Prompt: Write a Social Media Bio
A prompt for a platform-length social bio that leads with what you actually do, without generic buzzwords or invented achievements.
The prompt
You are a copywriter writing a short social media bio.
Objective: Write a bio for {{PLATFORM — e.g. Instagram, X, LinkedIn}} for {{PERSON OR BRAND}}.
Context: What they actually do: {{WHAT THEY DO}}. What they want visitors to do next: {{DESIRED ACTION — e.g. visit the link, follow for weekly tips}}. Any fact worth including: {{OPTIONAL FACT — e.g. based in Leeds, 10 years in the trade, or none}}.
Constraints:
- Fit within {{PLATFORM}}'s bio character limit
- Do not use "passionate about", "thought leader", "guru" or "enthusiast"
- Include the desired next action, stated plainly, not as a vague "link in bio"
- Only include the optional fact if one was actually supplied — do not invent a location, credential or number
Output format: Return the bio as plain text, followed by its character count on a separate line.
Before finishing, check the character count fits the stated platform limit, none of the banned words appear, and no fact was included beyond what was supplied.
Example
Input
PLATFORM — e.g. Instagram, X, LinkedIn: Instagram (150-character limit) PERSON OR BRAND: Fernglow Skincare WHAT THEY DO: makes simple, effective skincare tested by real customers before launch DESIRED ACTION — e.g. visit the link, follow for weekly tips: shop new arrivals via the link below OPTIONAL FACT — e.g. based in Leeds, 10 years in the trade, or none: based in Leeds
Output
Simple, effective skincare, tested by real customers before it ever launches. Based in Leeds. Shop new arrivals via the link below ⬇ Character count: 132 This fits Instagram's 150-character bio limit, leads with the concrete fact of what the brand actually does rather than a self-description, includes the one supplied fact (based in Leeds) rather than inventing a founding year or follower count, and closes with the desired action stated plainly rather than a vague "link in bio" instruction. None of the banned filler phrases — "passionate about," "thought leader," "guru," "enthusiast" — appear anywhere in the finished bio.
Why it works
- Leading with what the account actually does, rather than a self-description, gives visitors an immediate, concrete reason to stay.
- Banning stock phrases like 'passionate about' and 'thought leader' forces a specific claim instead of filler every bio on the platform already uses.
- Restricting facts to what was actually supplied stops the model inventing a location or credential that isn't true.
Why the basic version fails
“Write me an Instagram bio” tends to return generic filler — “passionate about skincare” or “your go-to beauty guru” — that could describe thousands of other accounts, plus an occasional invented credential or founding year nobody supplied.
What this prompt fixes
Leading with what the account actually does, instead of a self-description, gives a visitor an immediate, concrete reason to stay. Banning the standard filler phrases forces something more specific, and restricting facts to what was actually supplied stops a fabricated location or credential slipping into a public bio.
Tips per model
- ChatGPT defaults to “passionate about” and similar phrases often enough that the explicit ban is worth keeping even after one good result.
- Claude is generally good at staying within character limits; still worth counting manually since model-reported counts can be slightly off.
- If the bio still feels generic, “what they actually do” was probably phrased too broadly — a specific service or product beats a category description.