12 Fun Writing Prompts To Help Craft a Standout About Page

You sit down to write your about page for the tenth time. As you get more experience in your business, you’re changing how you show up on your website too.

You're going to do it this time. That piddly little placeholder paragraph has got to go.

For real.

Besides, you have tons of inspiration from other about pages you love and snippets that you want to weave in somewhere — but where?

You want your about page to stand out.

When you read some business owner’s bios online, sometimes you’re impressed — maybe they made you giggle, spit out your coffee, or even triggered you slightly.

That’s a good thing. Their writing caused a reaction in you, and when it comes to your writing, your goal is to get a response out of your readers — you just need to figure out what kind of response you want.

Your About page is probably the most visited page on your website after your home page. Think about it. When you visit a new website, you wonder, “Who is this?” 

Give your About page the love it deserves.

The goal of most about pages — show your readers that you’re the authority and THE only choice to solve their problem.

Here are the biggest challenges I see business owners face when writing their About page: 

• How much do you talk about yourself? You hate talking about yourself.

• Do you share your life story?

• How long should your About page be?

• Do you write your about page in the first or third person?

• Where do you put your education and credentials?

Writing about yourself is challenging. It can be hard to take a big-picture view and know what to share, even if you're a writer.

Here, I’m sharing some writing prompts I use with my copywriting and coaching clients to help them shape their about pages into works of art that they can’t wait to show off.

Having written and edited hundreds of pages, here are some questions I ask my clients when they need to get their stories out of their heads and onto the page.

Intuitive Writing Tip: When working with writing prompts, write the first thing that comes to mind without judgment. You’ll edit later.

Plan to spend at least 30 minutes exploring these About page writing prompts. Grab your favorite notebook, pen, and journal on these questions stream of consciousness style and write whatever comes to mind.

1. What did you use to believe to be true about your industry?

2. What do you believe today?

3. Why do you do this work?

4. What lights you up?

5. What makes you angry about your industry?

6. How do you feel when you sit down to work each day?

7. Did you have a sh*tty moment, low point, or A-HA moment that brought you to where you are today? A series of them?

8. What experiences do you have that make you incredible at your job?

9. What do clients constantly compliment you on?

10. What are people always asking you for advice on?

11. How do you feel when you sit down with a new client?

12. What would people be surprised to know about you?

What to do with your About page brainstorm.

First, put your notebook away. Let your writing sit for at least a day. Come back to it a day later, and simply read your responses — without judging. As you go about your day, you might have new insights and ideas. Keep a notebook handy (or record a voice memo on your phone), and explore any new stories that have come up.

Next, take your responses to a document and start shaping out your About page. Filter out the relevant answers to your readers, and if you’re not sure, ask a former client or someone who knows your business well.  

Intuitive Writing Tip: Save any chunks of copy you remove from your about page for blog or social media content. Always be repurposing!

With your brainstorm ready, you can take the highlights and consider what pieces of your story apply to your audience and how that relates to how you help clients in your business. Take them on a journey through your AHA moments, especially if you used to be your target clients.

Getting stuck writing about yourself?

When it comes to writing about pages, I often see people get stuck because they think they have nothing to say. Sometimes they have the opposite problem and think they must tell their entire life story. Others find it challenging to write about themselves.

Here’s what I tell them: You only need to tell the stories relevant to how you came to do what you do today and why it matters to them.

Sometimes clients ask me why their readers need to know details about their lives. Well, first, know that they don't. Only write about particulars you’re comfortable sharing. Sharing pieces of your journey with your readers helps them spark a connection with you and is an important step in learning to trust you as an authority in your industry.

More important than sharing all the details, though, is communicating the emotions you were feeling as you traveled your journey.

How to arrange your About page:

1. Connect.

   Start with a few sentences to meet them where they are. 

• You’re reading this because… 

• You feel…

• You’re craving _____.

• If only you could… 

• Do you want ______?
  
  

2. Share your story (as it relates to your prospect)

   This will be the longest part of your About page. Share the highlights of the story that will resonate with your reader.
   
   When you’re writing this part, aim to get the story out. You’ll refine it later.
   
   When you return to this section, you’ll add subheaders to keep skimmers reading and draw your website visitor into each paragraph.
   
   Tip: Your reader sees your story as a metaphor for their lives.
   
   Hopefully, this helps you feel better about telling your story. Your about page is a way for you to stand out in a sea of the third-person, acronym, and jargon-filled bios and a fun way to show off who you are and what you stand for.

   Close your story with where you are today and why you love this work.

3. Tell the reader what to do next.

   Wrap up the page by telling them specifically what you want them to do next, and link the call to action (CTA) respectively:

1. Click here to book a free consultation

2. Read the blog

3. Explore how we can work together.

Intuitive Writing Tip: About pages should be about 1,000-2,000 words for a service-based business. For a website selling primarily physical or digital products, you can aim for 500-1,000 words. These are rough guidelines — trust yourself.

QUICK Tips for a Standout About Page: 

• If you’re a one-person business, use first-person copy on your About page. Use third-person language only in your bio. This can live on your About page, too, usually at the bottom.

• Leave out where you went to school unless your reader cares

• Gather your credentials and relevant information at the bottom, often in a bulleted list

• If you trained with a specific training institute — you can often leave this out unless your clients specifically seek someone out who trained where you trained. 

• If a mentor or book changed your life, leave their name out of your About Page — save these kinds of details for blog posts and social media

Remember, overthinking your about page — or any part of your website isn’t doing you any favors. Get your About Page to “good enough” and know you’ll tweak it as you take action, work with clients, and get feedback.

Tired of overthinking your website copy?

There are a few ways you can work with me to get help writing perhaps the most challenging page of your website — in small groups or workshops.

Wish someone would write your about page for you?

I do this, too. I’ll pull out your story that will connect with your potential clients without you even realizing what’s happening. Explore premium copywriting services.

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