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What is the measure of success for a blog? The answer is traffic. A successful blog will have a loyal readership that regularly visits the site whenever a new post is published. One effective way to help build a successful blog is to create an interesting About Page that can tell the readers and potential sponsors who you are and what your blog is all about. This week we’ll take a close look at a few strategies that make an About Page interesting.
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VOICE
Your voice – tone, flow, and level of seriousness – in your blog should also be in your About Page. When readers click on the About Page they are looking to know more about who you are and what your blog is about. This is your chance to woo them. Some people use first person and others prefer third person, whichever you choose be sure to keep your About Page relatively short. Include a picture of yourself that matches the mood and personality of your blog.
ACHIEVEMENT
Do not be shy! If your blog has won awards then let the readers know. Be sure to list any compelling achievements that could potentially impress your target audience and sponsors. Have you been published in print? Have you done any public speaking? Did you write a post that went viral? Mention all of those things.
PUNCH
When listing publications that you have been included in (anthologies, bigger sites, podcasts, guest posts of note, etc.) try to include images. For example, if you were anthologized or wrote a book then place a thumbnail image of that book cover and make it clickable so that when readers click on it they will be led to Amazon to buy it or to that publication’s website to learn more.
LINKS
The About Page is a great place to pepper an introduction of your ideas and history with links. You can link to a particular blog post you are proud of, clubs or organizations that you belong to, other sites that you have appeared on, and so much more. Some bloggers even like to link to other bloggers that they share work with or admire.
STRUCTURE
While there are many ways to structure an About Page the most effective method is to ask yourself what your particular audience would mostly likely want to know. A basic template to use looks like this:
- First Paragraph: Introduce Yourself
Your name, where you are from, what your blog is about, how long you’ve been doing X, Y, and Z (the topic of your blog). - Second Paragraph: Introduce Your Topic
Briefly describe your niche in such as way that will entice your reader to click around your blog to learn more. Tell your reader why you are passionate about your topic and what you hope the reader will get out of your blog. - Third Paragraph: Links
While you will probably have words through out your About Page hyperlinked, it is a good idea to draw specific attention to any links that will highlight you or your work in a positive manner. For example, if you are a member of a club or organization that features prominently in your blog posts then include a link directly to that group. - Call to Action
Leave your reader with a call to action by directing them to your blog roll, a specific page, or inviting them to follow you via email subscription or one or all of your social media platforms like Facebook or Twitter.
An About Page is your chance to advertise what makes your blog interesting and why readers should come back to read what you have to say. There are many ways to tweak your About Page to drive traffic to specific pages or posts in your blog.
Next week we will talk about how your About Page can function similar to a resume and how to use the same About Page across your social media platforms to create consistency.
Stay Tuned!
