“How do I write my About Page?”

I hear this question all the time.

When I work with clients…

chat with entrepreneurs…

or travel to conferences…

…basically, anytime someone finds out that I’m a copywriter.

Maybe you’ve had the same questions and concerns…

“I’m not sure how much of my story to share.”
“How long is it supposed to be?”
“I’m not even sure I HAVE a story!”

And then you start to compare…
“[Another entrepreneur I like] doesn’t even have story on her About Page!”

And then you get stuck in finding your “voice”…
“I don’t want it to sound boring and dry.”

And then you can’t figure out if you’re giving TMI…
“If I overshare, will I scare everyone away?”

And then, before you know it, the seemingly simple task of writing a page about yourself becomes a huge source of anxiety, overwhelm, and self-doubt.

If you’ve ever had these thoughts, you’re not alone.

And better yet, you’re in the right place! I’m here to show you exactly what to do. 😉

First thing you need to understand is…

The whole mission of your About Page is to connect with potential clients.

So any visitor to the page has to feel like they understand you – and that you understand them.

So the interesting thing is…

Your About Page – even though it’s “about you” – is actually about your potential clients.

“Whaaaaat?!” I know. Crazy, huh?

But where to begin…

Good news is – there’s no super complex formula you have to follow.

Instead, there are different elements that could go on your About Page, and you get to choose which ones to use.

The only BIG question is…

“Do I tell my story? Or do I talk about what I do?”

Remember what we talked about above – the page is about you, and it’s about your potential clients!

So a good rule of thumb is – if your story is similar to the experience your clients are going through, tell that story. Because, in a way, you’re telling their story.

And the cool thing is – because your story is uniquely yours, that means your About Page will be different from anyone else’s.

Think about…

• What did the struggle look & feel like when you were in the thick of it?
• What event or moment turned everything around for you? (Maybe this was a “dark night of the soul” or a “rock bottom” moment. Or maybe it was a conversation, or something you saw.)
• What is life like now – now that you’ve figured this thing out and help other people with it?
• If you were describing your story to your best friend, what details would you include?
• And if your best friend were describing your story, what details would they include?
• (Need more help? You’re in luck! I wrote a whole article about how to figure out which story to tell.)

But what if you don’t have a personal story that matches your client’s struggle?

Skip the story, and give us a more detailed look at the problems you pinpoint, solutions you offer, and why you’re the best person to do it!

Great. How do you do that?

Here’s the basic format:

• Describe the problem in detail, the way your client would describe it. (For example, scroll back up to see how I did this at the top of this article.)
• Reassure her that she’s not alone/it’s not her fault/there is a way out.
• Give a quick “teaser” of how you help. (This could be the same as your elevator pitch: “I help _____ who are struggling with ____ to do ____, so they can ____.”)
• Give a few credentials if you have them. (If you don’t have certifications, you can instead mention some of the results your clients have gotten.)
• Then tell them to go check out your services on the Services Page.

(Note: you can use this format all over the place – your homepage, your services page, your emails, your sales page… you get the picture.)

From there, you’re in the home stretch!

About Page Staples:

After you’ve crafted the rest of your About Page masterpiece, don’t forget to slap these puppies in there:

• A Photo of You – A picture says 1,000 words – show us who you are!
• Attention-Grabbing Headline – Something that stops me in my tracks!
• Call To Action – Tell us what to do next! Do you want us to visit your services page next? Book a consultation with you? Link us directly to the page you want us to go to!

About Page Extras:

If you want to dig deeper or highlight your personality, you can also include one, two, or all of these sections:

(This is where the fun begins! Your personal flair is in the details.)

• Random Fun Facts About You – Are you secretly a black belt? An award-winning cake-maker? We’re dying to know! (Take a look at how I did this on my own page.)
• Why We Are/Are Not a Good Fit – Make a list of what would make us a match made in heaven! Be upfront about why we may not be a perfect fit.
• Testimonials – Because it’s one thing for YOU to say that you’re awesome – it’s a whole ‘nother thing for someone else to say it, too.

Those are your ingredients.

Now cook up the perfect recipe for YOU!

From your Picture to your Fun Facts – your About Page might show off your silly side. Your Call To Action and Testimonials might tell me that you mean business.

Once you know the elements, you can play with your structure and shake it all about. Just like the hokey pokey says, that’s really what it’s all about!

Want more help writing your website?

In my “Write Your Website” Checklist, we’ll go through all the essential pages of your website, starting with the Homepage and closing with my favorite kind of sign-off, a Thank You.

As you’ll learn in the checklist, congratulating your clients on a job well done and thanking them for working with you is a super simple way to connect.

So for now I’ll say, “Congratulations on mastering your About Page! And thank you for stopping by the blog!”

xo!