How to Write an About Me Page on Your Freelance Website
Your home page and about me page serve as first impressions for any potential client visiting your site.
I quit my job two weeks after returning from maternity leave. I had a reckoning, I loved the work I was doing, but I hated my job. Something about becoming a mom gave me crystal clarity on what I needed to do — leave behind a steady paycheck and leap into business ownership. Through my journey, I've learned a lot, especially around how to craft an "about me page" that speaks to who you are and what you're capable of.
I immediately reached out to three brand specialists to help me set up a foundation for my consultancy. One I could afford but didn’t impress. One was just a bit out of my budget but included market research, something I was excited to have taken off my plate. The third would cost me far above my budget. Like, would clear out my savings. But she was also a new mom (our daughters were born a week apart), she was vulnerable about all she learned in building a six-figure business from nothing, and she was passionate about supporting entrepreneurs on unconventional paths.
Who do you think I went with? I cleared out my savings and didn’t look back.
Here's how to use storytelling to craft compelling home and about pages
In part one of this two-part series, I shared a number of prompts to get you thinking about the elements of your story that will attract your most ideal clients. (The kind that might be crazy enough to clear their savings for a chance to work with you). If you missed that, take a moment to go through that exercise.
Let’s take those experiences, challenges, and a-ha moments to write the story that makes you both uniquely you and completely relatable.
Get clear on your About Me page messaging
Your about page is not the space for your resume. This is the page people will go to after they’re intrigued and want to know more about who you are. People buy from people they know, like, and trust. Your professional experience alone will not do that for you.
Remember: it’s also about them. While you’re sharing a story about yourself, you’re ultimately creating a point of connection with your clients. Write your story in such a way that your clients feel they’re reading their story through your words. An interesting component to look at is what your typical clients all have in common. We attract our ‘tribe’, so to speak.
Make sure your “why” is on your Home Page
Your why is likely also your aha moment. The reason why you do the work you do. My why is “making the world a better place doesn’t have to be so hard,” which is above the fold on my homepage.
Here are a few examples of homepage copy that speaks to a strong why and make readers feel like they are talking right to them:
"I’m Pia Silva and I school experts, who know-it-all about what they do, on everything they DON’T. Working for yourself does NOT mean you’re the boss of your business. As a fellow know-it-all-preneur, one thing I know is you will never get the results you want until you set your business up for profit, with a brand to back it up." — Pia Silva
"I take what I learned the hard way through 15 years of making documentaries and use it to help business creatives and marketers leverage the power of storytelling to maximize the impact on their audiences and inspire them to take action, without spending a lot of time or money." — Rain Bennet
"I design thoughtful, strategic brands for small business owners. Some might call that a niche. My other, more important niche is people. People who are curious, unconventional, quirky, off-beat, and a little weird. No, a lot weird. Actually, the weirder, the better. Weird people like us have the best ideas. The most passion. The zero-est of cares about what anyone else thinks. Whatever you keep coming back to, whatever you can’t stop thinking about — that’s the thing I want to help bring to life." — Green Tie Studio
Use your glam shots
Please tell me your picture is on your website. This is a must. Your website should earn the trust and affection of potential clients, and seeing your face is the first step in doing just that. Don’t hide behind your portfolio.
My favorite brand that makes its story front and center is JMo’s SneauxBall Catering Co. The company’s logo is the founder’s face! Now that’s a bold way to make sure people know who you are.
Repurpose your story across your social media and email marketing channels
Your story should be used in all of your messaging and marketing. Here are five ways you can show face and use your story across multiple media channels.
Repurpose your ‘about me’ story regularly.
Share behind-the-scenes videos in your stories.
Use images of yourself frequently.
Host ‘Ask Me Anything’ lives on your social media platforms.
Write messages and posts as yourself, not as your business.
Wrapping it up
Stories are meaningful. Your experiences, passions, skills, and the challenges you’ve overcome are going to set you apart from the thousands of other creatives that deliver the same thing as you. Share your story generously, and your most ideal clients will be thrilled to have found you.