What makes a great online profile?
There's no denying that creating that perfect online dating profile can be a tough thing to do. Luckily, some of the basics are covered by multiple choice options and thinking of your favourite film, book and drink isn't too testing! But what about the bits in between - the bit where it asks you to write a paragraph about yourself and then about your ideal match?
You've probably sat and thought about it in detail and either put time and effort into it, or ignored the section and moved on as you don't want to come across as too soft and soppy, neither do you want to appear bossy and matter of fact. To stand out from the crowd you need to really sit back and think about how you want to come across - spending a great deal of time writing about who you are looking for, doesn't give your potential date the opportunity to learn more about you. As with anything, if you spend a little time and effort putting in the graft early on, other members will get an insight into who you really are - and they'll probably find you very attractive!
Follow these top tips to create a great online profile:
Your member name...
... one of the first things people will read about you, is your membername. These are tricky to think up as you want to stay relatively anonymous and might not want to advertise your personal name, but want it to highlight your personality, or say something about you. If you have a hobby, or a nickname you can always tie that into your membername, for example dancing_celia, or artistic_john. When you think of your name, run it past a friend if you can as what you think may describe you well, may have negative connotations.
Don't just rattle off words that describe you...
... if you simply make a list of words that describe you, you'll sound like everyone else's profile and it comes across as though you haven't put much thought into creating your personal pitch. Talk about your ambitions, and how you want to share what you have with someone else - without coming across too heavy. By sharing what you want out of life, really brings your personality to life and will prompt members to learn more about you. It's also a great hook for a member to write a message to you - for example, 'I'd love to travel around Europe, picking out the key tourist attractions, but investigating off the beaten track too. I've a few places I absolutely need to visit', would be a great point for a member to write to you about, and ask where 'off the beaten track' you want to explore.
Keep it positive...
... remember this is the first time people are getting a snippet of you, and talking about exes - what they did to you and how you destroyed their belongings when you finished, or stalked them for a while isn't going to paint you in a great light! You also don't want them to think that should things not work out between you that you'll discuss your relationship openly and in a damning way. Being positive about yourself, your situation and your love life is one of the most attractive qualities you can have when dating. If you put yourself down, people will believe you as they don't know the real you, as yet.
Stand out from the crowd...
... with millions of people looking for their online perfect match, you really need to stand out from the crowd. Don't be put off by this, or feel that your profile has to be of star quality but do make it personal to you. It's a good idea to look at the search results as if you were a member looking for someone like you, as you then can get an idea of what people are saying. But seriously, don't copy. Just get a flavour of what people are saying, and think about what makes you an individual, what is special about you, and importantly what makes you happy and then talk about it!
Ask for help...
... the people who know you the best are probably your friends and family, so why not ask them to describe you? They could give you a few words that describe your personality and sentences that highlight your best attributes. You'll probably find that most come back with the same ideas, so it shouldn't be too difficult to create a good vision of yourself that enables others to begin to draw up a picture of you.
Spell and grammar check...
... there is nothing more off putting when reading profiles when the grammar and spelling hasn't been checked. When you are nervous, in a hurry or excited it's difficult not to let your fingers run away on the keyboard - and that's fine, as long as you review, and review again what you have written. A grammatically correct and typo free profile shows you are willing to invest some time and effort in yourself and trying to find 'the one'. Other members will actually read your profile so it really is your best personal pitch - make the most of it! Attention to the little details like grammar show that you have actually invested time in online dating and are willing to do so, as you recognise that your profile is your first impression.
Add a photo...
... most of us hate our picture being taken but profiles with pictures get a much better response than those without - and that's not rocket science. Only a few people are willing to take the blind date option, and whilst you may favour putting up a photo of you at least 10 years ago when you think you looked better - people like to know that what they see is really what they are going to get. Your photo is your chance to bring your profile to life, and to show who you are, not who you think someone will like. Choose a natural, non professional shot of you having a great time. Make sure it's a good clear head and shoulder shot, with you smiling and preferably little in the background so the focus is on you.
Writing your personal profile is a difficult task but the better profiles are the ones with more detail in them, and therefore the ones that will attract the most responses. It's well worth investing the time and effort into the job at the beginning, and updating it regularly as you get more comfortable on the site.
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