The world of online dating sites can be lonely at times, exciting at others and scary to some. For those of you that have decided to take the plunge and find your love online, there are some things that you should consider to highlight yourself amongst the thousands of profiles flooding the online dating sites and increase your chances of attracting quality potential mates. These are the top five ways to get your dating profile noticed by like-minded, SANE individuals who share common interests and goals:
1. A picture says 1000 words
As the saying goes, a picture says 1000 words. Your dating profile picture is likely the first glimpse a potential mate will get of you, so this is obviously one of the most important aspects of your profile that is often discounted or overlooked. Sure you do all the customary things to make sure your picture looks good (dress up, put on make-up, work-out, etc.) but there are some other factors you should consider such as location. How many times have you seen that eerily familiar web cam picture of the person sitting in their room? I am not saying there is anything wrong with this approach (and I know it’s popular), but it really doesn’t convey much about yourself to whomever may be looking at it. Instead of going the web cam approach, why not display a picture of yourself in a country you traveled to that you absolutely loved, or showcase yourself in action in your favourite sport or hobby. The point is, use your picture as a tool to let people know something about yourself right off the bat. By doing this, they may notice a common interest with you immediately and it also starts to outline your character and what you are all about.
2. The dreaded headline
Writing profile headlines seems so simple but is one of the most frustrating and difficult aspects of creating your dating profile. Probably the most important consideration to remember when creating your tagline is that you are not creating it for yourself. Your headline is something that is designed to give people a micro byte of information about you and entice them to get to know you more. Because of this, originality counts big time here. Common things to avoid in headline tags include:
- Explicit Content (depending on the site)
- Desperate or Whiny Headlines (sorry but its true, “Don’t Ignore Me Please” ain’t going to cut it)
- Negative Statements That Insult or Deter Readers
Now that we have covered the negatives, let’s move on to the right way to create a tagline. One of the best questions to address when you are brainstorming is a simple question that people looking at profiles ask themselves, “What’s in it for me?” It sounds bad, but it’s true, and you probably do it too. Don’t forget that people are on dating sites to find a partner for them, so this is something that they are going to be thinking about to figure out if you are that potential match.
Another very commonly used and effective style of creating your tagline is to play on the readers’ curiousity. By compelling the reader that they need to read your profile further, you are giving them a reason to get to know more about you.
3. I am looking for a long term relationship… maybe
I am sure you have heard it time and time again but honesty really does play a huge role in making online dating work effectively, but before you can be honest in your profile you need to be honest with yourself. Spend a lot of time doing some self-analytics and trying to figure out exactly what you are looking for. Just because you have found the profile of the man or woman of your dreams and they are looking for Marriage, does not mean you should tailor your profile to suit their wants. If you take this approach, you are destined for failure. I recommend creating your profile before you have looked at anyone on the dating site. I know most want to check things out and see if there are enough people they are interested in before signing up, but come on, we all know the big dating sites and that there are tons of people one them. Do yourself a favour and write your profile first, then look. Doing this will alleviate any outside influences in your description and will force you to be honest about your approach and what you are looking for.
4. Convey positiveness, it’s sticky!
Your emotions really come out in your words, and this is an important consideration when you describe yourself, your accomplishments and your general outlook on life. You may be having a bad month, year or life, but no matter who you are I am sure you have some aspirations and positive attributes (I would hope). Instead of focusing on the past focus on the future, writing about your past relationships is a sure way to signal that you aren’t ready to meet a new partner. Instead of talking about how you hate your job, put a positive spin on it and say something like “Have been working as a box salesman for 20 years which is absolutely dreadful, so I am getting ready to make the leap as an exotic animal trainer which is something I have wanted to do for a long time.” I know this is a stretch, but you get the idea. There are ways to say things in a humorous or positive fashion that not only get across your goals, but shed some light into how you perceive yourself and your life. This is a crucial factor for people reading your profile who at the time are simply strangers wanting to know more about YOU.
5. Do not settle, you want what you want
This is purely opinionative and relates back to honesty, but you really shouldn’t sell yourself short or settle for anything less than what you truly want. If your dream mate is a person that lives in the south of France, wants to have 15 kids and run a toy factory, SO BE IT. It is really hard for people not to settle, but in the dating world you have nothing to lose by not being modest or conforming to what you believe is “realistic”. Sure this might limit your pool of potential candidates, but it will definitely get your profile noticed and you never know, you may find that person. The point of this is to re-iterate the value that honesty adds to your online dating experience, which in the end will greatly contribute overall to your success in the dating world.
