How to create a profile that will get dates

Did you know that one in three couples now find love online?

While dating in the digital age is the new normal, not everyone is comfortable, or confident, with creating an online profile. Afterall, how do you talk yourself up without sounding conceited, or worse, desperate? Which photos are best to use and how do you stand out in a sea of other faces?

Fret not, for we’ve got some tips and tricks that will have you nailing your profile with minimal anxiety!

LOOK AT OTHER PROFILES

If you're struggling for inspiration – or wording – see what else is out there. Make notes and channel that reconnaissance into your own profile when you're ready. However, do try and keep it fresh; you don’t want to be a carbon copy of every other profile in existence. Keep in mind that it can be a lot easier to identify what you don’t like versus what you do. Note the language used by those you feel come across as arrogant or desperate and consider alternatives when writing your own profile.

ASK YOUR FRIENDS FOR HELP

Writing about yourself can be strange (particularly in a dating context), so enlist the help of someone who knows you. Your friends might highlight certain qualities that you would have otherwise overlooked. Also, having someone proofread your profile will go a long way. Poor grammar and spelling can be a turn-off, and even the best of us make mistakes.

SHOW THEM THE REAL YOU

The more photos you include, the more attention your profile will get. Take the opportunity to include photos of you participating in your hobbies, whether it’s playing the guitar, snowboarding or beekeeping. It’s all extra information for potential matches and can be a great conversation starter! Remember to use clear – and recent – photos of yourself, so that there are no surprises for either party when meeting up in real life. Try to limit group photos, or at least make sure you are easily identifiable within the frame. Also, make sure to smile; polls have found that people respond better to big cheesy smiles over a sultry pout…

DON’T TRY TO APPEAL TO EVERYONE

Be specific about who you are and what you’re looking for. It’s more than likely that traits like “kindness and honesty” are on everyone’s list. So, if you're looking for someone who is going to remove the spiders from the house, while you watch from a safe distance, then write about that instead! Likewise, when talking about your interests. If a potential match is put off by your ceramic frog collection or Etsy shop of taxidermied rodents dressed up like movie characters … then they weren’t the person for you. Think of it as a time-saver and keep moving forward.

STAY POSITIVE & HAVE FUN

Attitude is everything and a positive mindset is very attractive. Keep that in mind regardless of whether you're talking about yourself or your general outlook on life. Joining the online dating community can be incredibly daunting, so make sure you at least attempt to have fun with it and try not to take rejections as a personal attack. If conversations don’t lead to dates, or after a few dates it fizzles out, don’t lose hope, it just wasn’t the right fit. However, try not to back yourself into a corner by having loads of “deal-breakers”. Stay open-minded; you’ll be surprised by how often people fall for someone who didn’t tick any of their original boxes.

KICKSTART THE CONVERSATION

Writing that first message can feel awkward, so suppling a lead in is a great way to open a dialogue. Consider including fun anecdotes or an interesting experience that can double as a conversation starter. While everyone loves a laugh, don’t feel an overwhelming sense of pressure to be funny. If it comes naturally, then sprinkle some humour into your profile, but don’t force it.

KEEP IT SHORT AND SWEET

Remember that your profile is just a taster to gauge an interest in potential matches – you don’t need to include your whole life story. If you're looking at multiple profiles a day, you don’t want to be sifting through paragraphs of text to find the essence of who a person is. Don’t overcomplicate it.

It’s all well and good to read articles like this and scope the web for inspiration, though keep in mind that your profile is designed to be uniquely you; don’t shy away from that.

At the end of the day, create a profile that feels like you. Whatever that means.

That is the key to a successful profile and the best way to get dates.

The best advice to crafting the ‘perfect’ profile is to just start. It’s far easier to edit what you have then try and write the perfect profile from the get-go. Keep in mind that you can always alter your profile in the future. In fact, you should update your profile somewhat regularly, with new interests, stories, and photos.

Also, take comfort that at least on Fitafy, you’re already going to have shared interests and values with matches based on your health and fitness preferences. So, you’re not completely starting from scratch.

With that in mind…

Happy creating!