How New Bloggers Can Easily Craft Remarkable About Pages

Is it possible that a tour guide can teach you a thing or two about your “About” page?

Yessiree, it certainly is possible.

How so?

A remarkable tour guide has three distinct qualities:

  1. A unique personality
  2. Interesting stories to tell
  3. The ability to set objectives

And, yes, the same concept applies to your “About” page.

Your “About” page should highlight your distinct personality, share a quick story or two about yourself and what readers can expect in the future from your updates. Let’s take one thing at a time, shall we?

What is an About page?

An About page is one page that tells readers a little bit about yourself and the topics you’ll be covering on your blog.

While your posts give readers new information and insights, your About page gives readers meaning and context. Meaning and context wrapped around information and insights give visitors the frame of reference they need to determine if your blog is for them or not.

Why is my About page so important?

Your About page is important for two reasons:

  1. Your About page will be one of the most frequently visited pages on your blog. That means lots of eyeballs will see it.
  2. New readers will want to know who is behind the blog before committing and giving their time to you.

You might think your About page doesn’t matter. In the eyes of new visitors, however, your About page may be your single biggest secret to convert one-time visitors into regular readers.

What questions do I need to answer on my About page?

When writing your About page, focus on these three questions new visitors will want answered:

  • Who are you?
  • Should they invest time with you?
  • Can they trust you?

These are the questions that are buzzing around your reader’s mind. As a new blogger, it’s tempting to spend lots of time composing new posts for your blog. Composing new posts for your blog is important– but only after you have written your About page.

How do you tackle these three questions? That’s the job of the three characteristics.

What are three characteristics of a remarkable About page?

Remarkable About pages:

  • Shine with personality
  • Provide a backstory
  • Set objectives

As we’ve seen with remarkable tour guides, these three characteristics will turn your typical, boring About page into a story that captives the attention of new visitors.

What if I don’t know what my personality is just yet?

There’s an easy solution to this little bug-a-boo of a problem.

Draft your About page and share it with three people who know you well. Get their feedback and revise it so you feel it clearly expresses yourself and your blog’s goals.

Don’t let perfectionism stop you. Get it 70% done and go for it. You can always revise it later on.

What are some examples of effective About pages?

Here are three examples of About pages that I think work well:

Are they different from each other? You bet they are. That’s exactly what makes them stand out. New visitors feel welcomed and informed; they may even feel an affinity towards you.

The takeaway:

  • Show your personality.
  • Share your backstory how you came to be a blogger.
  • Tell your readers what they can expect in the future.

You may not know always know it, but your readers will thank you for being their remarkable blog tour guide.

Over to you. What else do you think makes an About page really sing? What other ingredients would you add? Drop a note in the comments.

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Author: Thomas Clifford

Thomas Clifford is a B2B content marketing writer and copywriter. His approach to communicating messages is conversational, informational and helpful—with just a sprinkling of sales copy. Tom specializes in helpful "how-to" articles, landing pages, sales pages, special reports ("buzz pieces") and B2B case studies. Unlike most content writers, Tom has 25 years under his belt as an award-winning B2B filmmaker and interviewer. He's produced over 500 marketing and branding films (and interviewed more than 1,500 people) as a documentary producer. Tom is featured in the book “Content Rules: How to Create Killer Blogs, Podcasts, Videos, Ebooks, Webinars (and More) That Engage Customers and Ignite Your Business." He has also written dozens of articles as an “Expert Blogger” for FastCompany.com. You can follow Tom on Twitter at @ThomasClifford. His blog, "Humanizing Business Communications," is packed with new media business communication tips and writing strategies. His eBook "5 (Ridiculously Simple) Ways to Write Faster, Better, Easier" is free to new subscribers.

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  • http://www.globalcopywriting.com/ globalcopywrite

    Hi Thomas,

    I love this article. The “About Us” page is often overlooked for its ability to draw people in. You've given me some great ideas on how I can improve the page for my clients. You've also inspired me to put a story on my own About Us page. Thanks for that!

  • http://twitter.com/ThomasClifford Thomas Clifford

    Glad you found the article helpful.

    Yes, even if your story is a few sentences, it can be a powerful way to help your readers connection with you that much faster.

    –Tom

  • http://www.marinofadda.it Marino Fadda

    Thanks! Your post has opened my eyes.

  • http://www.globalwellness360degrees.com Scott

    Hi Thomas

    Thanks for this. I'm new to blogging so found this really helpful.

    These three examples were fantastic. Do you have any suggestions for newbies that don't have the experience, books and media reviews that these inspiring blogs have?

    Scott

  • http://twitter.com/ThomasClifford Thomas Clifford

    Hi Scott-

    Thanks for stopping by.

    Here are three more examples I really like. I hope these inspire you in some way, too.

    Sonia Simone
    http://www.remarkable-communication.com/about/

    Mark McGuinness
    http://www.wishfulthinking.co.uk/mark-mcguinness/

    David Armano
    http://darmano.typepad.com/logic_emotion/about-…

  • http://www.livtraining.edu.au/cert-and-assessment/ MRWED

    I used to write pages but I always leave the portion about me. Thanks for this post, now I won’t leave that empty. Helpful tips!