Writing a healthcare bio that doesn’t suck?

Oh yes, the bio. No matter what you do: massage therapist, chiropractor, nutritionist, personal trainer, or any other career for that matter, you’re going to have to write one sooner or later. Whether it’s for your website or for a posting put up on your office wall, having a nicely written bio is a helpful thing to have.

For a lot of us, this whole ‘writing about yourself’ thing isn’t such a fun task. It can be really weird trying to describe yourself in a way that is appealing for the people reading it and doesn’t just sound like a laundry list of your degrees, diplomas and designations.

I got you! Let me give you some help with composing something that helps you stand out from the crowd.

Eight steps for writing your healthcare website bio:

1. Start by just brainstorming what you want to say. Make a list of the points you want to make, in whatever order they pop into your head.
2. Once you’ve got your list, see if there are any points you can combine into one short statement or things that are ‘nice to have’ but not essentials. For example, where you did your training/school might not be necessary, but putting in mention of your certifications usually is.
3. Add in at least one fun fact or light-hearted statement that gives people an idea of who you are (and not just your credentials). What are your hobbies? Do you have kids? Are you an avid reader? The point here is to connect with people – especially people you most want to target! So if you’re looking to book more athletes, talk about your own athletic pursuits. If you’re focusing on parents, that’s a great thing to talk about. You get the idea!
4. Write out your first draft. Whether you write in the first person or third person is totally up to you. The main thing is to try to be relatable to your target audience while still mentioning what makes you qualified to help them. Think about what would be reassuring to read in a bio if you were looking for someone who does what you do, and make sure that info goes in there!
5. On that last point: a big tip is to make sure your bio puts the client first. For example, instead of saying ‘I’m a massage therapist who works with athletes who have injuries’, say ‘I help athletes rehabilitate from injuries by providing focused massage therapy treatments’.
6. Now that you have a first draft, it’s time to edit! Is there anything you can shorten or clarify to make it more succinct? Think about people skimming here – can they skim and still get the info they need?
7. Spelling, punctuation and grammar matter! Have someone who is good with those things look it over for you. Even if you’re a confident writer, a second set of eyes is helpful.
8. Finally: take this ‘master’ version of your bio and start transforming it for each place you need one. For example, Instagram has a 150 character limit: how can you shorten what you’ve written to fit? Or if you’re asked to make it longer and more detailed – perhaps as part of a handout for a conference you’re speaking at – how can you do that without being overly wordy?

That should get you on your way to writing a better healthcare website bio that can be reused in many places! The key takeaway is to make it more about your ideal client and not just a list of what you did in school or where you’ve worked. After all, the goal is to get more people to book with you. Making it about them helps!