How to write your about page without feeling awkward about it!

Have you ever gone to write your About page and found yourself frozen at the keyboard?

You wonder, “how do I write about my expertise?” and “how do I do it without feeling sleazy, slimy, just plain awkward?”

So, you either…

1. spend hours staring at a blinking cursor, scratching your head while fuelling up on caffeine…
2. quickly hash something out, hit publish, and cringe every time you glance at your About page,
3. or you shove it to the bottom of your never-ending to-do list, then conveniently “forget about it” while making peace with the fact that you’ll never have an amazing About page like that other business owner does (quickly glances at another awesome site)

Done any of those three things?

You’re not alone.

I know that writing your About page can feel confusing and just plain “ick”.

That’s why, in this post, I’m demystifying the About page process by breaking down 6 steps to an About page that connects.

---

Prefer to listen? Tune in to the Expert Status Show on Apple Podcast >>

---

But before we dive into the nitty gritty of how to write an About page, I need you to know this:

Your About page is not about you!

Your About page is about your dream clients. When you take the spotlight off yourself and put it onto your dream clients, it completely changes the way you write and the way you will feel about what you’re writing. Instead of worrying about what people will think about you, you can think through the lens of “how are my dream clients going to connect with me?”

One of the biggest mistakes I see people make when it comes to writing their About page is that they write it like a resume, by recounting their experience, their skills, their degrees, and so on. But this doesn’t show a potential client that you understand the problem they are currently having or the solution they want. So instead of looking at your About page like a resume that needs to convince someone that you’re an expert, look at your About page as an opportunity to tell a story that will connect with your dream clients.

With that said, let’s dive into 7 steps to writing an About page that connects with your dream clients.

1. Introduce yourself

In the past, you may have introduced yourself like this, “Hey, I’m [NAME] and I’m a [what you do].” For example, “Hey, I’m Elise and I’m a copywriter.” But if I used that age-old formula, it wouldn’t tell my dream clients what benefit there is for them.

Instead, I might introduce myself by describing the transformation I create for my dream clients:

“Hey, I’m Elise. I help entrepreneurs become the number 1 choice for their dream clients with conversion copywriting, so they don’t have to waste time working with the wrong clients.”

Do you see how this phrase is so much more client focused than the first one that simply tells them my occupation?

Hot tip: Pepper in your personality by adding unique descriptors. For example, “Hey, I’m Elise – conversion copywriter, rosé lover, and boy mama. I help entrepreneurs become the number 1 choice for their dream clients with conversion copywriting, so they don’t have to waste time working with the wrong clients.”

2. Identify your dream client’s problem (or desire)

A visitor is likely looking at your website because they’re after a solution to a problem they’re having, and believe you might have the answer. Assure the reader that they’re in the right place by addressing the problem or desire that’s taking up the most space in their mind.

You can do this by asking a question. For example…

• “Struggling to get consistent cashflow in your photography business?”
• Want “how can I work with you?” DMs lighting up your inbox, but have no idea where to start?”
• “Sick of chasing a never-ending to-do list and just wish you had a clear plan for how to move the needle in your business ever day?”

This is the kind of touchpoint that gets your ideal client saying “oh yes, that’s me!” Once their attention has been captured, they’ll continue scrolling down the page.

3. Agitate the problem/desire:

After highlighting the problem, you want to continue to appeal to your client’s emotions by agitating it. You can do this by writing more about the kinds of struggles (or desires) they have. This simply makes your about page (and you!) more relatable to them, so they begin to see that you understand what they’re going through.

Hot tip: Refer to any voice of customer data you have where your ideal clients have described their struggles, desires, and questions. Include common themes in your writing. This ensures your copy is based off real data, which allows you to feel more confident that it will connect (of course, it’s important to review data to check if it is in fact connecting and to make tweaks accordingly).

4. Provide a solution:

That’s when you swoop on in with the solution to their problems.

If you’re a service provider or course creator, then you are the solution. If you run a product-based business, then your product is the solution. By this point, your ideal client or customer should associate you as the right person to solve their problems.

A few key points:

• This section should be short, sharp and to the point (think a sentence or two)
• Point to yourself (or your product) as the solution your dream client needs 
• Explain how you (or your products) help your dream client
• Pepper in your personality by using your personality visuals (“This is where I step on the scene with a bottle of rosé in one hand and a MacBook in the other”)

5. Tell your story

This is where you continue to build trust and rapport with your website visitor.

Your story should share how you overcame a struggle that your potential client faces today, or how you came to be the expert you are today. If you run a product business, this could be the story of how the idea for your product came about. This is also the place where you can brag on yourself a little bit, so don’t hold back from name dropping any well-known clients or mentioning your qualifications.

You may be in the place you are today because you took the time to educate yourself, because you had an “aha” moment, because you realised there was a gap in the industry and you filled that gap, or because you experienced the same transformation that you help your dream client achieve. 

Whatever angle you choose to take, tell your story in a way that is relatable to your dream client. 

6. Invite your reader to take action 

A huge mistake (and missed opportunity) I see on SO many About pages is that business owners tell their story and leave it at that.

It’s so important to remember that the person reading your About page is a visitor to your site, which means they aren’t familiar with the best next step to take. This is why you need to guide them to take the next step you want them to take (so they don’t hit that “X” button and head to someone else’s About page!).

Your call to action should be in line with your goal for your About page. So consider the action you want visitors to take after reading your About page. Do you want them to book a call with you, grab a free guide, watch a class, DM you, view your services page?

First, you’ll want to transition from your story or sharing about some of the amazing clients you’ve helped to inviting this website visitor/dreamy potential client to see themselves in the story. You can do this by saying things like:

• “But now, it’s your turn…”
• “I’d love to work with you…”
• “You might be wondering, could this be possible for me?”…
• “Pour a glass of cab sav (one for me too!), and let’s chat…”

After opening up the loop that they could experience the kind of success that other clients have had, it’s time to include a specific call to action. Here are some examples of calls to action:

• “Book your enquiry call”
• “Grab your free brand voice guide”
• “Grab my 7-day paleo plan”
• “Find out how I can help you >>”

There you have it, 6 steps for writing an About page that connects with your dream clients.

Are you going to try out this About page format for yourself? If so, comment and let me know.

I’d love to hear your thoughts

Thanks for reading this post! I hope you found it valuable. As always, I’d love to hear your thoughts. Comment down below and let me know what you found most helpful or surprising about writing your about page without feeling awkward about it!