About "About Pages"

Most bloggers and webmaster's alike seem to treat their about pages with as much importance as they would treat the proverbial red headed stepchild. In reality, they should be spending more time on this page since, in most cases, it is very rarely changed and viewed by many. Consequently, aside from your blog posts or content, the about page is the only place in which you can really let your hair down and let the reader know who you really are.

Instead, what we, as readers get in the about page, is droll commentary on someone's professional career or accomplishments. It doesn't have to be this way. Listed below are some tips on taking your about page to the next level by crafting it in a way that it would entertain and (yes) actually engage the reader.

Step away from the traditional 3rd person commentary

Most about pages are written in the 3rd person. Example: "John Dow has been president of XYZ studio for 25 years and his accomplishments include...."

This sort of biography works but it hardly engaging to the reader. Instead, the reader gets the vanilla version into someone's life that is hardly personalized. And if it isn't personal, then it is easy to disengage.

Instead, draw the reader in with a story about yourself....

Adapt what screenwriters have known for years; stories will not only be far more entertaining to the reader but will also engage the reader's emotions. About pages don't have to be synonymous with listing your accomplishments. There is no rule that states that an about page should simply be a list or a biography.

How to craft a good story for your about page...

So, exactly how do you craft a good story for your about page? Everyone has at least one interesting story that would reflect who they are. Most people have dozens of these stories.

Steal a page from the screenwriter's handbook and write out your story

There are 5 key elements to crafting a story.

The first element is your character . Who are you? Why should we care about you? What makes you different from the rest? What sets you apart from the crowd?

For example, while a typical bio may state that you have worked for xyz company for 20 years, it doesn't tell near enough for a reader to actually know who you are. Sure, it may show that you have experience but it does nothing else, engagement wise. You can actually state your experience but place it within the context of a story. For instance, "Ever had one of those days when you thought the world was being turned upside down? I have worked for xyz company for almost 20 years now and I have to say that that day came two months ago...."

The second key element is your core message. What need are you trying to fufill? What message are you trying to convey? Why are you passionate about this?

You don't have to sacrifice your accomplishments either in a story. Your core message is the same in a standard bio as it is in a story. They difference is that the details (your accomplishments and accolades) are peppered within the story as opposed to written out in a list.

The third element is unsurprisingly, your vision. Marketers call this the unique selling point. In layman's terms, you vision is nothing more than your core mission or goal.

The fourth element is conflict. Without conflict, there is no story. What is standing in your way? What obstacles have you had to overcome? Was there a moment in time when you could have quit or wanted to quit but didn't?

Conflict makes the world interesting. It doesn't matter whether you are a machinist in Michigan or a CEO for a fortune 500 company, not a day will go by that you won't have some form of conflict. This can be an inward battle within yourself, or a nemesis at your workplace.

The final element to a good story is triumph. Sure, we have all had conflict. How did you rise above your conflict? What obstacles did you overcome?

In summation, a bio doesn't have to be clinical or boring. Your about page should reflect YOU and your personality. It should engage the reader to want to really know who you are. It shouldn't just be a list of your accomplishments or a candy coated version of who you are.