A Realtor needs to maintain an online bio in several places, here are five tips to help you execute one that works for you, not against you.

1. Its an old journalism saying: Show, don’t Tell.

Explaining what you have done is better than telling them what your title is. You will see a lot of ninjas, enthusiasts, philosophers, and worst of all gurus on people’s social media profiles. Wouldn’t it be better if they told you how they grew sales, orchestrated their teams to produce more ideas, and led change in their organizations?

The “show, don’t tell” rule results in focusing on what things you actually make happen, not who you say you are. Phrasing this way means using words like these:

These are doing words, action verbs that give a sense of what you get done. That is key, this is the value you bring to those that hire you. Remember that.

 2. Make sure you use keywords that speak to the people you are targeting.

What are you an expert at? Specifically. That should be in your bio using the keywords that describe the skills and expertise that you hold. They will be searched for and increase the likelihood that your bio will help you get found. So how do you come up with these keywords? Think about what the client you are targeting would be looking for, and then how they would type that into Google. Those are your keywords.

3. Don’t get lazy and decide to use the current buzzwords:

Like we mentioned above, there are words we see over and over. I for one do not want to hire a social media guru any more than I want to hire a marketing ninja. Those words say nothing other than the fact that you think you are either smarter or cooler (or both0 than the reader. Trust me this is not a good approach.

Linkedin which is pretty much the greatest authority on professional web profiles presented this slideshow on the most overused words of 2013. If these are in your bio it is time to change it up.

4. Always include what is in it for your prospective client or employer.

Ahhh the Value proposition, you must include this. Accomplishments demonstrate ability but they are the past, your bio is speaking to people who want to know what they get from working with you; in the future. This is essential to answer: what can these readers expect from you? What value do you add to the equation?

5. Revisit often (More than Every Ten Years)

Stale bios are the old headshots of the digital age, now not only do we get to see your old headshot when bangs were big, but we get to read about where you were in your career in 2001. Let’s go, ge tit up to date. Make a note in your calendar of choice (Google is mine) to remind you to read and edit your bio every three months. That way you can tout your recent developments and expunge things that no longer apply.