“Profile” stories are a smart way to bring your website content to life and spotlight the people who power your company or organization. They also become ideal vehicles to promote your services and offer “calls to action.”

I already laid out the blueprint for an “opinion” blog post, and this time I explain my approach for an effective “profile” blog post. The goal is to grab the reader’s attention right away and allow them to “meet” the person who is the subject of the post.

No matter your product or service, you can share profiles of your staff, clients, investors, volunteers and anyone else integral to your success.

Here’s a fictitious “profile” blog post, step by step. The person in the blog post, Alicia Hammonds, is a volunteer for Big Nonprofit Association.

Blog Title: Getting to Know [First and Last Name], [Job Title/Relationship to the Company] at/with [Name of Company/Organization]

Opening section: Place the person in a situation

Open with a quick story or situation that puts the person in his/her element. How would you sum up the person’s role and overall impact? The story grabs the reader better than a line like, “Today we are profiling ____…”. Booriiiiing.

Opening section example:

If it’s Tuesday morning, you can bet Alicia Hammonds is in the food pantry sorting cereals, cans of vegetables and bags of rice. For the past four years, Hammonds has been one of the most active volunteers at Big Nonprofit Association, and we rely on her each Tuesday to keep the pantry organized and prep food for the 14 homeless shelters we serve.

Second section: Provide context for the “profile” person’s hard work

Step back and put the person in context with the rest of the company/organization. Be specific with clients you serve and provide numbers when possible to help the reader understand how much, how many and how often.

Second section example:

Hammonds is one of 50+ volunteers we depend on so Big Nonprofit Association can reach more than 2,000 people in need throughout the Denver community. Our food closet benefits organizations like Nonprofit A, Nonprofit B and Nonprofit C. We like to think we’re the engine that makes everything “go,” and our volunteers play a huge role in that task.

Third section: Share a specific example about the “profile” person

By now, you have introduced the “profile” person and given context on the organization. Now share a snapshot of the “profile” person and what makes him/her exceptional.

Third section example:

Back on February 22, 2015, Hammonds was called on for a critical task during a powerful blizzard: catalog all the food in a narrow, four-hour time window before it was rushed out the door to aid homeless shelters. With focus and determination, Hammonds completed the task and our community partners had the supplies they needed to care for those left out in the bitter cold.

Fourth section: Put the specific example in context

Explain how the short story about the “profile” person exemplifies who you are as a company/organization.

Fourth section example:

Hammonds’ quick work on that frigid day in February typifies the effort we receive from all of our volunteers. Everyone understands their role at Big Nonprofit Association and takes their job seriously. We’re lucky to have so many selfless people who make a difference in Denver every single day.

Fifth section: Call to action

Use the final section to encourage the reader to contact you for new business or another kind of inquiry.

Fifth section example:

Would you like to become a volunteer for Big Nonprofit Association? Fill out the form and please allow us 2-3 days to respond. Thanks for your interest!

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Any other questions on a “profile” blog post?

Share below!

Featured photo: State Farm (Flickr)