What do dating profiles have in common with resumes? You need to put in your best effort for both if you want to get results. This may seem self-evident, yet some people will slap together a dating profile with minimal effort and hope that someone special will come along and pick their profile.
Writing a dating profile takes the same effort as writing a good resume. In this case, you aren’t applying for a job, you’re looking for a person. To catch that ideal person’s eye, try some of these tips on how to write stellar dating profiles.
1. Eye-catching photos aren’t just for movie stars
You’ve probably seen this advice multiple times before: choose pictures that show your face. People who are shy or who struggle with self esteem (because they aren’t usually chosen for a date) like to choose photos of themselves looking down, hiding in shadow, standing far away from the camera (so they are ant-sized) or wearing sunglasses. It’s like standing with one foot in and one foot out the door.
Yes, you’re fulfilling a requirement by posting photos. However, the secrecy isn’t enticing. It screams that you aren’t proud of how you look. It’s the same as a resume in which you’re vague about your job experiences. Why should someone pick you if they can’t see who you are?
Confidence and a smile shows people you are proud of how you look and what you have to offer the right person. Choose a photo of yourself doing an activity that you enjoy to reveal an aspect of your life or your personality. At the same time, show your face. Think of yourself as an up-and-coming movie star waiting to be discovered by your future significant other.
2. Dating profile headlines as effective as news headlines
Your dating profile headline is like a news headline. You want it to grab the other person’s attention and keep it long enough for them to start reading the first line or first question in your profile. A question makes an effective profile headline.
For example, you might ask, “Are you the one?” You want to catch someone’s eye so they read your profile to find out if you’re the person he or she is looking for. If you don’t want to be lost in a blur of cliché headings, do some online research for some catchy sayings, questions, and quotes to find one that suits your personality.
3. Writing bios that bring your personality to life
You might be thinking, “I don’t know how to write a bio” or “I’m terrible at writing.” How do you write a dating profile if you don’t have the skills?
First, calm your fears and simply approach this as a task similar to assembling a simple piece of furniture. Provide the necessary statistics about yourself, such as age, city, height and so on. Begin with the easy stuff.
Then select a question to answer, such as a description of yourself and your interests, something that will reveal fascinating facts about you, or a description of the person you are looking for. Start by writing your ideas down as words or ideas. Then string them together into sentences.
Still stuck? Look for dating profile examples online and copy some sentences that you can use as templates or examples of how you can phrase your answers.
The extra work is worth it. A detailed bio, even with a couple of spelling or grammar mistakes, can reveal your personality and provide that much more information about yourself than a picture.
4. Originality can be as simple as a 1-2-3 formula
After getting matched with someone, take the time to check out that person’s profile. Notice details in their write up and photos. Then, for your first message, ask that person something personal about them, based on a detail you had read.
Too many people take the easy option and start their first message with some version of “How are you?” or “How was your day?” Now image you’re reading your 20th “How are you?” message in two days. How excited would you be to see it?
“Copy and paste” messages are like a resume that looks identical to many others in a sea of resumes. Ask an original question. If the dating profile bio is sparse in detail, Google search ideas for interesting (but not creepy!) questions to pique a person’s interest, make you stand out, and increase your chances of getting a response.
Summary
Putting in the time to write a catchy dating profile is worth the investment. Just like you wouldn’t put together a sloppy resume and expect a job interview to follow, it’s worth the time to craft a profile well to attract the right person.
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Vanya Wryter Consulting Services 