How to Craft the Perfect About Page
Hiya lovelies! We hope all is well and that you’re ready for some fantastic insight into telling your brand’s story. A brand only exists if there’s a mission behind it, and your mission is determined by not just your business goals, but also who’s accomplishing those goals. Your audience needs to know who you are and what you’re all about in order to get the full picture of what your business and brand offers. People like doing business with their friends, so we want to show them how friendly you are.
A good step in communicating your brand to others is creating an interesting About Page on your website. One of the best people to help us with today’s post is Teri Navajo, artist and owner of FRINGE Creatives. Many artists prefer to have their work speak for itself and to not be a part of the spotlight, but don't be shy! An About Page is a must and anyone can build a page they're proud of.
The Perfect About Page Needs:
1) a headshot-style photo
2) one paragraph about you
3) one paragraph about your business' mission
4) a video element (if possible!) to give your audiences more insight into what your business is like in action, and voilà! You're on your way to presenting your best business self to all of your viewers. Aesthetics are important, but content is king for this. Be sure to be authentic & thorough over fluffy and incomplete.
Some About Pages that we Love:
We collaborated on this documentary-style content with Teri first over tacos at Bartaco in Hyde Park Village. We talked about how to best tell Teri’s story as an artist and how both her story and relationships with other artists are heavily anchored in the Tampa Bay craft beer scene. We also picked visual elements, such as a creative headshot and video footage that helps to shed light on the person behind Fringe Creatives.
We interviewed Teri along the way in a few short bursts and below are thoughts and insights from her as she came out of her shell and found ways to further communicate her brand’s story.
"BALEEN" BY TERI NAVAJO. 2017.
Before Completion of Teri's About Page: February, 2017
Had you considered having an about page before?
I saw others typically have this type of information on their site and thought it was useful, but I’m so in my own head and thought no one would be interested in an about page about me.
How long had you gone without an about page on your website?
Since the start. I played with the idea, but never sat down and executed an actual about page. I never attempted it because the idea of talking about myself scared me.
What did you need to start piecing it together?
Hearing someone express that I should have an about page got my gears moving. I realized it’s a necessity. I was looking at another website where the about page was inviting and I felt like I wanted to hang out with the author of that site. It made me wonder if a lot of people are navigating my page and ended up leaving because they felt like they weren’t able to get that personal connection.
What are some elements you’ve considered for your about page?
I never would’ve thought to incorporate video. It was suggested to me. It’s a cool, multi-media tool that people can gravitate towards. I’d like to incorporate more video elements. I’d like to be a little sarcastic and embrace my awkwardness and put some humor into the page. It’s okay to plant my flag. I want to let people know how things started and what I’m hoping to achieve for myself and for others with my business.
"CELLULAR ANALOG" BY TERI NAVAJO. 2017.
After Completion of Teri's About Page: May 2017
How are you feeling about your site and business now that you have an About Page?
I feel like my website will forever be a "work in progress" since I am still learning and growing FRINGE Creatives, but also, I am still growing as an artist. I'm not sure if that ever goes away. I have a background in marketing and know that it's so important to have an About Page for a website, but while going into business full-time for myself, I totally fell victim to the thought of "no once cares about my interests... I'm too boring or don't have anything to say". But the reality is that even though I think I'm boring, other people just see me as "real" or "approachable" or they see me as someone that's like them enough that they want to work with me or become friends with me.
My About Page is actually the most visited page on my site now and I am so happy that I finally got out of my head and sat down and wrote something. While I would love to refine it still, it is definitely something that I feel connects me, my business, and my brand to other artists and potential clients.
Has your perspective changed since putting yourself out there a bit more?
I absolutely hate the spotlight, which I think is why I got into social media marketing for other businesses before starting FRINGE, because it was a way for me to participate but stay behind the camera. Now that I've put myself out there a little more, I have actually gotten recognized at a handful of art festivals. While it's definitely not my comfort zone, having those few artists see me and identify me with my brand actually created a connection and now I'm representing them and showing their work regularly. I may not have added those artists to my client list had I not created a page that associated my business to me as a person that made them feel comfortable enough to come up to me and say "Hi".
What's another goal you have for June to promote your business now that you have this element added to your website?
I am currently obsessed with video and will be adding more video elements to my site. FRINGE is expanding to offer more workshops at local breweries and cafes, but we're also currently developing an e-course platform where users can access video tutorials. This will give creatives and artists the opportunity to "take a class" with me without leaving the comfort of their home, studio or couch! I am very excited about it and can't wait to launch it later in the year.
Thanks for exploring this topic with us on our very first business tips post! If you have any questions or have tips on creating a great About Page, give us a shout. Also, if you wanna share a link to an About Page you love, please do in the comments below. We want to continue the conversation about brand storytelling.
