Online dating is something that has become a commonplace concept and is a very good way to meet new people and possibly even find a mate. It seems easy enough. You fill in all the generic details about age, sex, location and what you’re looking for and then you get to the dreaded sections where you have to fill in all the details yourself. The open-ended questions in creating a profile often leave people wondering what to write that will seem to express adequately who they are, and have other people find their profile appealing. There are a million different ways to write an online profile and be successful but some people don’t know where to start. Here are five tips on how to create a winning profile that will help you create a stellar online profile that will get the responses you desire and, hopefully, a successful relationship.
1. Be honest without being offensive or blunt
Everyone values honesty to some degree, and it’s important when you write your profile to be as honest about yourself as you can without crossing the line. No one is perfect. Everyone knows that, so don’t try to portray yourself as the perfect partner. Allow who you are as a person to come through in the text by being yourself and honest with your potential partner. There is a line on how honest you should be here though too because sometimes people are so honest in their profiles that they come across as offensive to people who are reading their profile. Don’t be exclusive in what you’re writing by putting something overly forward about yourself or what you’re looking for. Avoid phrases such as ‘no drama queens’ or ‘I fart a lot’ or anything of that nature. Once people get to that part in your profile, they are going to stop reading and move on to the next candidate. Don’t confuse honestly with being crass and offensive in your profile rather associate honesty with being genuine about who you are as a person and what you are looking for in a polite and positive manner that you would want to read in someone else’s profile. Be real and write like a human being rather than being pushed aside because your profile comes across the wrong way. Being honest also includes writing about who you really are and being honest about looks, height, weight, etc. You probably don’t like being lied to and other people don’t either, so be honest if you carry a few extra pounds, have a big nose or something that you see as a major flaw. It’s okay, everyone has flaws and once again; no one is perfect. Lying on your profile will only lead to being seen as a cheat on your part and you don’t want to come across as untrustworthy because no one wants to be with someone who is perceived as a liar.
2. Avoid Clichés and Repetition
Everyone is on a dating site is looking for that special someone so avoid the clichés when writing your profile. A unique profile with a unique tagline that describes you is more important that the generic “looking for Mr. /Mrs. Right” or “guy/girl next door looking for the same.” These clichés make you fall into the pack and look no different from anyone else on the site. Overusing common phrases will make you seem like every other tired single that doesn’t really care to put in enough effort into their profile to make a connection with someone else. Be original and who you are; this goes along with the first point of being honest. Don’t repeat yourself either about what you want or about what kind of person you are. You don’t want to come across as trying to convince the other person reading your profile of who you are because in the end, it makes you seem like a poser. You don’t want to over-emphasize any point in your profile because you can come across as obsessive in some ways. If something is important to you then say it and move on, the way you write about something is a reflection of how important it is to you.
3. Put the Effort In
When you are creating your profile, be sure to put some real effort into it. It will be very clear to the other person reading your profile that you simply breezed through it if it is generic and impersonal. Taking the time to complete a profile thoroughly and thoughtfully also indicates that you are going to be willing to build a successful relationship with someone else. It might not seem overly obvious when you are creating your profile but it is a reflection of who you are as a person and not just a picture and some words. You can’t expect to get something out of nothing, so take the time to create your profile in a well-thought-out manner.
4. Include a Picture
On any dating site, you will see that profiles with pictures get many more hits than those without. Including a picture makes your profile much more visible and more personal in a lot of ways. Most people look with their eyes when surfing through dating sites and a photo provides a good introduction. When selecting a photo, be smiling and friendly. Don’t have one of those poses that so many people do for pictures, just be real and have the picture of you being yourself. No one wants to see a glamorous headshot, graduation picture or formal picture because that’s who you are at your best. While your picture may be nice, a casual snapshot of you is what is important to include in your profile. You don’t need a full body shot but make sure the picture is of your face. While it may appear attractive to have a picture of your feet or ripped abs as a profile shot, it’s not what people are looking for in a profile, they want to see you and your face! A current picture is also necessary because it’s the honest thing to do. People do change over the years and having a two-year-old picture on your profile can make a big difference versus having a recent one. If you don’t have one, take one of yourself in the mirror or have a friend take one. Part of having a good profile is having a good, recent picture of yourself that shows others a glimpse of who you are. Don’t be nervous about showing your face, it’s all part of the process.
5. Again – Be Honest
This point can’t be stressed enough: be honest in how you portray yourself because you want someone to like your profile because it’s about you and not who you want to be or how you want others to perceive you. Have an accurate picture and describe who you are and what you want honestly. Before you can do this, be honest with yourself about who you really are and what you want or else you won’t be successful even if your profile does get some replies. Ultimately, in a relationship, you want someone to love/like you for you, so be as honest and upfront as possible without putting out too many personal details, you do want to have some mystery there too.
Creating a successful online dating profile isn’t hard if you know what to do. Make sure that you know what you want in some aspects before you go creating a profile on every site you can think of. Knowing what you want, who you are and being confident in those things is important when writing your winning profile because it shows through. Have fun with online dating and be yourself – that’s half the fun of meeting people online is it provides a place where you can be yourself with a nameless person before you actually meet them. It’s a great way to get to know someone and meet all sorts of people. Nevertheless, if you’re truly looking for love, it is out there and you have to want to find it. Taking the steps to be honest and create a profile that personifies who you are is a great way to start your journey to finding love online. So don’t be afraid to put yourself out there and see what comes your way!