Copywriter, technical writer, translator (FR>EN, ES>EN, IT>EN), journalist

How to write a profile

A person, a company, a technology, a trend – people want to learn about these things. You can help them by writing an engaging profile.

To view sample profiles, click here and here.

Sample structure

Here is a basic list of details you can use to write a business biography, the most common type of profile:

  • Basic details like the name, title, city of residence, professional experience and education
  • Specialized knowledge, experience or whatever enables this person to provide superior value to customers or the company
  • Any industry group memberships
  • Published works
  • Calendar of past or future presentations
  • Web links to things such as published works, blogs, videos of past presentations – anything that helps readers grasp who the subject is

Tips

  • The typical corporate biography reads like an inventory list. People prefer to read stories, so where you can do so, engage the reader’s interest: tell your subject’s story. For an example, click here.
  • The inventory style of biography is handy for search engine optimization (SEO), but a well-written story can achieve SEO as well. You may want to consider both types of profiles, the inventory list below the story, to meet both Google’s and the reader’s needs.
  • The question-and-answer format is also popular, and can be as effective as the story.
  • Has the subject been interviewed by a media personality, and was that interview published or broadcast? The transcript may prove useful if it covers all the bases you need the profile to cover.