I’m certain that one of the reasons why I even have a job as a copywriter is because of the sheer dread and awkwardness that rushes through your veins when you hear the words “so tell us about yourself!” in a job interview.
Though, if you’re reading this blog, you might not be gearing up for a job interview, but you are realizing that writing your About page tends to bring up the same feelings.
Because IT IS awkward to talk about yourself! In a job interview, you’re basically being asked to sell your skills, humanize yourself, and do it all without sounding like you’re bragging or out of touch with your skills.
Guess what? On your About page, it’s the same story.
It is, however, 100% necessary to have a banger of an About page, though. There’s a reason why About pages tend to be the 2nd most visited page on every website, after the homepage.
Especially when you’re a personal brand, service provider, or have a strong mission in your business, people want to know about the person they’re considering hiring.
And I know you’re probably still cringing inside when you’re thinking about writing your About page, so not to worry, I’m going to break it down for you so you don’t have to feel icky writing about yourself.
1. First, remember that your About page is for connection
Have you thought about why About pages are the 2nd most visited pages on most websites?
Because, people are craving connection and trust. Especially when they’re considering dropping three, four, or five figures on your offer, that requires a lot of trust before they feel confident enough to buy from you.
Who do people trust more than anyone else? People they have a strong connection with.
Keep this in mind as you’re writing your About page: you’re not trying to prove yourself, you’re trying to form a connection.
2. Think less “formula” and more journey
I have a rough formula or template I follow when I’m writing About pages for my clients, but honestly? There’s no “perfect” About page formula the same way there is for a sales page or homepage.
Your About page is the one place you can really tap into your creativity and take people one a journey.
So, I’m not going to give you a “formula” here for writing your About page. Instead, I’ll say you should follow these steps:
- Map out your different sections (try to have at least 5, but you can have more)
- After finishing this blog post, brainstorm what you want to talk about for each section
- Identify the “purpose” behind each section and how it will help people feel connected to you
- Get writing, be messy, and edit later
I bet you could do this in 10 minutes too *wink wink*
3. Invite people into your space
THIS is one of my favorite hacks for writing a compelling About page: pretend it’s space, and you’re just giving a tour.
Don’t overthink this. It’s just a fun hack that can help bring some levity to your writing, instead of falling back into “job interview mode.”
Here are some fun examples from my projects:
From the Personality on Purpose About page.
From Gretchen Loretta Photography’s About page.
From my About page!
Why does this work? Because giving a potential client a tour of your space is much more informational and connective than listing off your credentials.
Each corner of your world you show them should serve a purpose and help build trust with you.
4. Remember, you’re selling the *transformation* you specialize in
If you’re someone whose personal transformation is integral to your work in your business (a health coach who overcame a chronic illness, a finance expert who transformed their financial situation, etc.) this is an especially important approach.
If you can demonstrate your own personal transformation on your About page, that will be super impactful for your readers.
And if your own personal transformation isn’t super relevant to your business (mine isn’t, lol) that’s totally fine.
Instead, focus on how you’re passionate and qualified to take your clients through their own transformation.
Here’s an example:
From the Personality on Purpose About page.
5. Add personal details (this is not optional)
If your About page is for building connections, then adding personal details is a 100% must-have for this page.
Now, this is not to say that you need to spill your guts and sell your soul when you write this page (please don’t do that, actually.)
You can keep your About page super surface level and people will still connect with it. Some personal details you can add are:
- Your coffee order
- Your favorite movie or TV show
- What pets you have
- Whereabouts you’re located
- Dream vacation
- Favorite way to spend a Saturday
See? Not too bad at all.
Of course, if you want to add more personal details, or a strong “origin story” that’s totally fine too.
For myself, I decided to include my origin story of how I first realized words could transform people’s lives (and careers) on my About page.
From my About page.
(Also? It is absolutely necessary to have some photos of yourself on your About page. Hopefully your whole website has photos of you, but if there’s one page that it’s a non-negotiable, this is it!)
Here’s another example of adding personal details:
From the VM Interiors About page.
6. Think less “TedTalk” and more “coffee chat”
Or the other trap people fall into? Just giving a list of your credentials.
While your credentials are important, they’re rarely going to be “the thing” that convinces someone to buy from you.
Your About page is neither a lecture nor an entire chronicle of how you got started.
A good mindset hack to keep when you’re writing: speak as if you’re chatting with one friend over coffee.
You wouldn’t launch into a cringy TedTalk script or a job interview while out for coffee with a friend, would you?
Instead, you’d probably speak in a conversational ton, crack some jokes (even if they’re kinda lame), and try to be as helpful as possible to your friend.
When you’ve finished writing the first draft of your About page, ask yourself: is this giving more coffee chat or TedTalk?
At the end of the day, your About page should be fun to read and leave people feeling excited to talk to you more.
Writing your website is hard, so let me help ya
Listen: I get it. Writing is hard. Writing about yourself is even harder. And writing in a way that inspires people to buy from you is pretty dang difficult.
Luckily, I’ve got lots of resources that can help you!
First, take my free homepage writing course here if you need help writing your homepage.
Read this blog post here about writing your services page that I definitely gave too many of my best tricks away in.
Check out my copywriting services here if you want me to do your writing for you (the easiest way to get convincing-but-coffee-chat-level writing for your business.)
Ready to get to work? Inquire to work on a project with me right here, or send me a DM if that’s more your speed.
