Patricia Durgin is the founder of Marketers On a Mission, the FB Live program offering tutorials and interviews by and for Christian writers and speakers. She’s hosted more than 300 60-minute episodes as of May 2019, and she’s still going strong! She dissects complex online marketing tasks, moving learners from “I’ll never be able to do this!” to “I can’t believe this is so easy!” Her three secrets? 1. Rediscover the fundamentals. 2. Start basic; get fancy later. 3. Keep a vision of your audience’s needs at the forefront. Visit her online at MarketersOnAMission.com and www.facebook.com/MarketersOnAMission
10 Steps to Your Website’s Best ABOUT Page Ever!
Your ABOUT page is the heartbeat of your website.
Are you building a warm, snuggly community? What about a site that’s “business, all business”? Do you welcome one and all, or just a select few? None of those choices are wrong. But whichever represents you, speak to those people, and those people alone.
Doesn’t that mean that other people won’t be interested? Yes! And that’s the way it’s supposed to be—as you’re clear about who you serve, those specific people can find you in the crowd—and others will go elsewhere.
How do you want people to feel when they read your About page?
Comfortable and cozy, motivated to action, informed and educated, or something else altogether? Choose your words accordingly.
Make a list of the feelings you want them to feel and review it periodically as you write your About page content, so you stay on track.
As you speak to your unique audience, convey not only the attitude you want, but also the tone. Do you want your visitors to see you as a chummy friend, an aloof expert, or somewhere in between?
Be your unique self, believing that you’ll draw your unique audience to your message. You already do this in real life…now do it online, too, and notice the difference!
The 10 Questions
Pretend I’m in your ideal target market, and tell me…
#1 What’s your Big Idea–Your Headline?
This can be a startling statistic, a bold claim, your mission in life, or what drives you. Grab my attention with a compelling phrase—no paragraphs!
#2 Describe how I’m feeling.
You know me. You’ve served me (or people like me) for years. Am I frustrated? Am I facing a challenge? What’s my pain? Prove you understand me by describing how I’m feeling.
#3 Why am I feeling like this?
Am I searching for something? Trying to overcome a trial? Am I striving to reach a goal or overcome pain? When you explain my biggest problem, how I’m feeling, and why, you’re showing me how well you know me.
#4 Describe what I’ve been searching for (or going through).
How many ways have I tried to solve this problem or overcome this challenge on my own, and what obstacles keep resurfacing? Which questions am I asking that I can’t get answered?
#5 What have you overcome that is similar to what I’m facing?
We all struggle. What challenges have you overcome that help you identify with my challenges?
#6 What makes you the PERFECT person to help me?
Explain to me how you’re exactly the person I’ve been looking for—have you and I faced the same trauma? Overcome the same challenges? Feel the same pain?
#7 How does what you’ve been through equip you to help me?
Whatever commonalities we share, you’re further along than I am (in this particular area), else how can you help me? Tell me how your background uniquely prepares you to help me find the answers I’m desperately seeking.
#8 Was there a moment when you were struggling that you knew it was time for a change?
When you experienced the common pain, challenge, or motivation that we share, something spurred you to action. Tell me that story. And then tie it into my pain, challenge, or motivation.
#9 How will my life improve as a result of knowing you / hiring you / participating in your ministry?
You’ve identified my problem, showed me you understand how I feel and why I feel this way, now tell me…how will I feel (and how will my life improve) after I’ve worked with you?
#10 Identify the person/people/group with whom you best work.
Do you work best with women only (or mostly)? Families? Business owners? Ministry leaders? The commonality may be 1) age, 2) ethnicity, 3) economic factors, and so on. Be specific. Identify who you’re a good fit for, because those are the people looking for you. Help them find you!
One Last Ingredient
Tell me what to do next.
What do you want me to do now? Call you? Book an appointment? Sign up for your newsletter? Be specific. Be clear. Invite me to connect with you in a way that requires me to take some sort of action–so you can stay in touch with me periodically–growing your email list.
So you can contact me about your next, great product, program, or service. And so I’ll be a “warm” lead, instead of a “cold” one.
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