Expert Advice: How to Write an About Page

Writing an About page is about as fun as writing a resume or a cover letter. You have to talk about yourself (or your business), it has to be frustratingly short, and there is a ton of pressure to be brilliant. But you still have to do it.

Feel like procrastinating a little bit? Let’s read what the experts have to say:

Remember to include the basics – It is easy to get so tied up in writing something brilliant that you forget to include the basics… like your name or the name of your company (seriously, it happens). In her Copyblogger post, Are You Making These 7 Mistakes with Your About Page?, Sonia Simone reminds us to include the most important basic information, avoid rambling, and to above all, make it easy for the reader (i.e. please no video without text!).

Do a little research for inspiration – As I read through articles for this post, I found way too many conceptual articles that spoke about what About Pages should theoretically accomplish. The blogger behind Rachel Cooks wrote a much more practical guide, specifically targeted at food bloggers, but relevant to all. She also included a list of other About pages that she feels are good examples to learn from:

FoodieCrush– “Love how Heidi tells readers where to start — directing them to other pages on her site. I also love how she tells the story of how FoodieCrush came to be.”
How Sweet It Is– “Jessica’s about me page is pretty concise and to the point, but yet her voice and personality comes through strong and clear, and there are plenty of great links to important areas of her site.”
Well Plated– “I love Erin’s use of headings in her about me page. It makes it skim-able, but yet you want to read every word because it isn’t written in a boring or dull way.”
Oh My Veggies– “Bright photos draw you in and help tell the story of this blog. A publishing schedule is included — it’s clear right away what readers can expect to see on Kiersten’s site.”
Kalyn’s Kitchen– “Kalyn’s about me page clearly tells the story of her blog. It’s incredibly informative and helpful to readers. Tons of links help readers navigate their way around her site and get all the information and recipes they need.”

Include more than just copy – Neil Patel (read more about him here) makes a compelling argument for thinking about more than just the copy on your About page. In his post, How to Create the Perfect About Page, he outlines the following key components:

Headline
Benefits – how can you help your audience?
Supporting image – i.e. “A picture is worth a thousand words.” Show your audience who you are and what you have to offer with just one glance
Storytelling – here is your chance to pull your audience into your story… who are you and why should they care?
Call to action – what do you want the reader to do after they visit the page?
Thoughtful use of color – what feelings are you trying to evoke?

Check out the Hit Publish Podcast – This episode of the Hit Publish Podcast is probably the single most helpful resource I have ever used for writing a basic About page. The biggest take-away? It isn’t about your business! It is about your customer. Write what they need to read, not what you need to tell them. Even if you don’t have time to listen to the (relatively short) podcast, please take a few minutes to skim through the summary and show notes.