Most Substack creators treat their About page as an afterthought.
They fill it in once when they first sign up, write a few sentences about themselves, and never touch it again.
That’s a mistake, because your About page is one of the highest-leverage pages on your entire publication.
Think about what happens when someone discovers you for the first time.
Maybe they found one of your Notes. Maybe a friend sent them one of your articles. Maybe they stumbled across your publication through a recommendation.
The first thing many new readers do is check your About page.
They’re not ready to subscribe yet. They’re scanning. They’re asking one question: is this worth my inbox?
If your About page doesn’t answer that question clearly and quickly, they leave.
After analyzing hundreds of About pages across Substack publications in every niche, I’ve seen the same mistakes made over and over again (and the same patterns in the ones that actually convert).
In this video, I’m sharing real-world examples of high-converting About pages from our Substack Accelerator members (Kit Perez, Francesca Emilia, and David Langer).
How to Structure Your About Page
Based on what I’ve seen across hundreds of publications, the About pages that consistently convert follow a clear structure.
#1: Start With the Reader, Not Yourself
The most common About page mistake is leading with yourself.
A stranger landing on your About page isn’t asking “who is this person?”
They’re asking, “is newsletter for me, and worth subscribing to?”
Your reader’s most urgent need is to know whether your newsletter is relevant to them. Answer that first.
That’s the key difference. About pages that convert are the ones written for the reader, not for the creator.
Your opening section should answer three questions for your reader straight away:
What is this newsletter about?
Is this newsletter right for me?
What will I get from subscribing?
The goal is to make the right reader nod within the first ten seconds and think: yes, this is exactly for me.
Include a short list of outcomes. What will a subscriber learn, experience, or be able to do after reading your newsletter consistently?
And put a subscribe button right below that section, before you’ve even introduced yourself.
If someone is already convinced after the first section, make it easy for them to act on it immediately.
#2: Highlight Your Story + Credentials
Once the reader knows the newsletter is for them, they want to know who’s behind it.
This is where you introduce yourself, but with a specific goal in mind. You’re not writing a biography. You’re building trust.
Two things matter here: a clear description of who you are, and a few concrete credibility signals.
Not vague claims about being “passionate” or “dedicated.”
Specific, measurable things: years of experience, results you’ve achieved, people you’ve helped, problems you’ve solved.
Then explain why you started this newsletter (the origin story).
The most effective origin stories come from one of three places:
You had the problem yourself and solved it
You kept seeing others struggle with it
Or you noticed nobody was talking about it yet
Pick whichever is true and say it plainly.
This is also where you add personality. Share something real and personal about yourself.
The reader already knows the newsletter is relevant to them; now they want to know if they resonate with you. Give them a reason to.
Add a photo of yourself here too. A clear, natural photo makes the page feel personal. It’s a small detail that makes a big difference.
Add another subscribe button at the end of this section.
#3: Add Social Proof (If You Have It)
If you have genuine subscriber feedback, this is the place to include it.
Three testimonials are enough.
And if you don’t have testimonials yet, skip this section for now. You can add it once you’ve collected a few genuine responses from engaged subscribers.
The simplest way to get testimonials is to DM three to five people who regularly engage with your content and ask if they’d share one or two sentences about what they’ve found most useful.
Most people are happy to help when you make it easy.
Your ‘About’ Page Template
If you approach it the right way, your About page is a true conversion asset.
Every section should serve one purpose: moving a stranger one step closer to becoming a subscriber.
Lead with the reader. Follow with your story. Back it up with proof. Make it easy to subscribe at every stage.
When your About page is doing its job properly, it works for you around the clock, converting curious visitors into subscribers without you having to do anything at all.
To make it as easy as possible to create a high-converting About page, we’ve created a word-for-word About page template - exclusively available for our premium subscribers.
(Not a premium member yet? Upgrade to Write • Build • Scale premium to unlock this fill-in-the-blank About page template plus hundreds of other exclusive resources - like workshops, templates, ultimate guides, courses, and our Creator Growth Vault.)
Access the ‘About’ page template right here:
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