Your About Page, part 1

How to (finally) write it using this simple framework

We’re not narcissists, so who wants to write a web page all about themselves?

I know, almost nobody.

These are the biggest problems I see with About Pages -

• No page at all (surprisingly common)

• Hasn’t been updated for years

• Talks about process and purpose, but not people and stories

• Reminds me of a CV

About Page ingredients

You can’t go wrong with the format of your About Page if you include these three essential ingredients -

1. WHO - the work you do and WHO you do it for.

2. YOU - the concentrated essence of your story, along with a reassuring dash of social proof.

3. DO - what do you want people to DO next?

This post is drawn from a workbook all about writing your About Page. If you want to get your About Page published asap, take a look.

1 One-liner frameworks for defining WHO you work with & WHAT you do

Your About Page needs a tightly written one-liner that defines what you do and who it’s for.

Play around with these wording examples for your WHO one-liner -

• [My ideal buyers] hire me to [what you do] so that they can …

• I [do this] using [my process] for [ideal buyers] …

• I [do this] for [ideal buyers] because I believe [your mission or manifesto] ...

• I empower [clients] to [do this] …

• [My ideal buyers] rely on me to [do this] without [insert typical problem] …

2 YOU: the essence of your story

Expert advice is confusing. Should your About Page be all about your buyers and not really about your business? That only makes sense up to a point. Many potential buyers will click away disappointed if they don’t get a feel for you at all on your About Page. Sometimes even the smallest nugget of personal information sticks in their memory.

There’s sound psychology behind this. We want to buy from someone we feel unity with (one of Cialdini’s principles of persuasion). There’s no better place to show this on your website than your About Page.

Your About Page needs to show the concentrated essence of your story, along with a reassuring dash of social proof. Firstly, assess what you feel comfortable sharing. No right or wrong answers here.

Work your way through these categories, decide which ones you’re happy to talk about, then make quick notes about relevant info you could share -

• Education

• Career background

• Location (doesn’t need to be specific)

• Family

• Professional credentials

• Previous buyers

• Achievements and awards

• Hobbies and interests

• Favourite things

• Who/what inspires you

• Life milestones and challenges

• Work milestones and challenges

Next: what makes YOU extra?

Now let’s add some sparkle. What makes you a limited edition?

These thinking prompts will help you identify what makes you stand out.

• Origin story - what motivated you to get started?

• Where or how you live - your location and interests

• Unique point of view

• Achievements/awards you’ve won

• Numbers/data that back up your business claims

• Stuff you do differently to everyone else in your industry

• People you work with

• Your process

• Your favourite music, books, passions

• Your inspiration - people or ideas

3 What should we DO next?

The final essential ingredient of your About Page is one simple call to action.

Many About Pages lack a clear next step.

Pick just ONE thing that you want readers to do next. They could -

• Sign up to your email list

• Book a call

• Download a freebie

• Click through to your core sales page

How to put these 3 ingredients together

Use Step 1 (your WHO one-liner) as your intro.

Add some juice on YOU from Step 2, along with a photo.

Finish up with what to DO next. Include a button, link or video, so there’s an obvious action that moves readers to the next step.

This post is a simplified version of my fillable workbook on how to write, revise and repurpose your About Page. You can definitely get started using this post. If you want all the prompts and tips, check out my detailed About Page workbook. 

The workbook shows you how to create an About Page that focuses as much on your buyers as it does on you. If you follow every step, by the time you’ve finished, you’ll have an About Page you’ll feel happy to share (and use for other content).

Work with me

I’m Out Of Office for one-to-one client work during August, but if you can’t wait to take the first step, choose one of these two options -

1. Write your own About Page quickly and easily using my workbook.

2. Check out how you can create an interactive showcase of your work, professionally designed and written, for a recession-friendly price.