How To Write A Killer About Us Page

Once upon a time, there was an awesome company founded by a passionate individual. But nobody really understood who she was or why her business was great…

Unfortunately, this reads like the first two lines of most small business stories. You started a business for a reason: to do that thing you’re awesome at doing. You did not start your business to write website copy. However, in small business, you may find yourself doing exactly that.

But in this digital world, your website copy could be the difference between a potential customer making an enquiry or moving onto your competitor.

So in this blog post, we’re going to look at how to write an awesome About Us page using your business story.

The About Us page trap

The trap many small businesses fall into with their About Us page is treating it as an afterthought, rather than the foundation of their communications. They talk about when the company was founded, where and by whom, providing a historical outline of what the company has achieved to date.

This glorified timeline, as an About Us page, is not very inspiring and completely bypasses an essential ingredient – the connection with the reader.

An effective About Us page isn’t actually about you at all. It’s about your audience. Because as they’re reading, they’re asking themselves, “great, but what’s in it for me?” (That’s why part 3 of our Storytelling Program is all about your audience – here’s the blog post, in case you missed it.)

Yes, you can talk about you on your About Us page – but only in relation to your customer.

What problems do they have that you can solve?
What are they interested in learning?
How can you help them?

To quote Brian Clark:

“You need to know whom they admire, and what they aspire to, despise, fear, and cherish.”

How to write a killer About Us page

Part 2 of our Storytelling Program focussed on you and discovering the WHY at the heart of your business story. (If you missed that one, here’s the blog post.)

Along with consideration for your audience, this is the most important element in a killer About Us page. So, right now, write down the following:

Your business story (including your WHY)
The story of your target customer

Weave these two things together and you’ll have all the content you need for a great About Us page.

Ok, now for some practical pointers to make sure your copywriting is tip top.

1. A clever beginning

Start off with a surprising fact, your “a-ha” moment, or an inspirational statement that draws readers in to read more. Have a look at the first line of a few of your favourite books and try to figure out what it was about them that made you keep reading. Can you bring some of that magic to your About Us page?

2. A charismatic middle

Let your personality show! Be personable and human. This is what visitors to your About Us page want to see – the person behind the website. Avoid industry jargon and replace it with your authentic voice to describe what you offer.

Your About Us content should demonstrate a genuine and authentic version of your business, what you represent and what you are trying to achieve. But it’s as much about how it’s written as the words themselves. Think about your tone of voice. A stiff and corporate tone won’t do much to convey a creative and enthusiastic culture.

3. An inviting end

Finish with a clear Call To Action (CTA). Do you have a free service you can offer to entice new customers? Adding a free consultation, quote, or call back to your About Us page will provide a clear avenue for visitors to get to know you further, and an opportunity to turn traffic into leads.

Remember: If you feel confident and comfortable telling your story and explaining its value, then others will feel confident and comfortable interacting with you. They will understand you, your business and the context in which they should engage with you. From there, it’s only a short step into sales.

Examples:

Eight Hour Day‘s killer About Us page:

showcases the people behind the company, humanising its brand
clearly states WHY they are here – because “creativity makes us happy”
gives the reader an immediate picture of what it would be like to work with them

Yellow Leaf Hammocks‘ killer About Us page:

tells an inspirational story of sustainable social change
introduces readers to the people who will benefit if they purchase a hammock

Marie Catrib’s killer About Us page:

demonstrates a great storytelling technique: reportage
is more like a celebrity interview feature than a company bio

And finally…

Try getting a friend or colleague to interview you as though they’re writing a glossy profile on you and your business. Through their questions, you might uncover little nuggets of storytelling gold that could turn your About Us page from hum-drum into hum-azing!

That’s all for now. Good luck writing your killer About Us page!

Back in 2018 I released a podcast episode where I discussed why storytelling and marketing go hand in hand and how the power of story is effective in business.

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