. Think about your Company Bio as your “Online Calling Card.” What your potential client reads can make or break the deal.

Before You Start, determine your strategy. What is the message you want to convey to your potential business ventures? Put yourself in their shoes, outline your expertise and goals and align them with their needs. What are the company’s accomplishments? If your company has won any awards, be sure to include them and link to the creditable source, such as the Better Business Bureau.

If you plan on incorporating employee profiles here are a few things to keep in mind. Try to keep things consistent. Having each person write their own bio can produce a tacky, unorganized page. You are opening yourself up for more misspellings and grammatical errors. This can reflect poorly on your company, giving the appearance of a very uneducated office. It is best to have one person write the bios for each person, thus maintaining the consistency and flow. Most companies use simple 5-10 questionnaires for employees to fill out for the appointed writer. These questions range from position to education.

Have your employees incorporate some of their personal lives into their questionnaires. A personal bio is the building block of your professional relationship. It helps your potential clients know a little bit more about you and your staff beforehand, and can help make them feel at ease.

A group photo conveys the message of a team and puts faces to the names. When taking a photo as a group or as an individual, plan in advance. Make sure your team is dressed in its office best and give plenty of notice. No one wants to be the one that showed up in jean shorts, flip flops and bed head. Use a professional, if possible. If your budget can’t permit a pro, use a nice digital camera with a tripod. If you are planning on using individual photos try to use the same backdrop/background for consistency.

Remember to include methods for contact with your team members. Include phone numbers, extensions, and emails. If you plan to allow social media connections, remind your employees that what they say and do on the internet that is linked with the company is a direct image of the company. To minimize client complaints, co-worker/boss complaints, and things that is NSFW (Not Safe for Work.) There is nothing wrong with denying someone’s Facebook page link if their profile picture is from last week’s keg party.

Remind your potential client that is them that matters, the client. Display testimonials of other clients if possible.

Re-read your company biography out loud and have another set of eyes proof read your work. Above all, be interesting, honest and sell yourself on why your company is unique and professional.

Author By Shanda Peterson