tips for crafting a great “about me” page

No matter who you are, or what you make, sell or do, if you own a business, across the board one of the biggest things that I hear moaning and groaning about is writing the dreaded “about page”.

“But I feel like I’m boasting,” “I don’t want to come off as a prick,” “I just write something funny, and hope that I connect with my customer,” “I think I’ll just skip it and hope for the best.” I’ve heard all of these.Can I put the idea out there that as women we feel especially self conscious about this? When I recently read Sheryl Sandberg’s book “Lean In“, one of the things that stood out to me was her statistics and stories on how even when we are often times very qualified, we hardly ever feel the same confidence as men in our abilities. We struggle with giving ourselves the props we deserve. We always feel like we should be doing better, and tend to minimize what we have already accomplished. I know. I do it, too.

But can I encourage and challenge you today to take some time to “craft your about page”? In the coming weeks I’m going to be changing, modifying, drafting, and rewriting my about pages on the different sites that I’m on, and I’d like to encourage you to do the same. There is something powerful about the person who acknowledges their accomplishments without boasting. And telling your story can be a compelling way to reach your audience.

One of the biggest trends in business right now is a consumer that wants to connect with the businesses that they support. People want to know that you deserve their business. They want to know that you’re qualified to speak on a certain topic. They want to feel like they can relate to you as a person. Why? Because plain and simply: the world is full of scams. And people are searching for individuals and companies that are authentic. They don’t expect you to be perfect. But they do want you to be human.

So. What should you include in your about page? I love the tips offered in this Etsy seller handbook article: How to Craft a Killer About Page. And I loved this short and to the point article: Are You Making These 7 Mistakes with Your About Page? And now that I’ve found this website, I’ll be browsing around a lot. Bernadette offers 10 Rules for Writing a Compelling About Me Page that are excellent. She also links up some great examples of About Me pages that are done well.

Can I say I’m actually excited to tackle this now? And motivated? I’ve done this a few times already, but I still think I can do a better job. Especially now that I’ve acknowledged and embraced my writing voice.

How about you? Are you writing, updating, or modifying your about page? Share a link! I’d love to see.