How to Write a Good Online Dating Profile
Choose a catchy yet simple screen name., Write an attention-grabbing headline., Tell a story., Use vivid language., Be open and honest about your intentions., Keep your bio or about me section relatively brief., Polish and copyedit your profile...
Step-by-Step Guide
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Step 1: Choose a catchy yet simple screen name.
You want a name that rises above the masses while still representing the true you.
Avoid sexual references.
Turn away from anything boring.
Go for a name using wordplay or humorous puns.
The utterly silly and goofy can also work.
Pop culture handles are okay too, especially if they are meaningful to you.Hybrid names work well.
Mix together a couple of your interest areas into one name.
For example, HockeyFlier or RoseIvy.
Resist the urge to simply tack on a number to the back-end of your handle.
It can come off as boring, so go the creative route instead.
For security and safety reasons, do not use your full name as your online ID. -
Step 2: Write an attention-grabbing headline.
Consider the 100-character box at the top of your profile as an opportunity to make an exciting first impression.
Choose a favorite movie quote or a line or two from a book that is meaningful to you.
Put down a brief summary of your most unusual experience or perhaps a funny conversation.
You might open with, "In the immortal words of Doc Holliday, "I'm your huckleberry." Or, maybe I could be your huckleberry if you are the right person!" Don’t try to include everything in this initial area.
You’ll have plenty of space later to elaborate on certain aspects of your personality.
Avoid list-like writing whenever possible.
It might be helpful to consider the type of person that you would like to entice with your profile.
What will they respond to? That is the type of information that you need to include either here or down the page.
When in doubt it is always better to cast a wide net and sort through the responses., The idea here is to show how your interests shape your life instead of just listing everything out.
In the main text area provided by the website, write a story in which you weave in details about your personality and hobbies.
The more details that you can provide the better.For example, if you enjoy dancing and travel you could describe your ideal salsa dancing date in Spain.
Or, if you’ve actually had an experience like this, write about the exciting sensations that you felt at that moment.
What were the sounds like? How did the people behave? Make sure to end your story with a memorable final line.If you want to get really creative, tie your bio statements in with your photos to present a story in multiple parts.
Or, consider your photos to be illustrations of your bio section.
You can also create a list of “wants and don’t wants,” but more and more people are ignoring these sections, comparing them to grocery lists., Try to create captivating visuals with your word choice.
Instead of mentioning how you were “looking at something” write about how you were “instantly entranced” by that same thing.
Be aware that certain words are more likely to garner positive responses.
Women get more attention by describing themselves as easy-going or sweet.
Men do better with optimistic and confident.Humorous language benefits all sides as both men and women respond positively to puns and jokes found in profiles.
Just avoid using too many exclamation points at the end of your jokes as excess punctuation turns people off., If you are looking for a quick hook-up, be upfront and say so.
If you are looking for a long-term commitment, don’t be afraid to let everyone know.
This along with including information about your age and occupation gives potential partners a better idea as to whether or not you would be compatible.If you want something long-term it is still best to resist mentioning how many kids you want or how much money you want your partner to make.
These topics have a tendency to drive people away from online profiles., All of the text on your page should total three short paragraphs of less.
Anything beyond this, no matter how interesting, could be considered excessive.
Remember that you want to pique their interest and get them to message you.
Keep trimming down your profile until it is crisp and confident., After you finish an initial draft of your profile, hit the save button, and leave the page.
Come back to it after a day or two.
Focus your revisions on streamlining content, checking your grammar and spelling, and deleting all typos.
Most people tend to skip a profile that looks poorly put together.Ask a close friend to take a look at your profile.
Have them send you suggestions and ideas for further revision., For your written content, include an unusual quote or perhaps a song lyric.
Tell a good joke or a quick story.
Again, avoid summary here as it will only make people lose interest.
Add in a selection of 4-5 photos to round out your profile. -
Step 3: Tell a story.
-
Step 4: Use vivid language.
-
Step 5: Be open and honest about your intentions.
-
Step 6: Keep your bio or about me section relatively brief.
-
Step 7: Polish and copyedit your profile.
-
Step 8: Shorten everything for mobile apps.
Detailed Guide
You want a name that rises above the masses while still representing the true you.
Avoid sexual references.
Turn away from anything boring.
Go for a name using wordplay or humorous puns.
The utterly silly and goofy can also work.
Pop culture handles are okay too, especially if they are meaningful to you.Hybrid names work well.
Mix together a couple of your interest areas into one name.
For example, HockeyFlier or RoseIvy.
Resist the urge to simply tack on a number to the back-end of your handle.
It can come off as boring, so go the creative route instead.
For security and safety reasons, do not use your full name as your online ID.
Consider the 100-character box at the top of your profile as an opportunity to make an exciting first impression.
Choose a favorite movie quote or a line or two from a book that is meaningful to you.
Put down a brief summary of your most unusual experience or perhaps a funny conversation.
You might open with, "In the immortal words of Doc Holliday, "I'm your huckleberry." Or, maybe I could be your huckleberry if you are the right person!" Don’t try to include everything in this initial area.
You’ll have plenty of space later to elaborate on certain aspects of your personality.
Avoid list-like writing whenever possible.
It might be helpful to consider the type of person that you would like to entice with your profile.
What will they respond to? That is the type of information that you need to include either here or down the page.
When in doubt it is always better to cast a wide net and sort through the responses., The idea here is to show how your interests shape your life instead of just listing everything out.
In the main text area provided by the website, write a story in which you weave in details about your personality and hobbies.
The more details that you can provide the better.For example, if you enjoy dancing and travel you could describe your ideal salsa dancing date in Spain.
Or, if you’ve actually had an experience like this, write about the exciting sensations that you felt at that moment.
What were the sounds like? How did the people behave? Make sure to end your story with a memorable final line.If you want to get really creative, tie your bio statements in with your photos to present a story in multiple parts.
Or, consider your photos to be illustrations of your bio section.
You can also create a list of “wants and don’t wants,” but more and more people are ignoring these sections, comparing them to grocery lists., Try to create captivating visuals with your word choice.
Instead of mentioning how you were “looking at something” write about how you were “instantly entranced” by that same thing.
Be aware that certain words are more likely to garner positive responses.
Women get more attention by describing themselves as easy-going or sweet.
Men do better with optimistic and confident.Humorous language benefits all sides as both men and women respond positively to puns and jokes found in profiles.
Just avoid using too many exclamation points at the end of your jokes as excess punctuation turns people off., If you are looking for a quick hook-up, be upfront and say so.
If you are looking for a long-term commitment, don’t be afraid to let everyone know.
This along with including information about your age and occupation gives potential partners a better idea as to whether or not you would be compatible.If you want something long-term it is still best to resist mentioning how many kids you want or how much money you want your partner to make.
These topics have a tendency to drive people away from online profiles., All of the text on your page should total three short paragraphs of less.
Anything beyond this, no matter how interesting, could be considered excessive.
Remember that you want to pique their interest and get them to message you.
Keep trimming down your profile until it is crisp and confident., After you finish an initial draft of your profile, hit the save button, and leave the page.
Come back to it after a day or two.
Focus your revisions on streamlining content, checking your grammar and spelling, and deleting all typos.
Most people tend to skip a profile that looks poorly put together.Ask a close friend to take a look at your profile.
Have them send you suggestions and ideas for further revision., For your written content, include an unusual quote or perhaps a song lyric.
Tell a good joke or a quick story.
Again, avoid summary here as it will only make people lose interest.
Add in a selection of 4-5 photos to round out your profile.
About the Author
Margaret Tucker
Brings years of experience writing about home improvement and related subjects.
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