What About Me?

Photo Credit - Stockvault.net

Several people in our writer's group have started blogging. After the initial steps of setting up an account, deciding on a title and picking a design, the next step was to create a profile.

"What do I put in the 'About Me' section?" someone asked, which was followed by a murmured chorus of "good question" .

It's an excellent question but I didn't have an answer right away. After giving it some thought and doing a little research, I've compiled the following tips for writing 'About Me', in other words, writing your profile.

• Make it personal. Use a real picture and give some background information on who you are, but keep it simple. Go into more detail on the 'About Me' page. For instance, in the 'About Me' section of your sidebar, tell your readers you are a Christian, but save your testimony or journey for the 'About Me' page.
• Tell your readers what your blog is about. When I visit a blog for the first time I usually read the most recent post. If I enjoy it, I immediately read the 'About Me' section on the sidebar to find out if the blog's content is interesting or helpful to me and if it is, then I will follow that blog. Clearly stating what readers can expect when they visit your blog is key to gaining followers. 
• This is a completely optional tip - personally I like to be welcomed and invited to read a blog. It's like when I go into a store and the salesperson say hello, welcomes me in and invites me to look around. There's no pressure to buy anything, and I feel free to browse. I like to feel the same way when I visit a new blog. Like I said, this isn't a necessity for a good profile, but something to consider.
• Be creative. Try writing a poem for your profile like our friend Dawn or try a song parody or adapt the beginning of a television show like Jayne at The Novice Novelist. She uses the beginning of the old TV show 'The A Team' to introduce her blog. It's so clever and to me, memorable.
• Don't be afraid to revise, update or change your profile as your blogging experience increases. After reading a lot of other 'About Me' sections, you're bound to be inspired.