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    How to create an amazing "About Us" page (tactics from a professional About Page writer)

    marian-about-page-money

    Businesses pay this woman $1,500 to write their "About Us" pages.

    That is Marian Schembari, and she's a copywriter that specializes in About Us pages.

    A $1,500 minimum seems like a CRAZY amount re-writing a single About Us page.  So why is Marian able to charge such high prices?

    I lured Marian to Austin with promises of cupcakes and jellybeans, then STOLE ALL HER SECRETS.

    I made Marian some nice  truth serum  tea and she gave away all the secrets to writing a $1,500 About Us page below:

    -MARIAN STARTS TALKING HERE-

    -MARIAN STARTS TALKING HERE-

    -MARIAN STARTS TALKING HERE-

    -MARIAN STARTS TALKING HERE-

    For a page with no clear ROI (unlike a sales page with obvious conversion metrics), it doesn’t make a ton of sense that you’d put a lot of time into an "About Us" page.

    That’s why most About pages suck big time.

    You know the ones... Rambling 3rd-person paragraphs listing out a company's timeline or a contractor's education.

    *Yawn*

    about page sleeping

    Don’t worry, I’ll lay out exactly how to write an About page without having to pay me $1,500.  But first, know these two things:

    1.) Your About page is often the most-visited page on your entire website.

    2.) Your story is THE content that will stay in a reader’s head long after they’ve clicked "exit".

    Organizations from start-ups to nonprofits don't pay me $1,500 and say:

    "Write us an About Page please!!!"

    No no no.....

    What these clients pay for is:

    • A story that makes journalists pick up the phone.
    • A value proposition that makes readers sign up for everything they’ve ever created.
    • An offering that makes customers request a beta version of software that’s still in stealth mode.

    Value of an about page

    So let’s dive into how to actually do this:

     

    Step 1.) Understand your "About Page" is often the 2nd-highest visited page behind your homepage.

    I hacked into Neville's private analytics and stole these screenshots from his account:

    about page stats kopywritingkourse

    Despite him having a terrible About Us page, people stay on the page for an average of 2min and 3seconds......since he has barely 3 paragraphs of text on his About Page, this means people are ACTUALLY READING what he's saying.

    However since he put very little effort into the page, he's missing some crucial opportunities to hook people in for life, or take an action.

    Don't be dumb like Neville and neglect the 2nd-most visited page on your website!

     

     

    Step 2.) Understand your "About Page" is often the highest "bounce rate" of any page

    Bounce Rate = The percentage of visitors to a website leave after viewing only one page:

    about page bounce rate leaving

    Think about it…

    Whether it was via a Facebook advertisement, Google search, or guest post, a new visitor has landed on your site. Cool. Congratulations!

    Now, these new readers either leave .... OR…. they click "About" in your navigation.

    And that, my friend, is a very clear, screaming statement:

    "I like what I see... Tell me more!"

    You’ve piqued their interest, and it’s your About page’s job to reel them in.

    The problem is, most people slap up a third-person copy/pasted bio from LinkedIn and call it a day.

    The result? You’ve just told that new reader: "Sorry, nothing to see here."

    And instead of that new reader devouring everything you’ve ever created, they click that terrifying "x" and explore someone else’s website.

    Oops.

     

     

    Step 3.) Understand it's your About Page's job to steer the visitor somewhere:

    Think about your About page as a train station—bustling with crowds, each person armed with a different destination and departure schedule.

    These visitors have one thing in common: They want to get somewhere!

    It’s your About Page's job to tell them how:

    about page helpful

    Thanks for the help Mr. About Page!

    Sadly a lot of people treat their About page like an abandoned station with a boarded up ticket window.  This sad and abandoned About Page is telling visitors they’re in the wrong place and to get off at the next stop:

    about page sad

    Awww Mr. About Page is depressed and not being helpful at all 😞

    As you can see, a great About Page can be the difference between a quick visitor exit and a newly obsessed fan.

    So how do we turn your awkward third-person text fest into a sticky page that leads to more press opportunities, subscribers and rabid fans? By knowing the "anatomy" of a good About Page:

     

     

    Step 4.) Understand the Anatomy of a good About Page

    Essentially your About page has two jobs:

    (1.) Get new readers excited to have found you.

    (2.) Send them to the right place.

    There are a million creative ways to format your About page, but there are a few sections I consider for each page I write:

    1. A Value Proposition
    2. A Day Dream
    3. A Differentiator
    4. A Story
    5. An Offering
    6. A Call to Action

    I like this order, but you can mix and match in a way that works for you. This "Anatomy of an About Page" contains everything I put into about pages I write that cost up to $1,500....so pay close attention and take notes!

     

    anatomy of an about page

    Let’s go through each section, then walk through some examples.

    Here are the different parts of an About Page.....

     

     

    PART 1.) The Value Proposition:

    A value proposition is just a fancy way of answering the question: What is unique and desirable about you?

    That’s it.

    It’s usually just a sentence or two, and works great as an introductory headline. When you use this headline on your About page, you also avoid the dreaded (and completely overused) headline: "About Us."

    Your headline doesn’t need to be catchy or clever or "punchy". It just has to encapsulate what you do, how you’re different and why people should keep reading.

    Here are some example Value Propositions:

    • "Life coaching for people who give a shit" (Liz Goodchild)
    • "A marketplace where people connect to make, sell and buy unique goods" (Etsy)
    • "Tools to grow your website’s traffic" (Sumome)
    • "A marketplace for accomplishment" (Thumbtack)

    For every page I write, I brainstorm at least 25 headlines. And I do this last.

    I’ve found the best stories reveal themselves throughout the writing process and it’s easier to come up with something clear and unique after writing the rest of page.

    But that’s what works for me—you do you.

     

     

    PART 2.) The Day Dream:

    about page day dreaming

    How will your reader’s life be different when they buy/read/subscribe? What does that perfect life look like?

    You’ve likely seen sales pages feature this tactic with the words, "Imagine if…"

    For example:

    • Imagine if you could take your dog anywhere, without worrying he’ll bark at old ladies on the street.
    • Imagine that going to work felt as magical as Christmas morning.
    • Imagine making a full-time salary by selling your jewelry at renaissance faires.

    These stories don’t need to start with the word "imagine," but it’s helpful exercise. You can cut the first few words once you’re done:

    • Take your dog anywhere, without worrying he’ll bark at old ladies on the street.
    • Going to work every day will feel like Christmas morning.
    • Make a full-time salary selling your jewelry at renaissance faires.

    Now write a short paragraph, including pain points, to really make that big idea resonate.

    For example:

    When you first brought Fido home, you imagined taking him everywhere… sitting at your feet while you worked from a coffee shop, running along the beach… but your dreams were quickly dashed when you realized Fido couldn’t go ANYWHERE without barking his cute little head off at every person he saw. You cringe every time you think about that one time he knocked over that patio table, spilling coffee all over your laptop.

    Isn’t that so much better than starting your page off with, "I am a seasoned dog trainer with 12 years experience at the Harvard School for dog barking. I will help train your dog for $50. Call me plz."

     

     

    PART 3.) The Differentiator:

    about-page-different

    I once had a client who, when I asked what made her different from every other yoga clothing store, said, "Well, I started business to be like other yoga apparel stores."

    Instead of backhanding her over Skype, I raised my eyebrows and asked, "Did you really? Why didn’t you just get a job there? Why start a business that already exists in 1000 different incarnations?"

    "Well, I love the buying process. And a lot of those stores say they stock organic products or Fair Trade fabric, but they don’t. Turns out, most of them sell over-priced wellness products that are actually bad for you."

    Now we’re getting somewhere.

    Personally, I started copywriting because I got a headache from all the eye rolling I did while working in tech. I hated when these well-funded, "innovative" tech guys played it safe on their websites, shying away from Human Speak in favor for generic corporate language (HELLO!? Aren’t you supposed to be disruptive"). That’s why, on my About page, I tell a story about when an old boss told me that "personality wasn’t a brand value."

    Because I share that story, almost every new client brings it up during our first session. Every single one of them hired me specifically to add an emotional story their copy, too.

    This tactic works in every industry.

    • House cleaner? Your differentiator might be your homemade cleaning products.
    • Dog trainer? Yours could be an extensive knowledge of canine body language.
    • Renaissance faire jewelry designer? You combine Pinterest trends with necklaces modeled after real pieces in the British Museum.

    We ALL have experiences that makes us uniquely qualified to do what we do. Your About page is the place to share that.

    Draft this section by asking yourself: "What pisses you off about your industry?"

    A photographer might say, "I hate how everyone thinks their cousin can photograph a wedding. It takes a ton of expensive equipment and years of training to develop an eye for capturing deep emotions."

    Now that’s a compelling message. Why not write something like...

    Here are a few other questions to help you brainstorm:

    • How is your approach different?
    • What do you offer that competitors don't?
    • What drives you crazy about your industry?
    • What part of your industry do you want to see changed?
    • Why did you start your own business instead of getting a job with someone else?

     

     

    PART 4.) A Story:

    about page story

    NOW—and only now—is when we include more about you. Talk about your mission, your work history, your awards or your personal story.

    I’m a big fan of getting vulnerable here, even if you run a 100-person start-up in Silicon Valley. While, sure, "No one cares about you, they only care about themselves," (thanks Nev), that’s only true if you tell your story like a robot. As humans, we constantly hunt for connections to our own lives.

    Let’s say you want to get back into shape, but you’ve taken "Netflix and chill" to a whole new level. You decide to hire a personal trainer and get two recommendations from a friend.

    1.) One is a marathon runner who’s been obsessed with running his whole life.

    2.) The second struggled to get off the couch for years until finally losing 112 pounds and running his first marathon. He talks about his own struggles with laziness and how he conquered them using straight-forward goal setting and 15-minute morning routine.

    I haven’t told you anything about their skills, just their stories. But you already have a first choice, don’t you?

    If you get personal, you will retain more visitors and attract more of your perfect customer.

    To help you write this section, use these prompts:

    • Why do you want to help?
    • How did you get involved in this industry/project/topic?
    • Have you experienced this problem before?
    • What questions do clients ask you all the time?

    NOTE: Do not—under any circumstances—write this in the third person. Use "I" or "we" only.

    If you can’t use first person throughout the page, try writing a letter from the CEO here. Huckberry and Groove both do this successfully.

     

     

    PART 5.) An Offering:

    Think back to the last time you discovered someone new online….

    Maybe you Googled "puppy obedience" and you found someone who—FINALLY—provided a training schedule broken down by priority and training duration.

    Her About page talked about her story and experience, followed by an easy way to start absorbing her content and services. She linked to her most popular training videos, a free training calendar download and a quick overview of her online training program.

    You clicked "open in new tab" left right and center.

    Your page should make your readers feel like they’ve just stumbled across the internet’s best-kept secret.

    The Offerings section is a stylized table of contents that helps new readers learn about you while also tackling their biggest problems.

    You could include:

    • A blurb and button to your top 3 services.
    • A list of popular blog posts.
    • Images and links to your bestselling products.
    • Upcoming events

    Before you get overwhelmed, ask yourself: "What ONE thing do you want readers to do after reading your About page?" (Take "grow my list" off the table for a minute, because we’ll go into that later.)

    For my company, I want people to check out my signature offering because it’s a good entry point for retainer clients.

    My yoga apparel client wants new readers to shop—so we feature photos and links to the top products on her site.

    It’s okay to have a few offerings listed here. That yoga client also includes links to her most share-worthy blog posts for those readers not quite ready to buy. Unlike a sales page, you can have a few different off ramps for readers. If you do this well, they’ll explore them all.

     

    PART 6.) A Call To Action:

    Outside of your biggest offerings, you should end on a final call to action. Ideally, this would be an email subscription form.

    I have a pop-up, hello bar and footer opt-in offer, but the form on my About page converts at a significantly higher rate.

    Why?

    Because these are super warmed-up leads who I’ve just convinced I’m worth listening to.

    So if you have a list, here’s the place to promote it.

     

    You're done!

    If your About Page is complete, you will have an About Page that will be grabbing customers by the hand, pointing them where you want, and saving that valuable traffic!

    About Us Page Man

    Download this "About Us" Page Guide:

    Click here to subscribe

    -Download as PDF, Word, or Google Doc-

    -Keep this whole post in your files-

    -Share with colleagues-

     

    Sincerely,

    Neville, Marian, and About Page Man

    nev-marian-about-page

    P.S. In the comments leave a link to your own About Page (or one you think is awesome). Just maaayybe Neville, Marian, and About Page Man will take a look at the page and leave some suggestions 😉

    P.P.S. If you need some about page inspiration, here's a free collection of about pages to browse.

     


    User Feedback

    Recommended Comments



    Guest Marian Schembari

    Posted

    You got this. I took a quick peek at your About page and there's a lot to do, but don't feel panicked! You clearly have a lot of passion and a good story. Try not to get caught up in the writing. Something I like to do with clients is sit down and record them talking. What if you and your partner just recorded a conversation between the two of you, answering the questions from this post? I promise some magic will come out of it when you listen back.
    Link to comment
    Guest Marian Schembari

    Posted

    HUZZAH! Major props for actually doing the work. That's 90% of the battle. My suggestion is to wait a week, then go back and reread for edits and gaps in the story. That always helps me.

    My one suggestion is to clarify what "tools to start your business" actually means. Because I don't know and it doesn't inspire me to read further. What pain point are you solving that you can bring up to the headline? What kind of tools? What do they help you easier/better/faster/cheaper than if your reader DIDN'T use them?

    Details are key here. You have the bones, but you need to bring it to life with specifics.

    Link to comment
    Guest Marian Schembari

    Posted

    Doesn't matter! Personally, I like "about" without clarifying if it's one person or multiple. Though no one's really looking at your URL. If it's just you though, no need to pretend you have a team if you don't.

    Right now your About page is pretty vague. Why is what you do important? What topics do you cover that NO ONE ELSE does? I'm not getting a great sense of personality here, which is crucial on a personal site. Spend a bit more time thinking about your story and what pieces your ideal reader might remember for years to come. I guarantee it's not where you grew up or went to school.

    Link to comment
    Guest Marian Schembari

    Posted

    Holy warm-up batman! Joe, you gotta cut the first few paragraphs. Jump right into the good stuff, don't waste our time with introduction stuff.

    Start here... "Copoet exists to perpetuate: a shared sense of accomplishment, of reveling in learning, failing (yes, it’s a good thing), and succeeding."

    Seriously. Then go on to talk about why, the story behind it's beginning and maybe explain a bit more about what it actually is? Because, to be honest, I'm not sure I quite understand. Is it a social network? A learning platform? A blog? Clear over clever, wins every time.

    Link to comment
    Guest Marian Schembari

    Posted

    I LOVE how you just dive straight into the story, Brent. No warm-up, no fluff, just straight to the action. Great job.

    Try to break up some of those first few paragraphs though—pull quotes, subheadings, photos, etc. I found the sheer amount of text overwhelming, but that's such an easy fix with formatting.

    Link to comment
    Guest Marian Schembari

    Posted

    I love the passion on your About page, Alia. Though I'd axe the first few sentences. No need to introduce yourself, just go straight into the benefit.

    This line is my favorite: "Create a love affair with simple + flavorful + energizing whole foods". Make that your headline, then launch into what readers will learn from there. Then give them a few places to start.

    Link to comment
    Guest Marian Schembari

    Posted

    The cobbler's children, Nik! Sometimes my own web copy embarrasses the crap out of me ;-)

    I definitely like your formatting and you do keep it short and sweet. I found the font hard to read though, mostly because there's no hierarchy, which makes it hard to skim. Can you add any traditional body text in there?

    In your case, I'd speak about a few specific client wins. When you start talking about your theory, mix in some actual case studies. For example, "With Client X I did this and when I helped Client Y they grew their business by x%." Make sense? This will help round out your story.

    Link to comment
    Guest Marian Schembari

    Posted

    It looks like your About page is just a paragraph, so it's hard to give good feedback. Overall though, you're listing the features, not the benefits. Why should Ic are about bringing together university recruiting professionals? Your headline needs to solve a pain point.

    For example, "Stop wasting time fighting for talent. Meet all the candidates you could want at UR(x) in just 2 days"

    Something like that.

    Link to comment
    Guest Nik Stanbridge

    Posted

    Thanks Marian. Of course - bringing real companies into it will give it real-life relevance!
    Link to comment

    This is a great idea! The wording always sounds off.

    I always want to say things like laundry is a soul sucker,and this ain't your mamas Wednesday wash... but I'm not sure our audience would appreciate that. What do you think about something along the lines of 3 kids X4 loads = 7 hours of laundry. That's a full day of insanity!!! Well just a thought anyways...

    Link to comment

    Hey Nev n Marian,

    I'd really like to see this too.

    The results would be really insightful and helpful.

    Link to comment
    Hey Neville, great article, as usual. Just wondering if the subliminal imagery in the "Go Over There" image was done on purpose? LOL if so!
    Link to comment
    Guest Dog Guy Josh

    Posted

    I'd love some constructive criticism from anyone who would like to send it me (thank you in advance; email dogguyjosh@gmail.com).

    Writing kopy for dog training and behavior coaching has been difficult because, beyond training, there's a lot to know about dogs and every person has different needs. Long story short, what I do is assess peoples' current problems and lifestyle, then provide them with instructions and resources on how to improve.

    http://www.dogguyjosh.com/

    Link to comment
    Guest Marian Schembari

    Posted

    I mean, it sounds like you nailed it. Everyone, regardless of the differences in their dog, wants their pet to fit into their current lifestyle, not the other way around.

    So a headline like, "Your dog should fit into your life (not the other way around)" or something similar is a great first start.

    Second, remember that your ideal clients don't know as much about dogs as you. That's why they want to work with you. Keep things simple, don't overwhelm them with details, but DO take the time to educate them.

    At the end of the day, every single business owner I knows thinks their service is "too unique to explain" and it's always BS. As a fellow dog owner (who spent thousands on dog training a few years ago), what you do is pretty straight forward to explain: You help people get a better-behaved dog. The end, period.

    Link to comment
    Guest Dog Guy Josh

    Posted

    Thank you, Marian. I'll be sure to keep it simple. I tend to overthink things.
    Link to comment
    Guest startupily

    Posted

    Thanks for the advice Neville.

    I have seen quite a few famous bloggers who only provide a small paragraph about the blog instead of themselves so I was following in their footsteps.

    I will be redesigning my website in the next few days and make sure I add an about me page as well.

    Appreciate it.

    Link to comment
    Thanks Nev! This is awesome. I appreciate your feedback. Now I got some work to do.
    Link to comment
    Guest Megan McDonald

    Posted

    Fantastic information! it has been great reading through your suggestions and feedback. I have just updated the about page on .....http://hatchaholiday.com/about/ and would love to know what you think?

    Thanks Megan.

    Link to comment
    Guest Deborah Burton

    Posted

    This article was VERY helpful! I see where I have to rewrite some of my content so I sound more like me vs writing like who I thought people will want to ask help from. I am a great source of information on elder care and I don't have to be so technical when I write-Thank You for showing me that!

    Here is my About page.

    http://mygenerationelderinfo.com/about/

    It isn't my landing page and now I'm thinking maybe it should be? I am still trying to just drive traffic to my site so eventually I can offer advertising on it.

    In the next few weeks I will be creating a sister site to do telephone consulting for Elder Care and plan to promote the consulting site heavily on MyGenerationElderInfo.com.

    Link to comment
    Guest Deborah Burton

    Posted

    Alia I love your site! It's so crisp and clean!

    Is it a WordPress and if so which design? I like the format you have and would like to use it as a model for my upcoming elder care consulting website.

    Link to comment
    Guest Neville

    Posted

    Hey Jean, this didn't really tell me a single thing about you. It sounded like a sales page, not an about page.

    Maybe list some of your greatest accomplishments, or WHY people should listen to you.

    Link to comment
    Guest Mark Gavagan

    Posted

    Thank you for such terrific insight!

    Your Etsy example has an effective value proposition (#1), but do you have advice for two-sided marketplaces on how to construct the dream (#2) and an offering (#5)? Should there be two short items for each (i.e., one for buyers, and one for sellers)? Thank you.

    Link to comment



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