Is Your "About" Page a Waste of Space? | Yellow Bird Blogs

The informal, first-person nature of blogs means that readers generally like to know at least a little something about the blogger. So if you have a blog for professional?or?personal reasons, it should include an ?about? page.

The good news for solo professionals is that your ?about? page is a prime piece of real estate that can help establish you as a likeable, knowledgeable expert in your field. The bad news is that this is an opportunity that too many people squander.

Here are four tips for making the most of your ?about? page.

1. Write it in the third person. Even if your business is just you, I recommend that you write this page in the third person (e.g., ?Polly Jones is an orthodontist with ten years of experience? vs. ?I am an orthodontist with ten years of experience?). It comes across as more professional that way and also enables you to talk yourself up a little more than you might otherwise feel comfortable with.

2. Be the best version of yourself, but be yourself. This is a page that people will visit often, and one that directly reflects on both you and your business. The tone and feel of this page should match the rest of your blog persona ? so if you run a brownie delivery service as ?Auntie Susie,? don?t include a lot of corporate-speak about ?moving product? here. Similarly, if you?re a financial advisor, you may want to avoid references to your passion for beer pong.

3. Omit the nonessential. Your ?about? page is not the place to provide a rundown of your entire professional resume. Instead, hit the highlights ? and in this context, ?highlights? means the skills and experiences most relevant to your solo business. It?s certainly impressive, for example, if you?re fluent in four languages ? but if you?re a landscape architect, that info has no place here.

4. Include a photo. As I mentioned earlier, people like to get to know the person behind the blog. So even if you?re shy, or uncomfortable about your crooked smile, or feel like your left ear sticks out in a funny way, get over it and get a photo up there. It doesn?t have to be professionally done, but it should be clear and recent and friendly-looking. Update as needed.

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