1) Avoid Negativity
Have you ever gone out on a first date where the person
you were with complained about his/her work, ex,
etc? Such negative talk is a major turnoff. Likewise,
negativity is a major turnoff in your profile. Being
positive is like a magnet. Being negative is like
wearing a skunk aroma. Here's how one person actually
began her profile:
"To
be quite honest, I have been putting this off as
long as possible. I have friends who use Match
and have had some terrible dates."
This
begs to ask, "what are you doing here?" Now
contrast that to this profile introduction:
"I've
heard online dating is a great way to meet awesome
people and that's why I want to meet you."
Which
one of these profile intros is more attractive?
The one who wants to date "losers" or the one that
wants to date "winners"? Psychologically
everyone wants to be a winner. Therefore in your
profile, avoid
anything negative like the plague. Be positive.
If
you have anything negative in your profile ("I
hate country music," "the last guy I dated was a liar
and cheater," "I'm sick of being alone," "I'm sick
of the bar scene," etc.) then go edit it out immediately
and replace it with
something
positive ("I love independent music and artists, like...").
Always be positive; not just in your profile, but
also in life.
2) Go From Typical to Unique
Read this profile and tell me if you recognize it:
"I
am a fun person who loves movies and music. I like
walks on the beach, good conversation, and dining
out. I'm looking for someone who is fun and can
make me laugh."
Unfortunately,
the above describes most profiles - typical and
non-informative. Beef up your profile to be more
descriptive and unique. Instead of "I like
movies," say "my favorite movie is ____ because _______"
or use a movie character to describe you. "I'm
a lot like _____ in ______ because _______."
Use
clever words that are descriptive. Instead of saying "on hot days I like to go to the ocean or
on a hike," say, "on a sizzling day my
adventurous side
leads me to traversing
the
ocean on a sailboat or discovering a new waterfall
that I can cool off under."
Instead
of "I like to discover new things," say, "I'm
a lot like Indiana Jones in that I love exploring
the mysteries
of life, while educating my mind to appreciate new
things."
Strive to make your profile unordinary by spicing
it up sentence by sentence. Be descriptive, unique,
and fun!
3) Filter Out Unwanteds
Your profile isn't about getting responses. It is
about getting responses from the type of person
you are
attracted to. Therefore, use descriptions to help
narrow your focus to what you want so that you
get responses from who you're looking for.
Instead
of "I'm looking for someone fun and humorous,"
say, "I'm looking for a lighthearted man between
the ages of 24 and 29 who enjoys the humorous side
of life. If you are clean-shaven and can hold a conversation
during a 150 mile car journey, then we may be a match.
Email me."
In
the above example, you created three filters -
an age filter (24 and 29), and appearance filter
(clean-shaven) and a communication filter (good-communicator).
And you did it without offending. But you also
created a response filter ("...we may be a match. Email me.")
You've helped tell the person what the next step
is if they
meet your criteria. You've created a call to action,
which will help direct interested parties to email
you versus waiting.
Bonus Tip
Change your header
message and main photo often. It
keeps it fresh and interesting for people doing searches
and increases the chances of it being viewed. Be
creative. View some of our Top
10 lists of funny
and philosophical profile headers.
