28 Apr 2021

How to write an About Page

Massage therapists often use their about page to list all their qualifications and and modalities – but is this really the best way to connect with and attract potential clients? (the answer is “no” by the way! :-))

So what should you be doing instead? What’s the best way to captivate your readers and leave a lasting impression?

First we need to understand what an About page is supposed to do…

What does your About Page do?

Your About page allows you to really connect with your target audience. People look at it to learn more about you and your services. They use the about page to see if you share their core values and decide if they want to have a treatment from you, or not.

Although this page is about you, it’s only about you as it relates to your potential client. There will be a lot of information that you won’t include on this page.

It’s ok if there is some overlap with your About page and other pages on your website. Your visitors are not likely to read every word of your website, so it’s ok to have duplicate wording. In fact repeating your message can be helpful to your visitors.

It should be written to achieve two objectives:

Make you relatable and build trust – so you go from being a name on a website, to a real person with a real life. You get to share what makes you, you!

It should be an “almost” sales-page. It should highlight your expertise, the biggest selling points of your story and make a strong first impression. It should answer the most pressing questions that potential new clients have about you and your services. And it should tell them why they should buy from YOU, rather than the therapist down the road.

Your About page is the perfect place to do the following:

Tell your story (why you started doing therapies/why you work in the way you do etc)
Describe your ideal customer
Explain more about how you work
Put a face to your business

First things first:

Write this page in the first person (ie I and me, not she/he/her/him) You want to sound as personable and human as possible. Be conversational. Write as though you’re speaking face to face. Be friendly, sincere, and personal.

Talk to the person reading as though you are building a relationship directly with them. So , say “ I give you…as apposed to , “ I give my clients”

Don’t be afraid to show who you are. Don’t hide behind technical language or massage jargon. Use language that is casual and easily understood by your ideal client – but do make sure you stay professional!

How should I Start the About page?

A good way to start with your About page is simply to say,

“Hi, I’m…….(name)…………”

And then add a sub-heading where you briefly describe what you do and who you help. This is where you describe what sets you apart from the competition. (if you have written your elevator pitch or 10 second introduction, that can go here.) All of this should be Above the Fold (ie the upper half of the page that is visible without scrolling down.)

Think about what is most important to your ideal client and make those facts the most prominent. Either by putting them up near the top of the page, or by highlighting them in a subheading in bold type.

Next you can tell you story – Who you are and how you come to do what you do. (as it relates to your ideal client.)

About You

Think about what your visitors will want to know. Give them a peek behind the curtain of your business and your life – you can add personal elements that aren’t related to your services in SMALL doses, to add interest and to help forge a connection. But keep these to a minimum. You don’t want to bore your reader. You also don’t want to sound like you’re boasting or showing off.

You can stick to facts or you can tell a story. If you want to stick to facts, then you might want to explain the following:

How long you’ve been a therapist
Where are you based
What makes you and your work special or different
Why are you uniquely qualified to do this work?
What are your core values
Who do you work with, what problem do you solve and what benefits do your clients get from working with you (how do you make their life better or easier).

How to Tell Your Story

I always advise telling a story where you can. A story has a powerful impact on the reader. It helps the reader visualise the situation, and it personalises your words and makes them unique.

You can use this formula for telling your story (This can be about you or about your ideal client, or both). Just remember to always keep it relevant to your business and to your ideal client. Don’t go off on a tangent.

Set the scene: Introduce the main characters/ describe the setting, explain how things were for you Maybe there was an experience you had at a certain point in your life when you KNEW you had to learn massage. This is not your life story – it’s the story of how you got into therapies or the story of why you chose to work in a specific niche. So start in the part of your life that’s relevant.

Describe the problem – talk about what made you decide to act (that could be what was going on that made you decide to learn massage or what was happening that made you decide to work with certain clients or work in a certain way.)

Talk about the challenge – This might be what got in the way, what was tricky about it, any obstacles you faced to make this happen. This is the turning point, when you hit your lowest point, or when you had an epiphany. This experience caused you to make decisions that led to where you are today.

The resolution

Where did this journey bring you? What was the positive outcome? What have you now achieved or what do you now have success in doing? /what did you learn from the journey? What are your beliefs and values (if applicable to your ideal client)

Where you are today

Share what things are like for you and your business now. What do you love about your business? What type of clients do you work with?
Talk about any awards you’ve won, anywhere you’ve been featured or worked (if it’s relevant)
Express how you are still learning and working to help your clients even more.

If you’re just starting out, you might think you don’t have a huge amount to write about on this page. Share your journey so far in the massage /therapy world. Explain why you are doing what you do and then you can add successes and milestones as you grow. Your About page is constantly evolving.

“Which brings me to you”

Now you can start talking about your ideal client and how you help them and what they can expect from you.

Spend some time expressing the kinds of problems or pain-points your clients generally have and how their lives are better after working with you.

Be Interesting!

Don’t just list your qualifications or give a load of boring facts. You need to be engaging, so visitors will WANT to find out more about you. Include a few unusual facts or anecdotes about you (but don’t try too hard – there’s nothing more annoying than someone trying to be quirky!) Add some photos too.

Break up the copy

Use bold captions, sub-headings and bullet points to break up the copy and make it easier to read.

Add a video

People nowadays prefer watching a video to reading text. You can use it to talk about how you work, or to give a tour of your premises or treatment room. It doesn’t need to be long. It’s a nice way for potential clients to “meet” you.

Add Photos

Make sure you have a few photos of you scattered throughout this page. Also think about adding photos of you actually doing massage. These are much better than using stock photos which come across as generic and bland with no personality.

Where do they go next?

You can use your About page to take visitors to other web pages or to your social media. You can incorporate links to a blog post or another webpage. Think about how you want your visitor to carry on learning more about you and your services. What’s next on their journey with you?

You might want to encourage them to:

Follow you on social media
Opt-in to your email list
Read about your different treatments and services
Read your blog
Book a treatment

So include links and a Call To Action button (“click here to learn more”, “book a session” etc)

And Finally…

When you’re writing your About Page, see it as an opportunity to start building a relationship with your potential clients. There are so many massage therapists out there, your About Page should be unique to you and start making a connection with your visitors and potential clients.

It’s also a work in progress, it will change multiple times as you and your business change. So just keep updating and refining it as you go!

Want more tips and advice like this? Come and join the community of fellow massage therapists – Massage & Holistic Therapists-Build Your Dream Business is a free Facebook group where I regularly share tips, marketing strategies and give free training to help you get more of your perfect clients.

I’d love to see you in there!