Published:
10/11/2015 09:57pm
3 Common Mistakes On Your About Me Page
On the surface, the purpose of your "About Me" page is simple: it's a place where your clients can get to know you better -- right? But actually, the goal of your "About Me" page goes much deeper than a simple autobiography.
Indeed, your "About Me" shouldn't just tell your story: it should use your story to attract your tribe. Its purpose is to create an atmosphere of trust, to let potential clients know that you can personally help them, and ultimately, to make a sale.
Your "About Me" page can be a great way to resonate with your clients and expand your tribe. But if it's done incorrectly, it can also turn your ideal clients away. Here's three of the most common mistakes I've seen on people's "About Me" pages, and how to fix them.
1. You're marketing to your peers, not your clients.
You're an expert in your field, and you've acquired a lot of vocabulary along the way. Most of us have been in the industry for years, and because of this, it can be easy to forget that we weren't born knowing how to "manifest abundance" -- or what that even means!
Using industry-specific terms like "limiting beliefs" or "divine alignment" might make you sound great in your head -- and if you ask your peers, they'll likely agree.
But think about your ideal client. Will they know what these terms mean? Even if you're just the person to help them break through their limiting beliefs, you won't make an impression on them if they don't know what a "limiting belief" is.
How to fix it: Put yourself in your clients' shoes, and use their language, not yours. Keep it accessible and relatable. For instance, instead of "overcoming limiting beliefs," talk about "conquering your fears" or "eliminating self-doubt."
Get feedback not just from your peers, but from people outside your industry, too. This will ensure that your language makes sense to anyone who comes across your page, rather than an elite few who understand the industry jargon.
2. Your tone is off.
When we're having face-to-face conversations, it's easy for us to convey our tone. Our excitement shows in our facial expressions; our frustration shows in our gestures; our sarcasm shows in the quality of our voices.
But on the internet, suddenly, we've lost all of these resources. So when a client is reading your "About Me" page, it's up to them to judge how you sound. Your tone is whatever they come up with in their head.
As a result, your "About Me" page might sound perfect to you, but it could sound completely different to someone else! And without the right tone, your words won't have the same impact as they do in your head.
How to fix it: Have somebody read your page aloud. Then, have somebody else do the same. Lather, rinse, repeat. Listen to others read your "About Me" page as much as possible, and pay attention to how they interpret your words. Make note of the places where their tone doesn't match yours.
This will give you a great sense of how clients understand your tone. If you're not totally satisfied with how you come off to others, tweak your word choice and especially your punctuation. Remember that small details make a big difference: an exclamation mark instead of a period can be the difference between a dull sentence and a dynamic, excited one.
3. You're stealing the spotlight.
Here you might be thinking, "What? It's an ABOUT ME page -- I'm SUPPOSED to be in the spotlight!" Indeed, this is one of the most common misconceptions about an "About Me" page.
Despite its name, your "About Me" page isn't really about you. It's not a solo act: when reading about your story, your clients are trying to find out how they fit in. If they can't see themselves in your story, they're likely to lose interest.
How to fix it: It takes two to tango! Reframe your thinking: your "About Me" page is more accurately an "About Us" page. In fact, a lot of your "About Me" page should really be about your client!
Don't just talk about your experiences; relate them specifically to what your ideal client wants and needs from you. For every piece of information that you offer, think about how it will build trust and rapport with your potential client. If it doesn't do so compellingly, it's probably not worth including.
Remember, your "About Me" page isn't intended to be a Pulitzer-winning autobiography. It's more than just information about you: it's your chance to make a great first impression and establish trust with your client so that they'll be excited to work with you down the road.
So when you have a moment, take a good look at your "About Me" page and make sure you're not falling victim to these oh-so-common pitfalls. They're easy fixes, but they can constitute the difference between turning clients away and building up your tribe.
Originally published in The Huffington Post
