One of the most important things you can do for your online presence is craft a snappy and straightforward bio

The most important story any brand can tell is its own. Origin stories provide great fodder for ongoing marketing initiatives. By leveraging elements of where your brand came from, you can help nurture a distinctive corporate identity that distinguishes your company in the marketplace.

Baseline to that endeavor is crafting and publishing compelling biographical content on your online platforms—chiefly your company’s website and ­social media feeds. The “About Us” page and social media profile section (aka bios) are where many ­consumers go to learn about a company and ­decide whether to patronize it. This is especially true with millennials and Gen Zers, who actively seek out companies that prioritize transparency.

Instagram influencer, social media consultant, and gemologist Hannah Becker is one of the best storytellers in the biz. The founder of Diamondoodles is known for her clever, stylish “doodles” (custom illustrations adorned with gemstones) that have been commissioned by major brands for marketing campaigns. We asked Becker to share her tips for creating compelling internet intros.

Be Crystal Clear

When writing bios for social feeds and websites, be clear—and err on the side of textbook-boring over ultraclever. “As quickly as a client can stumble upon your profile on Instagram, they can leave for another page if they don’t understand what you make or the services you provide,” Becker says. “Imagine I introduced myself with a handshake and ‘Hannah Becker: travel, sparkly things, dog mom’ versus ‘Hannah Becker: gemstone doodles, stone sourcing, creative direction, and digital strategy.’ The first might be true and cute, but it doesn’t help you know my business or how we can work together.”

Be Brief

“Two things that make for a boring About Us page: too much text and no images,” Becker says. “Unless you’ve been around for 100-plus years, it shouldn’t take you more than three concise paragraphs to tell your story.” If you don’t have a strong writer in-house, hire a copywriter for your About Us page, which won’t require much updating. And make sure all text is edited for typos and/or grammatical errors—even your brief social media bios. “Put the most important information up top and stick to only the most engaging and pertinent details,” Becker says. And “compelling images will help do the work of telling your story.”

Reveal Yourself

Users “like to know the name of the person they’re addressing on social media,” Becker says. “If I can’t tell if you are a store, a designer, or just a jewelry lover, your social media is not going to help you grow your business.” If your store or brand has one person running the Instagram, consider putting that person’s name in your brand’s bio. “And if you’re a designer and your brand isn’t your name, put your name somewhere in your bio so we know who you are.” Above all, “be honest and true to yourself,” Becker says. “People want to see what’s real!”

Insets: Gem-laden artwork from the About page on diamondoodles.com

(M-imagephotography/istock/Getty; courtesy diamondoodles [2])