So you’ve decided to join a dating website and see what all the fuss is about. You have completed your profile, you’ve uploaded your picture and you’ve told the world that Boyzone are still firmly in your heart and in your record collection. Now what? Where are the messages? Perhaps there is a problem with the dating site or you’re not on the right price plan? More likely that your profile is letting you down. Creating the right impression online requires serious consideration and given that your profile will be one of many, read on and absorb some of our tips in making your profile stand out.
Headline
Creating a profile heading that reflects your personality is crucial and if you want to attract the right suitor, make it accurate! There’s no point in declaring to the world that you are a ‘dirty girty from number thirty’ when you spend your time nursing injured kittens at the local RSPCA! Keep it honest and if you can’t back it up – don’t put it online! Of course, there’s nothing wrong with a little elaboration and you can adopt some creativity to attract the suitor you desire.
Photos
Let’s start with the photo you are considering uploading. We cannot count the number of times we have seen awful, badly lit photographs online. In this age of the digital camera and free imaging software, there is simply no excuse to upload a darkened, out of focus and poor quality photo. If you don’t have any decent digital photos, find a printed one and get it scanned to a cd at your local copy centre. For the cost of a glass of wine, you’ll have a set of decent photos that can be used time and time again. Review the photo after you put it online and ask yourself honestly, if you were looking for someone and you came across this picture, would you be impressed by the quality of the picture? If your answer is no, get a few more pictures and ask your friends to vote on the best one, upload again and stick to it.
Another consideration with online photos is that you should stick to the subject – you. Don’t include your friend/teddy/gonk on the picture unless you are intending they will be going on any potential dates with you as that’s how it will appear to the person viewing the picture. While you might love your teddy, your potential dates might be put off and see you as a bit immature and may decide not to contact you. Exclude the teddy for now and introduce it once you are well and truly smitten with each other and you never know, the teddy may well be resigned to the bottom of the bed from then on!
Facts and figures
Fill everything in! Many dating websites match you on the basis of your interests so why exclude yourself from potential date by entering nothing? At the same time, don’t go overboard or your potential date will have nothing to ask say if they contact you. Read the profiles of the types of people you want to date and take some time to investigate what they find interesting – you never know, you might actually like the music they’ve listed and then you can honestly add it to your profile and in turn, add another hook on which to tempt a potential date. Remember! Don’t repeat these facts and figures in your written profile – potential suitors have already read this information and want to find out more about you, not the same stuff re-phrased.
Profile description
Now to the important bit – your written profile. If you were applying for a new job you would undoubtedly take care to articulate what your strengths and skills were, so why not apply this formula to your online profile? In the same way a potential employer looks at your CV, a potential date will do exactly the same. Writing your profile simply stating what just your strengths are does not have the same impact as highlighting your strengths by giving examples and backing it up with other facts. Have a look at this example profile sentence:
“I am an intelligent, thoughtful & inquisitive person and I have a caring but funny side”
Take a look at the sentence – do you see the statements “I am….I have”? Making statements without references or back-up makes your profile appear over confident and a little bit pushy.
Now read the improved version!
“ I consider myself to be a thoughtful person who takes an active interest in what others are doing around me. My friends tell me I have a great sense of humour especially when they are sometimes a worse for wear and I am the one who manages to get everyone home in one piece!”
By introducing external opinions, (“My friends tell me” ) you are backing up your statements while retaining some modesty and at the same time, giving an example of your humor and caring side by managing to get your slightly drunken friends home safe and sound. By using the phrase ‘ I consider myself’ you are leaving room for opinion and it makes you appear more approachable.
If you are stuck about which strengths to put down, plan a night in with a couple of your friends and ask everyone to write down examples of how yours and your friend’ s strengths have been put into practice. As well as showing a bit of appreciation of one another, you get a rare glimpse of how others perceive you and while generating a bit of interesting content that you can add to your profile.
Remember! You are making yourself attractive to the reader – your photo has already gained their attention so now is the time to back up that mental image and show the reader what makes you the right choice!
Keep to the facts
You should also keep to the facts – don’t say you like outdoor sports when in fact you are referring to the time you played crazy golf at Butlins when you were ten. Potential suitors are looking for people who have similar interests to their own and you’ll come a cropper if your date suggests abseiling down the nearest building! Instead, write about what you are willing to do – You don’t have to make statements about wanting to be the next Zola Bud but adding a line such as ‘ While I’m not the most sporty person on the planet, I am willing to try new and different things’ .
Teasing
Draw people to your profile by stating what you find interesting but again, say why. Give examples so the reader can create a mental picture of you doing your stuff. Use your own interests as a springboard to other new things that you might like to experience and state this – it gives the reader a chance to mentally put themselves in a position of power and is a key attraction tactic. Nothing makes a man happier than having the chance to demonstrate his knowledge in front of a new girlfriend and you might end up having a bit of fun and learning something new at the same time. Don’t be afraid to introduce your opinion (although keep it light!) - be brave, state what you believe in but try to support it with some interesting background information that presents you in a good light. By courting opinion, you can generate many opportunities for comment which in turn, boost the number of people contacting you. Remember, it’s a numbers game so you want as many opportunities as you can generate.
So there you have it! A quick rundown on how you can improve your online dating website profile and in turn, increase the number of opportunities of meeting someone new (and interesting!). It doesn’t take much effort and with a bit of care and some creative input, you will ensure you attract the type of suitor you are paying for!
Have you made any changes to your profile that have brought some success? If so, why not tell us about it by adding your comments!
Hi all wanted to introduce myself!! I look forward to being part of this comunity.
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