Let’s be honest.

Most of the About pages bore to death.

Or on the contrary, they want to sound so fresh and trendy that they go too far and they don’t transmit professionalism.

Finding the right balance to write a brash about page while remaining serious enough is a tricky business.

And that’s why we’re here today, so we can look at how to write an About page for your business that resonates with you and your team and, most importantly, brings you the kind of customers you want for your business.

First, let’s remember what are the main goals of your About page:

1. Prove that you aren’t a bunch of scammers going around stealing money from people (Trust).
2. Expose why you are able to solve your clients’ problems (Value and Authority).
3. Show your human side so to create an emotional connection with the reader (Sympathy, because we always prefer to buy from a company we like, in B2C as well as B2B)

This last point is where many companies fail, it’s like they are scared to be different and rather stay on the “safe” side by reputing the same old phrases.

“Industry’s leaders” “State of the art technology” “With X years of experience”.

These types of expressions have lost all their impact due to wear and tear.

It’s like when we used to repeat a word over and over again as kids until it lost all meaning.

People don’t even read these drab phrases, or worse, they get bored when they read them and leave the way they came.

To prevent this from happening and to help you stand out when it comes to explaining the value your company offers to customers, we’re going to take a step-by-step look at 5 ways to stand out and drive sales with your About page.

Then let’s get to work.

#1 Let your team explain what it’s like to work in your company

If employees are happy working for a company, it says a lot about that company.

Because when people are motivated things get done right and this can be a big plus when your prospect is evaluating various options.

Make a video interviewing your employees and let them explain what you all do and why they like working at your company.

As does ArticulateMarketing, in their video they say things like:

“We don’t take ourselves too seriously” or “We always write in pairs which makes it more effective as we can give each other feedback and create something of higher quality” or “They are the most talented and encouraging people I’ve ever worked with” or “Everyone gets a chance to give their opinion and be heard.”

And when they are asked: “Describe Articulate in one word”.

They say things like: “Supportive” “Talented” “Fun” “Serious”

Doesn’t it make you want to hire them?

These types of answers make you feel you are going to be in good hands because employees are motivated, they want to do their best and are fun to work with, but also serious when it comes to getting results for their clients.

This type of video is ideal to show the human face of your company and demonstrate the value you can bring to your customers.

5 killer ways of writing your About page that will make you stand out from all the clutter on the internet. #webcopy #copywriting #DigitalMarketing #SmallBiz Click To Tweet

#2 Write your mission when you are doing things differently.

Copywriter Gil Andrews, whom I admire lots, says something like:

“Unless you’re an astronaut or from the CIA, you and your company are not on a mission.”

And I think it’s so funny. Because she’s right.

It’s ridiculous to say “our mission is” when what you make is socks….

What can we do! It’s become a trend and it’s unstoppable…

But as always there are exceptions and there are cases where it’s fine to use it.

What’s more, doing so will help your company stand out.

And no, it’s not only valid for astronauts or spies, but also for companies that are breaking the status quo in a certain industry where things have always been done the same way.

They tend to be industries that have been very conservative in the way they advertise themselves and risk almost nothing.

Think of insurance or banking, for example.

As does DeadHappy, a British life insurance company.

Their copy is spectacular because they have dared to break away from the dreary and boring message of the companies for the death, as my mother calls them.

In the first paragraph of their About page they describe in a few words who they are and what their mission is:

“ DeadHappy was formed in 2013 to provide a place where people could think about, plan for and share what they want to happen when they shuffle off this mortal coil. To start a conversation, and hopefully, one day change attitudes towards death.”

In this short paragraph, they describe in very simple and close language how they can help customers and why they are different.

They want death not to be taboo so people talk about it.

We will all die someday and it’s important to write down what you want to happen to your assets.

They call them Death Wishes which sounds awful but they explain that in a cool way:

“ They called it a Deathwish. Not a desire for self annihilation, but rather, what you wish to happen for when you die. After all, unless you’re immortal, like taxes, death is one of the few certainties in life. Be prepared, think about what you want, put plans in place and share with people who need to know. Or, as we like to put it, create and share a Deathwish.”

This kind of declaration of values and intentions can be key to gaining the trust and sympathy of your prospects.

#3 Be irreverent if it suits your style.

Some companies have decided to attract attention with a ground-breaking and sassy image.

Because they know that’s what their audience likes.

Think Benetton in the 80s (with their striking images) or Herbal Essences (with their women having an orgasm with their shampoo in the shower).

Also this brand, CardsAgainstHumanity.

On their About page they say:

“ Cards Against Humanity is a game. It is made of cards. You put the cards together to make jokes. It’s pretty stupid.

We made the first version to play at a New Year’s Eve party. People seemed to like it, so we put it up on Kickstarter in 2010. It made a lot of money. We couldn’t believe it.

Since then, we’ve done a lot of stupid things with the money, like send people literal bullshit, sell a car for $97, and dig a hole for no reason. We also donated a bunch of money to charity because we felt bad.

Anyway, that about does it. Here’s a collage of more dumb stuff we did. You can click the pictures!. ”

And then you get random pictures of objects that have no connection to each other and that’s why it makes you want to click on every single picture.

When you do, a pop-up will appear explaining what they did with each object.

Like this bag of candy for Halloween, when you click on it the pop-up says:

“In 2018 we sold Halloween candy that reminded people to vote – Nothing’s scarier than a crumbling democracy!”

With this, they are positioning themselves politically, something that many marketers don’t recommend.

But they know who they are talking to and that their target audience also wanted to get rid of Trump.

As the Spanish advertising agency 40 de Fiebre says:

“Don’t be neutral. It’s essential to create emotions, both positive and negative. It’s impossible to like everyone, so make people either hate you or love you, there’s nothing worse than them seeing you as just another brand, so position yourself. ”

5 killer ways of writing your About page that will make you stand out from all the clutter on the internet. #webcopy #copywriting #DigitalMarketing #SmallBiz Click To Tweet

#4 Tell the story of how you got started.

Nothing works better at connecting with an audience than telling an interesting and moving story.

If you think the story of how you got started might resonate with your prospects tell it in your About page.

As does Innocent, a brand that it’s a standard-bearer for good quality and exquisite marketing:

“ We started innocent back in 1999 with a dream to make it easier for people to do themselves some good. We took our smoothies along to a music festival, where we put up a big sign asking people if they thought we should give up our jobs to make drinks out of crushed fruit instead. Underneath the sign, we put a bin saying ‘yes’ and another one saying ‘no’, then asked people to vote with their empties. At the end of the weekend the ‘yes’ bin was full, so we resigned from our jobs the next day and got cracking. ”

Notice how when telling their story they also take the opportunity to sell their product:

“We created Innocent in 1999 with a dream to make it easier for people to do themselves some good”.

With this sentence, they are showing what’s their value and why people should drink their smoothies.

Remember, people aren’t interested in your brand itself, but in the value they can get from your products and, if possible, to get entertained with a good story.

Recommended reading How to use the power of storytelling to elevate your brand

#5 Stay away from your competition without sounding pretentious

Your About page is the ideal place to explain why you are better than other companies doing the same thing.

It’s time to choose the right words to synthesize your DIFFERENCE but without being arrogant.

As does MOZ  

They are the creators of the famous plugin to see the ranking of a page and its degree of authority.

On their About page they say:

“At Moz, we believe there is a better way to do marketing. A more valuable way where customers are earned rather than bought. We’re obsessively passionate about it, and our mission is to help people achieve it. We focus on search engine optimization. It’s one of the least understood and least transparent aspects of great marketing, and we see that as an opportunity. We’re excited to simplify SEO for everyone through our software, education, and community. ”

Despite being one of the most important companies in their niche, they come across as humble and approachable.

They reassure the reader they are going to make SEO easy for them.

At Moz, they know their customers. They know they are both large and small businesses for whom SEO can be overwhelming.

Showing your worth with humility is an art that, when done well, will bring you closer to your prospects and win them over.

5 killer ways of writing your About page that will make you stand out from all the clutter on the internet. #webcopy #copywriting #DigitalMarketing #SmallBiz Click To Tweet

Recapping

I hope this post and these examples have provided you with the inspiration you need to create your company’s About Us.

The most important message I’d like you to take away from today is that only by showing yourselves as you really are will you stand out from the crowd of competitors.

It’s essential to find the words that best describe you, whether in video or written, and for that you need to listen to your audience and know how to synthesize messages.

Studying and practising the principles of copywriting will help you achieve this.

See you around!