When you join a dating or matchmaking website, you have three main chances to create a fabulous impression on other members. These are your photo; the headline of your profile; and the profile itself. (There’s actually one more, but we’ll get to that soon).
First let’s look at your photo. Because physical appearance is so important when you’re looking for love, you need to make sure it’s a nice one.
You need a good quality shot, meaning that it’s well lit, in focus and nicely composed – chest and shoulders is perfect. And don’t have anyone else in the picture – it’s all about you. The camera in your phone probably won’t cut it, so use a decent digital camera of at least 3.2 MP and size the photo to at least 640 x 480 pixels for upload to the site.
Be nicely dressed and smile! If you look happy and full of life you’ll look a million times more attractive than the people who use moody-arty type shots.
Next is the headline. Here you get a few words (usually up to about ten words) to give people a quick idea of what you’re about. Remember you need to stand out from the hundreds or thousands of other people on the site and write something which will inspire browsing members to click on the link to your profile.
Then once they’ve clicked through, there is your online profile where you have a couple of hundred words to sell your wonderful self.
The trick here is to make it seem like you’re not trying too hard.
You want to appear like someone who already has a great life, and simply needs to meet an equally wonderful person to put the icing on the cake. If you look like you’ve got a rewarding, full life you’ll attract people easily, because they want to share in the fun
The best idea is to start with something interesting that you’ve done or do, and build from there. You don’t need to write it like your CV and turn it into a tedious list. Just pick a few good bits from your life which you think are important for potential dates to know about. You’ll probably want to mention your job, interests and hobbies, a bit about your family (like if you have kids), and anything else that you enjoy. Be positive and don’t be too shy. And let your achievements speak for themselves. Don’t write, ‘I live for excitement’, instead casually mention that you are a member of the local bull fighting club. Having said that don’t brag or exaggerate. You’ll just look like a fool.
Negativity is a big turn-off too. Avoid things like ‘I feel weird writing about myself’ or ‘I’m not really very interesting, but here goes anyway’ – you’ll only seem weak and dull.
Just keep it real and always, always, always tell the truth! In Russia they have a very good saying ‘a lie can take you forward, but it will never let you go back’. If you make things up to try and impress people, eventually you will be caught out – and lose all their trust. Let your sincerity come shining through.
And there’s one last trick that many people overlook – the user name. This is the nickname that you are known by to other members of the site. It’s supposed to protect your anonymity – however it’s also another golden opportunity to reflect your brilliant personality and make yourself look fun, witty, interesting and/or cool. So give your user name some serious thought and see if you can come up with something that suits you, and also helps you stand-out from the crowd. A great example is a fashion designer friend who knew she had a slight punctuality problem – she called herself ‘Fashionably Late’.
Dating websites are huge right now. The latest estimate is that 40% of people have had at least one first date with someone they met online.
So in First Date Magic we have much more detail on how to make online matchmaking a success for you. Visit the First Date Magic homepage and get the full story now at First Date Magic.
…
Related articles by Zemanta
- Cheesy Headline Alert: Can “The Last Matchmaker” Teach Us About Love? [Matchmaker Matchmaker] (jezebel.com)
- Dating Is Not Just For Beautiful People (dialteg.org)
- Are You an Expert in Online Dating? (dialteg.com)
- It’s Not About Sex. My two cents on a five dollar charge: T.R.M. (dialteg.org)
- Fun Dates – Tip #6 of 7 – Your Game with Women T.R.M. (dialteg.org)
- DATING TIPS MAILBAG: Approaching Women And Starting Conversations (dialteg.org)
- Why You Should Read Magic Bullets – Guest Post (dialteg.org)
- 5 Tips To Make Sure You Stay Together (dialteg.org)
- Dating Advice: How Guys Screw Up First Dates (dialteg.org)
- 7 Tips To Skyrocket Your Game NOW – Nick Savoy (dialteg.org)
- What people lie about most on dating websites (holykaw.alltop.com)
- New dating website lets Mom pick dates (ctv.ca)
- How Much Do You Know about Online Dating? (chicagonow.com)
- How to Choose a Profile Photo (datingwebsites.org)
