What Tone Should An “About Me” Page Use? [Infographic]

Andrew Wise http://wisestartupblog.com 4m 901 #aboutme

The views of this article are the perspective of the author and may not be reflective of Confessions of the Professions.

Your About Me Page Is Important

As of 2013, it was estimated that approximately 128 million people in the US would be blog readers, with that number only rising in recent years. That certainly makes for a lot of readers.

As your About Me page is often one of the first places a potential reader will go on your blog, bloggers often wonder what kind of voice they should take on while writing their page. Of course they want to sound informed, intelligent, and trustworthy, but should they also be funny, witty, and easy to talk to?

In short, yes to all of the above. There is no set of rules that can be used when writing an About page, as much of it depends on the writer themselves and their own personality and writing style, but there are a few things you can keep in mind to make the writing process significantly easier:

Keep it in first person.

Imagine for a moment that you are a reader and you’re searching for a blog to read. You find one that looks decent, so you click the About Me page and the entire thing is in third person. It talks about a man named John Doe, all of his professional accomplishments, how great he is, and all that he’s done to better the world. Essentially, you’re reading a biography. Not only is it a wee bit pretentious, but it’s boring. Stick to first person and do your best to write in a conversational tone while still maintaining that level of professionalism with your readers. It is a fine line, but it’s the perfect balance that leaves readers interested and coming back for more.

Be relatable.

While it is important that your About page build some trust between you and the readers, it’s also important that you are able to relate to them in some fashion. Tell a funny story, engage them in something that everyone has been through at one point or another, and try not to drone on and on about your qualifications too much. The reader is interested in hearing about you, not necessarily every little thing you’ve ever done in your professional career. If you are qualified, it will speak for itself.

Be conversational.

Your ultimate goal is for your audience to feel comfortable on your blog. This means that you should talk with them, not at them. Decide how you want them to feel as they walk away from your blog (informed? Inspired? Motivated? positive?) and put your focus into that. By being true to who you are, you are automatically proving yourself to them. Consider addressing a problem that many people in your audience may currently have, then explain how you’ve gone through something similar.

Stay true to yourself.

If you’re not a sarcastic funny guy, don’t try to become a sarcastic funny guy just so you can relate to that kind of audience. You are your own person, and any attempts at being anything else will come off as forced. Be authentic, be real, and share who you are. Blogging is a deeply personal thing and should stay that way. Don’t change just for viewers, because chances are that they won’t stick around once they catch on to the fact that it’s not who you are.

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CRAFTING A PERFECT ‘ABOUT ME’ PAGE

Your About Me Page is the soul of your website. Designing a great About Me page isn’t hard, but there are some things you’ll want to keep in mind to make it as effective as possible.

TONE & VOICING

Your page should have a welcoming tone that relates to your audience’s needs, while also aligning with your personality.

HOW TO DO IT

Write in the first person
Keep it relatable
Keep it conversational

Ask yourself… HOW DO YOU WANT PEOPLE TO FEEL?

Supported?
Motivated?
Inspired?
Informed?
Empowered?

Keep this feeling in mind as you craft your page.

HAVE AN OPENING STATEMENT

Hook your audience’s interest by touching on a problem or emotion you know affects them.

“Are you ready to tackle depression once and for all?”

“Would you like to improve your public speaking in 1 week?”

“Do you want to cut fat while eating delicious foods?”

SHOW YOUR (REAL) PERSONALITY

Showing the ‘real’ you connects you with like-minded people. It also helps to carve out your niche and brand.

HOW TO DO IT

Write less about your qualifications and more about your interests
Be authentic, honest, and true to yourself
Don’t be afraid to be loud and bold. Dare to be different!

MAKE IT ABOUT THEM

Your About Me page is actually more about your reader than it is about you. Speak to your audience’s needs and make them feel like they belong.

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HOW TO DO IT

Address a problem your audience has
Share how you overcame that probelm
Explain what’s in it for htem

OTHER NECESSITIES

Photos: include at least one headshot that shows the ‘real you’ or your lifestyle
Email Opt-in: Put an email opt-in on your page & offer something for free in exchange for their email
Social Media: Link to all other places so they can find you around the web

BROUGHT TO YOU BY Wise Startup Blog

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