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One of the most important parts of your article is the author bio box.  Yes, having a strong title to grab attention is important.  Yes, having good, well-written information in the article body is also important.  But your author bio box needs to provide the “hook” that compels the reader to click through to your website and buy your products, sign up for your list, or whatever else you’re hoping they do once they get there. The next time you have a few spare minutes, visit some popular article directories like Ezinearticles or Articlebase and view some articles in your niche topic.  Scroll down to look at the author bio boxes people are using.  You’ll see some really terrible ones, and also some great ones.  Can you tell which are which? A great way to determine this is to consider how you feel when you read them.  Do they inspire you to want to visit the website being linked to?  Or do you get a “ho-hum” feeling and click the back button?  Pay close attention to the bio boxes that make you want to click through.  Copy and paste some of these great bios into a text document, and then study them until you understand what makes them most effective.  Eventually it will “click” and you’ll know how to write your own compelling bio boxes – but in the meantime, keep the following tips in mind:

Tip #1 – It’s Not All about You

Probably some of the most boring bio boxes say something like, “George Smith has been a commercial real estate agent since 1977.  He graduated with honors from Blankety Blank University, and has been devoted to helping his clients find the best properties ever since . . .”  Ugh!  The reader does not care.  In the back of their mind they are focused on only one thing – what George can do for THEM. Consider the difference between that snooze-fest and this alternative:  “George Smith is ready to help you choose the best location for your business while also saving you time and money.  Click here to download a free 15-page report on how to buy prime business real estate for rock-bottom prices.”  Okay, that may not be the most dazzling bio box either – but it is certainly compelling and stirs curiosity, right?  Did you notice the “hook”?  The promise of a free, valuable gift like a downloadable report in your bio box is a great way to compel your readers to action!

Tip #2 – Make Your Bio Box an Extension of Your Article

Here is a tip you don’t hear mentioned often; make sure your bio box flows naturally as an extension of your article.  In other words, try not to make the last paragraph of your article a definite “ending”.  Instead, lead into your bio box from there so the bio box seems more like the ending. Example:  Last article sentence reads, “For sure there are many pitfalls in buying commercial real estate, some of which you may not be aware of yet, and having an expert to advise you is a good idea.”  Then your bio box tells them that YOU are that expert, and just how you are able to help them!