by Samantha Marin

Even though you’ve done your best to fill your about me page with information on who you are and what your story is, it’s likely that your info sounds a little bit like everyone else’s. You love coffee, adventures, Netflix, and your kids/husband/dog. Sound like you? Probably, because this is many photographers’ bios in a nutshell. Here are a few ways to make sure that you stand out from the crowd online.

1. MAKE A “TOP TEN THINGS” LIST

Lists (like this one!) are easy to read and keep your readers engaged. Top ten things you can’t live without, top ten things that someone should know about you, or top ten things that you love are some fun lists you can make to include on your “about me” page. Minimal writing is involved with this one, since you don’t have to put a description for each thing and can include a picture of the item instead. This will help your followers get to know you without making them work for it by reading a long paragraph about your likes and interests.

2. CREATE A STARTER PACK

Starter packs are generally four to ten pictures arranged in a collage. Often they are funny, but the main point is that they are easy to look at. The less words there are, the more likely your readers are to look over your page without skimming. An example of a starter pack for myself would be a pair of running shoes, a book, the blue ridge mountains, New York City, and a jar of peanut butter. It’s easy to learn a few things about me by just looking at images for those five things.

3. ANSWER SOME CONVERSATION STARTERS

Conversation-starter cards are notorious for being awkward to talk about and difficult to answer, but chances are almost all of your readers have come across them at some point. Try creating a graphic of a few cards and come up with some fun and witty answers. Include some cheesy questions like, “If you could have dinner with anyone who’s ever lived, who would it be?” or “What do you geek out about now, and what did you geek out about as a kid?” or “If you could break a world record, what would it be?” or “What sport would you play at the Olympics?”. The more unique the better, since readers will be learning things about you that they never expected to. Not only will your page be more memorable, but you might spark some interesting conversation in the comments.

4. LET’S TALK FOOD

Everyone loves food! So what would your ideal meal be? Again, this doesn’t require much writing. Invent a menu for yourself and make it fun—your three courses could be pancakes, waffles, then French toast, for example—and see where you and your readers have common ground. It’s all about trying to get them to relate to you! These items could also be represented as pictures rather than as words.

5. INCLUDE THREE PHOTOS THAT DESCRIBE WHO YOU ARE (AND YOU DON’T EVEN HAVE TO BE IN THEM!)

This is probably the easiest for photographers to add onto their blogs. Your three pictures could be landscapes, still life shots, or portraits of yourself. They could be photos you took for work or for leisure. The point is that the pictures are a quick glance for your readers to get to know about you without actually reading anything at all.

6. SHARE YOUR GUILTY PLEASURES

Sure, you might enjoy spin class or a kale caesar salad, but that’s not always interesting or different to read about. Include your favorite Ben and Jerry’s flavor, your ideal trashy reality tv show, or your go-to sugary snack. This will let readers know that you are not a robot and have cravings just like they do.

7. MAKE AN EYE-CATCHING GRAPHIC

This may sound like a lot of effort rather than just writing a paragraph, but it will make your page more visually appealing. Make a map of all the places you’ve lived or a timeline of some of the big events in your life. It will add an element of uniqueness and creativity to your “about me” page.

8. IDENTIFY A FICTIONAL CHARACTER THAT MATCHES YOUR PERSONALITY

This is easy because so much of your personality will come across to readers if you provide someone for them to compare you to. Don’t try to make it so that every single person that comes across your page knows your character (unless you want to be Darth Vader, Santa Claus, or Goldilocks) but pick someone who is relatively popular that your readers may know. This will also help reveal some of your pop culture interests.