Writing a bio for a conference is more important than you might think. Your conference bio is the first thing people will read about you, and it can attract more attendees and make your event that much more captivating for listeners.
Writing a bio for a conference will allow you to introduce yourself and your work, build your personal brand, and establish credibility in your field.
Of course, you have to write your bio well. People have surprisingly short attention spans, and you need to capture your audience’s attention with a thought-provoking question or anecdote.
Sometimes, event organizers will write up a bio for you, but more often than not, public speakers are responsible for writing their own bios – and that’s a good thing!
You know best how to highlight your achievements and expertise – you just need to sit down and do it.
Writing a bio for a conference will help you focus on experience that is relevant to the conference topic. You should also remember to:
- Emphasize your unique perspective
- Use language that will resonate with your audience
- Keep your bio brief
- And include a call to action at the end
In this article, we’ll discuss everything you need to know about writing a bio for a conference: why they are important, what you need to include, and tips for making your bio the very best it can be.
Why Writing a Bio for a Conference is Important
Writing a bio for a conference provides your audience with an informative and concise overview of your expertise and story. It helps your audience to connect with you before you even walk on stage. This can make your speech all that more compelling in the end.
A bio can showcase the diversity of different panelists at a conference and get attendees excited for what you are going to talk about. It allows them to see a glimpse of what they will learn and how you can help them with your speech.
You can bet that public speakers like Tony Robbins, Jon Gordon, and John Maxwell always have a conference bio drafted up before their speech – so take a cue from the greats and make sure you have a stellar bio as well.
How do you do that?
Let’s take a look at what your bio should include.
What to Include in Your Speaker Bio
We’ll cover more details on writing a bio for a conference below, but let’s start with the basics. What should you include in your speaker bio?
The best conference bios include:
- Your name and title
- Your current position/affiliation
- Your accomplishments, awards, or publications
- Any relevant experience and education
- Information about previous speeches
- Contact information
- Something personal about you that will connect with readers
Of course, just because you know what to include when writing a bio for a conference doesn’t mean you’ll be any good at writing one.
Let’s go over our top bio-writing tips so you can represent yourself in the best possible light.
Tips On Writing a Bio For a Conference
Here are our favorite tips for successfully writing a bio for a conference:
Tailor Your Bio
When writing a bio for a conference, you want to tailor it. I repeat: do not simply reuse your bio from previous speaking engagements.
If you want to learn how to become a public speaker, you need to connect with your audience – and the same is true when it comes to your speaker bio.
Think about your audience before you begin writing a bio for a conference. Who are they? How old are they? What are they passionate about?
You want to get a clear understanding of the audience demographics so that you can speak directly to them in your bio.
Should your bio be science-heavy? Should you include lots of jargon? Or are your audience members beginners on your subject who need simple wording and inspirational phrases?
Is your audience full of academics? Highlight who funded your research!
Are the audience members entrepreneurs? Mention the amazing business growth you’ve seen and how you can help them achieve the same!
When you think of your audience first and foremost, your speaker bio will be that much more compelling.
Find Out the Required Length
When writing a bio for a conference, length is key.
Each conference has its own guidelines, and some may even ask you for two separate bios – a longer one for the event website, and a shorter one for their printed program.
Find out the length requirements and be sure to stick to them when writing.
Start With the Basics
Begin taking down notes on your accomplishments and strengths. You can look at your resume and pick out important bits of information, like your fellowships, where you went to school, or any exciting collaborations you’ve been a part of.
Some basic pieces of information that you should try to include in your speaker bio include:
- Your full name
- Any credentials you have
- Your current position
- Where you completed your studies
- Your areas of interest
- How your experience is beneficial for the audience
- Your most notable and impressive accomplishments
- Any patents or breakthrough findings
- Any impressive collaborations
Write in the Third Person
When you write your conference bio, it should be in the third person. This means you should act as if you are an outside party writing about your accomplishments.
Don’t say “I” or “my.” We are throwing out pronouns for this bio.
Instead, use your full name to start and act like a narrator telling the story of your accomplishments.
Then decide if you would like to refer to yourself by your first or your last name. Your last name is more professional, but your first name can help create more familiarity with your audience.
Craft Your Introduction
The introduction to your speaker bio needs to draw in your audience and set the tone for your presentation.
You might want to use a story or anecdote related to the theme of the conference. This can capture the attention of your audience and help to create an emotional connection with them.
Or you might want to ask a thought-provoking question to engage your readers.
Boost Credibility
It’s important to include some sort of testimonial, award, recognition, or endorsement in your speaker bio to lend more credibility to you and your speech.
Were you named CEO of the Year? Then your bio better include that!
Put Your Personality in Your Bio
You don’t want to come across as all business in your bio. You can connect with your readers and set yourself apart from the pack by adding a little personality to your writing.
You can play with words. Use alliterations. Maybe you want to include a fun fact about yourself, or throw in a cheeky joke.
Whatever you do, find some way to break the ice and show a human side to your audience.
Close With Connection
When you end your bio, it’s always nice to connect with your audience instead of simply closing out with another one of your accomplishments. After all, the audience isn’t here for you, they are here for how you can help them.
It’s always nice to acknowledge the audience. Maybe you want to end with something as simple as “I look forward to connecting with you during this conference.”
Find a way to reach through the page and connect with your readers.
Are you ready to write a killer conference bio?
Now that you have all the tips you need for how to write a conference bio, you’re ready to get started. All that’s left is to actually get to writing.
If you ever need more writing or public speaking tips, remember that the team at selfpublishing.com is always here to help.