The about page on your site isn’t just for introducing yourself and telling your audience your life story…

Although that’s a tempting trap to fall into. 

Your about page should be a clear, concise page that tells your story, explains your values, details your process, and illustrates your personality all from the frame of your target audience.

Everything you write should be geared toward them and answer the question of “So what?!” 

You need to answer why they should care about your toadstool obsession or how your fifteen years of experience in underwater basket weaving is going to help them get from Point A to Point B.  

In the early days of the interwebs, it might have been enough to introduce yourself, name a few facts, and call it a day. 

But, we are looooong past that phase. 

You need an about page that walks your reader through a strategically told story that builds trust in you and your brand and shows them why you’re the exact, right person to solve their problem. 

That’s a lot, I know. But, I got you, fam.

In this post, I’ll walk you through:

• How to know if you need to rewrite your about page
• Why I start with writing the about page before any other web copy
• My copywriting process that you can follow
• My exact formula and why it works
• Stick around for a few little bonuses at the end!

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Want a copy of my about page formula?

Click the button below to get a FREE copy of my about page formula + BONUS sample about page layout right to your inbox. Perfect for referencing when you get started.

When you need to rewrite your About Page

Pull up the about page on your website and let’s get down to business. 

You might need to rewrite your about page if…

It starts with “[Your Name] is a [Your Career] from [Your location]” 

For example, if my about page started with “Melissa is a copywriter from San Diego” I’d start rewriting it immediately. The headline on your about page should break down what you do, who you do it for, and a bit about who you are. The phrase above is yawn-inducing and is going to immediately bore your reader. And when your reader is bored, they leave your site and never come back.

Your entire page tells your entire life story, even the irrelevant bits

Your dream audience probably doesn’t need to know where you went to preschool or the names of every dog you’ve ever owned. Unless…it’s relevant to the benefits you provide to your clients. You need to strategically sift through your life experiences, education, training, etc, and pick out the pieces that help the audience trust you more, get to know you better, or understand how you help them. 

Your page is non-existent or is very short

If this is the case, you’re missing out on a prime opportunity to convert more readers into buyers. People buy from people that they like, know, and trust, and the About Page on your site is the perfect place to build that kind of relationship. 

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Why I write with my about page first

I know, I know, it’s tempting to leave the about page until the end. You know, get the super important home page and product/services pages out of the way first.

But, I’m here to tell you that I don’t subscribe to that logic. 

Getting your about page out and finished first is a great way to drill down into your story, your why, and what makes you different from everyone else. 

And what’s going to help you become memorable in your dream client’s eyes? 

Yep, you guessed it! It’s your story. The bits and pieces of yourself that you bring to your process and the solution or transformation that you provide to others. 

There are a lot of people out there that probably do similar things to what you do (if not, congrats! You’re an exception to the rule). So you need to make sure that you stand out. 

Once you nail down your story, your qualifications, and your uniqueness and how that all fits around your ideal clients’ needs and desires, it’ll be waaaay easier to write those bits into your home page and services page. 

Melissa, is this your exact about page copy formula?

The title says so, doesn’t it?! And you know I won’t lie to you. 

The formula I’m about to hand on over is the exact set of must-haves that I start with every time I sit down to write for a client. 

Now, depending on the client, the conversational flow of the page, and a few other factors, I miiiight rearrange or omit a section here or there. Or mix things up with something new. 

But, generally speaking, this is the secret recipe I use to write kick-butt about pages for my clients. 

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Why this about page copy formula works

At this point, you’re probably like “But whhhyyyyy is this the golden jumping-off point? Why does this particular formula work?”

This formula works because it takes your reader on a journey. 

A journey that they can relate to. A journey that they feel seen and understood by. A journey that makes them see you as the perfect person to solve their problems. 

And, it does so while also painting you in a relatable light – as a real-life, living, breathing human here to help them. 

How to write your own copy (My step-by-step copywriting process) 

I get it. Sitting down with a hot cup of tea and opening up a blank page can be a little bit daunting. 

You’ve read the tips, you’ve gathered your research, and yet putting fingers to the keyboard still scares the crap out of you. 

I’ll let you in on a secret – you’re not alone. 

But, I’m gonna help you get the ball rolling by giving you my step-by-step copywriting process. And I promise it’s so painless to get started, you’ll be halfway through the whole thing before you even realize that hey, you’re writing copy!

Look at you go.

My exact, step-by-step copywriting process:

Step 1: Outline and brain dump

Step 1 is literally so easy, that I could cry. I’m almost never in the mood to kick off a new copy project, so this step is crucial in getting me to get going without any of the pain. 

Simply copy and paste my about page outline (download a copy here) and then copy and paste in any info you have about your audience, your story, or your business that you think could relate to each section. 

If that’s looking a little slim, then start filling in notes under each section, brain-dump style. That means no filtering, just start typing anything that seems remotely relevant to what you might want to say in each section. 

Step 2: Write a bit in each section

Okay, you’re done with the super easy bit, now it’s time to dip your toe a little further into the water. Just start writing. Like the last section, no filtering allowed. Just write some sentences or phrases or headlines that might be related to the info you dumped into each section earlier. 

At this point, I start to use different colored fonts to keep everything organized. 

For me, I use black font for info/brain dump matter and dark maroon font for work-in-progress writing. But you can use whatever colors make sense to you and are easy on your eyes. 

Step 3: Write a bit more and rewrite what you have 

Step 3 is really just a continuation of Step 2. At this point, go back through each section and see what you wrote – it’ll likely be a little generic and bland sounding at this point but that’s okay. 

In this step, start to take what you’ve already written and rewrite it in as many ways as you can. You have to trust the process here. 

The more you rewrite something, the more specific it will get and you’ll gain new insights along the way. 

Step 4: Comb through for the good bits

Guess what! It’s time for a new font color. At this point your document is looking like a right mess with different font colors and random lines here and there, but that is a-ok.

Now’s the time when I like to choose a different font color for the pieces that I’m starting to like. I like green because green means go. Also green is my favorite color. 

Comb through what you have and change the font color for the parts that are coming together. 

Step 5: Refine, refine, refine

At this point, I copy and paste EVERYTHING I just wrote onto a new page at the end of the document. Yes, it will be long but that’s okay. I then go through and delete out the bad things I definitely don’t want and all the brain dump matter from step 1. 

Then I start to see the good things begin to really shine through. 

And now, I can see enough to really refine everything and make sure it creates a conversational flow throughout the whole page. 

Step 6: Celebrate with chocolate and puppy snuggles!

Or whatever makes you happy!

At this point, you will have refined everything down to the truly golden material! Congrats!

You’ve just written copy!

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Just give me the about page template already

You made it!

Here’s my exact about page formula:

1. The headline that hooks

This is honestly one of the hardest sections to write. Sometimes it’s worth it to save until the end. 

This one line with an optional sub-headline or sub-paragraph should sum up what you do for them and why they should care. What result do you get for people? Why is it the one they want? The sub-paragraph is a great place to break this down further and add in any more info that is absolutely necessary to draw your reader in. 

What this section is not: a place to introduce yourself and say your job title. 

What’s going to get you to read on, a bland headline that says “Hi, I’m Melissa, a copywriter for introverts” or a really specific headline like “Words that take you from wallflower to rockstar – confidently step into the spotlight with copywriting that clarifies your message online”.

I’ll give you one guess…

2. A strong and relatable opener

Use this section to speak directly to your dream client’s experience. What emotions, experiences, and senses are coming up for them surrounding the problems they currently face?

I like to write in “You” centered sentences here. 

And I also like to follow this section up with a little line about how they’re in the right place. 

At this point, they’re feeling seen, heard, and like you might be the best person to help them. 

3. Now it’s time to introduce yourself

It’s finally here! The right moment to introduce yourself on your about page. 

Intro yourself and what exactly you do boiled down into one sentence or line. 

Then include a few lines about the benefits your brand offers regarding how it helps THEM. 

4. Get deep into your why

Here’s your chance to tell your story and get into what people typically think of when writing about pages. 

But the key here is to write it in a way that talks to your clients. Even if that’s just asking them if they can relate to what you’re saying. 

Focus on telling stories and exploring emotions in this section that they can relate to. And of course, focusing on those parts of your life that relate to your products and services. 

5. Include your social proof!

Post storytime, break out your best testimonials, reviews, and/or logos from businesses or clients you’ve worked with before.

Testimonials build trust in your products and services. They prove that you are everything that you’re story is saying about you. 

***Tip: Pull out the best sentence from each testimonial and highlight it as a headline for each one! This keeps your reader from having to search for the best nuggets themselves. 

6. Create one more connection

Pull it all together into one last section that explains how everything you just wrote connects back to the way you solve their problem. 

Remind them of the results they’ll get when working with you – what life will look like after. 

Keep it short and to the point. One last reminder of why you’re the perfect one to help them. 

7. And finally, a call to action (CTA)!

Include a button to get in touch with you, a link to your store, a link to your contact form, or a way to sign up for your email list – whatever CTA aligns best with your business strategy.

Tell them what to do next!

And as a BONUS!

Include a few fun facts about yourself to build rapport and show that there’s a real human behind the brand.

Write a section, a “this or that” column, or a little quiz that introduces your hobbies, bits about your life, or other pieces of your personality that your core audience might relate to. 

And there you have it, folks!

Does your About Page have all of these goodies??

Drop me any questions below, and let’s get your about page in tip-top shape!