How to Craft an 'About' Page: 5 Keys to Telling Your Story

When's the last time you updated your bio on your blog's About page? Or your About Us page on your website? Did you know that this is one of the most visited pages? People want to know who's behind a business. Personalities count.

Yet many blogs and sites have a standard resume written in the third person, boring as all get-out. Certainly client lists are important. But so are you. This page is an important content marketing opportunity. Tell your story, your real story. If you are the sole author of your blog, write it in the first person.

Every story has some basic elements to it that make it really compelling. Personally, I think everyone has a good story to tell about themselves, only most don’t know how to tell it well so that readers are enchanted and moved.

When I work with clients to improve their blog, I don’t often see them telling their story well, if at all.

Many bloggers copy and paste their bio or resume onto their About page, written in the 3rd person:  “John Smith is a consultant with 20 years experience working with Fortune 500 companies on their strategic development plans.”

(ZZZZ…snore…sound of readers drifting off)

Your About page is a great opportunity to connect emotionally with readers by telling them who you really are, not just what your career has been like.

Rohit Bhargava suggests in his recent book Personality not Included you use a page out of screenwriters’ notebooks. Tell your story so that it tugs on readers’ emotions.

There are five key elements used in crafting a good story:

1. Character: Who are you? How are you different? Why should we care about you?
2. Challenge: What is the key question or need you're trying to answer? (core message)
3. Vision: What is your unique idea or premise that you have embarked on? (core mission or goals)
4. Conflict: What stands in your way, and what obstacles have you had to overcome?
5. Triumph: How have you been successful and how are you overcoming these barriers to success?

We’ve all overcome barriers and trudged on through them to where we are today. What have been yours? Have you told your readers?

Why is it you’re doing what you do today? How is it you’re succeeding, in spite of all that has happened? How is it you haven’t given up?

Tell readers your story so that they can identify with you, your mistakes, your triumphs. Otherwise, why should they care about you and your blog?

When I see stories on people’s blogs, most of the time they're not strong enough. They're either candy-coated, with so much positive stuff you get a little sugar high and nauseated, or they're without any drama at all. You need emotional elements to make your personal story come alive.

Business-like bios and resumes are the worst offenders. Take a look at your About page and rewrite it to tell your REAL story.

Read my back story here: Patsi Krakoff, Psy. D.
Read the back story on my core business Content Marketing Matters.

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Comments

[Barb Sawyers]

Once again, you've got me thinking --and realizing there's so much more to do. Well explained and beautifully told.

[Jenny Pilley]

One thing I find difficult when writing about making myself is not to sound ridiculous, but your tips really have helped, so thanks Patsi. Great expression of ideas as always :)