Make sure to read and re-read this article before coming up with your ‘About Me’ extravaganza.
Or are you here because the damage has already been done and you have no idea where exactly you took the wrong turn? Don’t worry. We have got you covered. Take a look at these 17 Simple Things for “About Me” Photographer Bio that Your Clients will Love – a real magic wand for all the photographers out there.
Why Is the “About” Page so Important?
First things first, we have to understand why the page is an extremely important part of your website. Many photographers confess that they had no idea that these couple of paragraphs can make a huge difference. That’s why they either totally neglected them, or simply made up a couple of phrases on the go. Bad idea.
The about page is the exact step that is standing between you and the client. Your bio becomes the crucial moment when it comes to the client deciding whether he wants to work with you or not. After all, photographers are the type of people that are given access to the most sacred places and intimate moments.
You wouldn’t want some unpleasant lad to be following you during your wedding. You want to feel the connection with the professional in the studio. And you certainly don’t want to let a strange persona close to your child for a newborn photo shoot.
In today’s world, there is a gigantic competition in practically every sector of services. And photography is no exception. Why should the client choose you? There has to be something about you and your page that simply won’t let the customer click on another photographer’s website (and there are so many of those on the Internet, you know that).
An amazing about page will help you establish that initial trust and sympathy between you and the client. And, in the majority of cases, a beautiful, sincere and professional bio becomes the main reason why people decide to hire you. In the end, that’s what we are aiming for, right?
Let’s get this party started on our 17 Simple Things for “About Me” Photographer Bio that Your Clients will Love.
Related: How to Get More Photography Clients
17 Simple Things to Improve Your Photography Bio
1. The Basics: How to Name the Page? How Many Words Should the “About” Page Have?
Of course, you can always go for the classics. Bio or About pages are quite straightforward and that’s exactly what we want. These are the two best options, so don’t name your biography page ‘information’, ‘skills’, etc. Basically, these words can mean anything. And we want the client to know that if he clicks this certain page, he will meet you.
‘Zoom In On Alan Alany’ – this is an example of a fun ‘photography’ way of naming your about me If you want to go that extra mile.
A perfect about page has around 150-200 words. You don’t want the customer to get bored, but at the same time, you want to make sure that he gets all the necessary information. Split these couple of hundreds of words into a few short paragraphs (2-4 sentences). And remember not to use long, complicated sentences. We want to page to be readable and engaging.
Feel a bit strange writing paragraphs about yourself? That’s a widespread problem. From our childhood, we have been taught that talking only about ourselves is not polite. But writing an about page is one of the events in your life when you have to forget about being too shy and humble.
Coming up with a text in the form of an interview is a great idea, as some find it easier to write about themselves in such a manner. Ask yourself a question and then answer it in a couple of sentences.
By the way, finding the actual about me page on your website shouldn’t turn into a long and frustrating adventure for the visitor. Make your bio page accessible from any other. Make sure that the clients make no more than one click in order to find your personal page.
2. How About Choosing a Video Format?
Firstly, you might feel more comfortable speaking in front of a camera. After all, you are a photographer, and you surely do know everything about finding the right light, location and so on.
Secondly, in our century of digital technologies, a lot of clients don’t want to be spending their time reading different texts. A short video might be a better option for them. Moreover, seeing you in a video will create even a stronger connection between you and the client. They will feel like they already know you.
3. Make the Whole Thing Mobile-Friendly
Speaking of technologies. You have to make sure that your website looks good on any device. Nowadays, a great chunk of traffic comes from mobile phones and tablets. So you have to format the text, video, photographs in such a way in which it will look good on any device.
This is the point that most of the photographers rarely consider. But if you really do nail it, it will be another proof of your professionalism. You care about details and that’s an amazing trait. Especially, for a photographer.
Related: Top 10 Best Smartphone Cameras for Photography in 2019
4. How Should Your Page Look?
You might want to go all-in, insert gifs, use the wildest font and colors… Don’t do that.
Your about page has to be readable above everything else.
You might be tempted to use a unique font because all these Times New Romans make you sick. But practice shows that these kinds of fonts are actually the ones that are easier perceived by the guests of your page.
In the case with a bio page, the simpler the better. People prefer seeing a relaxed color scheme. Writing your text in yellow, for example, may simply hurt their eyes.
When it comes to pictures and photos, one or two is quite enough. After all, you have a gallery on your website that displays your best works, right?
5. About the Photo
You should have your own photo in the about me section. You might even decide not to put any examples of your actual work because you have other pages made especially for that. But the bio page has to have a photo of you. And that should not be a picture of you hiding behind the gear.
People need to see your smiling face. Remember that connection that we talked about earlier? The clients have to decide for themselves whether your face is trustworthy enough for them to invite you to share an intimate moment with them. That’s just how things work. Whether the photo is taken in a studio or during the working process – it is totally up to you.
By the way, it is always a wonderful idea to post pictures that help the clients see how you work. If you are a wedding photographer, a picture of you trying to capture the perfect moment of the newlyweds will do the job. Are you a travel photographer? Make sure that even your own portrait is filled with the feeling of adventure. You might be standing on the top of a cliff with your gear, for example.
Related: How to Build a Photography Portfolio?
6. Answer These Questions Before You Start to Write Your Actual Text:
Who is the page by? People need to know your name, your contacts and in which city you operate. This sounds like the most basic information possible, but many photographers forget to include it.
Why should the clients pay attention?
What’s in it for the clients? Through these questions, you have to show the customers why they should choose you over the thousands of other photographers out there. What makes you unique?
What’s the website about? What is your style and what type of photography do you specialize in? Another basic question that has to be answered straight away. A bride needs to see that the photographer specializes in weddings in one single click.
Related: If You Get These 11 Questions Wrong, You Will Have Hard Time with Your Photography Business
7. Try to Use Less ‘I’
I know, I know, this page is about you, so why on earth can’t you be using ‘I’ a lot? Well, you have to remember that this page is not part of your memoir. The customers are basically deciding whether they want to invest in your services. Yes, they are choosing you as a person as well as your professional skills. But what they need to know is how they will look and will be represented, when you are around. Because, after all, it is all about your clients.
So, instead of coming up with something like ‘I prefer taking shots in natural light’, say ‘Your true beauty can easily be enhanced by natural light. I will make sure to take you to a wonderful location that you will fall in love with’ and so on.
Basically, don’t focus on I, think about them. By the way, using ‘you’ in your text is a smart idea. Once again, you will instantly be able to create that emotional connection between you and this stranger that it scrolling through your page.
8. CHECK THE GRAMMAR!
Yes, you are a photographer. You are responsible for the image, but please don’t forget about punctuation and grammar. One single typo might make the client leave your page. Mistakes in texts are extremely frustrating. Especially, when they are not yours.
It is a well-known fact that it is much harder to notice your own typos. Here is a great piece of advice: before publishing your text, make sure to ask a couple of your friends to go through it.
And certainly, do use some online programs that will help you exclude any type of mistakes.
The people that come across your page have to instantly see that they are dealing with a professional. Not with a teenager who can’t write a text without emojis.
9. Don’t Mention Your Gear
It might seem like an important point personally for you. And certainly for all the other professional photographers out there. But you have to remember that we are creating this about me page for the clients.
The absolute majority of them don’t care what kind of camera you use and how many lenses you have. And the professional terminology might simply frighten them away.
So leave these details out and focus on other things.
10. What Else Not to Mention?
The history of your business. Well, this might sound awful, but no one really cares. Your potential clients want to see straight away what you have to offer NOW.
How much you love photography. It just goes without saying. If you are doing this, the clients want to assume that you like what you are offering. If you still want to mention how passionate you are about what you do, including a life motto, for example, is a better idea. One single phrase and that’s it. Under your photo, perhaps.
Your family. There might be amazing stories about you and your family. And maybe even funny ones connected with photography. But save those for a family dinner.
Related: 6 Reasons Why Your Photography Clients Hate You
11. Should You Mention Your Awards and Accomplishments?
Once again, try going through the whole text with the eyes of your potential client. You might be proud of your first place in some sort of competition, but the chances are high that the customer has never even heard about such a thing.
‘A winner of multiple international rewards’ is a beautiful phrase, but it carries no valuable information. So try to neglect it.
But what will the client understand and value?
Well, the fact that you have worked for popular magazines, for example. If you really have had your works published in Vogue or National Geographic, for example, that’s an amazing accomplishment that literally anyone would understand.
Took portraits of celebrities? That is always great bate for potential clients.
12. Quote Your Satisfied Clients
There is nothing wrong with that. You may be thinking that if you place these amazing testimonials on your page, it will look cheeky and selfish. But the truth is that reviews are a great trigger for your future clients. If someone else likes you, then the chances are automatically higher that they will like you too, right?
Simply choose the right dosage of these quotes. Two or three great phrases are enough. And remember to write down who said it and certainly do ask their permission on quoting them. Everything has to be legit.
Related: 23 Photography Quotes That Will Give You Hope in Photography
13. You Are a Photographer with a Soul
Of course, customers are ready to see prices for your services, once they enter your website. But having a separate page for these numbers may look better. After all, the main aim of your about me page is to evoke positive emotions in your future client. You have to be addressing him as a unique human, rather than a sack of money.
You are promoting a service rather than a product. And service is always accompanied by emotions that the clients will experience once they decide to hire you. You will be spending a couple of hours, a whole day or even more with these people. Always bear that in mind.
Another thing, have values and professional principles. Don’t be afraid to say ‘no’ to the clients that think that you will agree to do anything for money. They have to respect your style and aesthetics. You, in your turn, have to set for yourself the borders that you will never cross. But, at the same time, be ready to adjust a tiny bit to the wishes of the customer. It surely is a fine line. And only the experience will help you settle your photographer’s ‘code’ for good.
14. Always Remember About SEO
We are in the middle of creating a page that people will be able to see on the Internet. Of course, some traffic will be coming to your website thanks to the direct links that you are constantly sharing. But you also want some random people looking for the photographer on the Internet to come across your page, right?
That’s exactly where SEO kicks in. It doesn’t matter how beautiful and professional your website is if no one will ever be able to find it.
Basically, SEO is about helping your page pop up one of the first, when someone searches for relevant keywords. Search Engine Optimization is tricky. There are a lot of things that you need to know, so we would highly recommend doing your research on this topic. But here are a few tips that can start helping your page immediately.
Keywords are crucial when it comes to SEO. Take your time to identify the right keywords for your page. The most famous photographers can have their name as a keyword, but if you are a beginner, better go for such words as ‘portrait photographer’, ‘name of your location’, for example. Basically, you have to once again become your potential client.
Think about what kind of words and phrases a client would use to search for a photographer on Google.
After that, you have to include these keywords in your titles and throughout the text. But remember to keep it natural. If you insert 10-20 of the same words, it will only ruin everything. Inserting 2 or 3 keywords per page is the perfect option.
When it comes to about me page, keywords can become your most effective SEO tool. So you can start with that. But we would highly encourage you to continue your further research.
15. Add a Call to Action
A call to action at the end of any text is an important psychological trick. Once a person has finished reading, he likes to be told exactly what he has to do now. The more he liked the text, the higher the chances that the call to action will work.
You can easily insert a link to your booking page at the end of about me Or a link to your direct contacts.
Phrases like ‘book your appointment now!’ people might find a bit frustrating, though they can work in some cases. Try to come up with something a bit more gentle and less ‘selling’. ‘Check the free dates’, for example, can be a nice option. But it is certainly up to you.
16. Visit the Pages of Your Favorite Photographers for Inspiration
After all, why try to invent something new, when there are incredible examples out there? Check out the bio and about me pages of your favorite photographers. It will be better if you both specialize in the same type of photography.
Take a close look at his or her page. What colors were used? What fonts? Style of writing? How many photos are there? Simply pay attention to all these small things that we usually don’t notice, but subconsciously they are incredibly important to our perception.
Related: 15 Steps to Finding Your Perfect Photography Mentor
17. Be You
Yes, it is great if you will follow the SEO rules, make sure that the text is readable and exactly 150-200 words long… But if you feel like you don’t really get any of these points, feel free to leave them out.
In the end, what really matters is the fact that you yourself love your page. And that you will be proud to share it with the rest of the world. Clients always feel whether the photographer is being sincere or not. There is nothing more boring than scrolling through hundreds of pages that are all the same. Don’t be afraid to stand out. And remember all rules are made to be broken at one point.
Related: 6 WORST Types of Photographers
These were 17 simple ways to turn your photographer bio or about page into a client attraction magnet. Have fun along the way. Even though the main goal of your about me page is to attract clients, think of it as of another art project that you have to deliver.
Good luck!
Related: What a Photographer Needs to Get Started?
