Dear Architect, your bio is boring (and ways to fix it).

Stop copy-pasting your bio. Yes, you heard me...

We've all been there...'borrowing' a sentence or two from a peers bio. It's easier and faster than starting from scratch, right?

It may be easier and faster (...and borderline plagiarism) but this is what happens...

Your bio becomes boring (aka like no-need-to-pop-a-restavit-I'll-just-read-your-bio boring).

Jack is a licensed architect with over 25 years in the field. He is the Founding Principal of XYZ architecture, which he started in 2001 after working for a few years at other firms. He graduated with a 5-year professional degree – Bachelor of Architecture – from Philadelphia University. In addition to practicing architecture, Jack has taught design as an adjunct professor. He has a wide range of architectural and design experience ranging from modern residential to commercial office to sports facilities to socially relevant installations.”

Yes. This is a real example. And like so many architect bios it’s nothing more than a resume in paragraph form.

I get it—writing about yourself is difficult. But don’t be tempted to make your bio a carbon copy of someone else's.

Nobody hires your practice—they hire you. Even before they meet you, prospective clients not only want to know you’re an expert, but they also want to feel like they know you. Use the right words in your bio to create a genuine connection and don’t be afraid to inject some personality (you are human after all!).

But, here's the thing: Your bio is powerful. It should give a sense of who you are. It should tell a story. And it should be interesting and memorable.

There’s also no way of knowing who is reading the bio on your website—so you always want it to be ready when the right people come across it. And when they do, you want the person reading your bio to feel a connection with you (even if they haven’t met you).

CHECKLIST—QUESTIONS YOU NEED TO ASK YOURSELF BEFORE WRITING YOUR BIO:

• What does my practice do? (Hint: ‘Architecture’ is the wrong answer)
• Why do you do what you do?
• Why am I unique? (i.e. what makes you different from other Architects?).
• Who is my ideal prospective client?
• What is important to my ideal client?
• What tone of voice is appropriate?
• What is the objective of this bio? (Tip: don’t rehash the SAME bio for every submission, proposal or media request. You need to rewrite according to your target audience).
• What will make my bio interesting & memorable? (i.e. perhaps include a quote or unique story).

A COMMON MISTAKE...

Don't talk about yourself. Talk about your ideas. Write about your design philosophies, your beliefs and ideologies. Share a story or a favourite quote. This will make you stand out from the sea of sameness. It will position you as an expert and attract your Ideal clients (ie. they will hold the same values as you do).

AND WHEN YOU DO WRITE YOUR BIO...

Keep it simple — don’t over do it. Keep it short (200-300 words max). Remember: the people reading your bio are time poor and most likely suffering from information fatigue. If you don't hook them in the first line, you'll lose them quickly.

Consider the layout of your bio webpage. Can you use bullet points to separately list your qualifications & awards? If so, don’t waste your precious words communicating these details.

Include contact details. If prospective clients want to work with you—they need to be able to contact you. Make it easy for them to do so. Create a call to action to prompt action. For example: ‘If you have a project in mind—we would love to hear from you. Let’s chat.’

I know this is NOT what you want to hear… but a bio is never ‘finished’. It’s an evolving document. You need to update it regularly as your accomplishments and focuses will change throughout the course of your career. It's important that your bio reflects these changes.

Architects—I'm curious...when was the last time you wrote your bio? and who wrote it?

Want a step-by-step toolkit to help you write an engaging website bio. Check out the Website Biography Builder. Visit the Architects WordShop now.

If you want more practical insights and tips like this—download my FREE ebook '5 Mistakes Architects Make With Their Website (and how to fix them)'. Download here.