In the digital age, more and more people are taking to the internet to find that perfect someone, but just like the traditional methods of dating, there are digital do’s and don’ts that people need to abide by. If you can’t seem to catch any “fish” with that net you’ve been throwing out, it might be time that you had a good look at the bait, i.e. your online dating profile to determine whether you’re making some classic online dating faux pas.
The Online Dating Profile
A dating profile can be a tricky thing to put together; after all, what do you add and what do you leave out? Because this tends to be the long and boring part of the online dating experience, it can be very tempting to put down generic answers and assume that you can make yourself a bit more interesting once people take the time to get to know you; it’s a small wonder why this fails. According to Dr. Christie Hartman;
…if you don’t convey your uniqueness, how will your perfect match ever find you?
Scribbling down answers such as “I’m kind” or “I’m a positive person” doesn’t really give others a lot to go on, so substitute these with statements such as “I volunteer at an animal shelter” or “I start every day singing in the shower” as this will help give others a much better idea about what it would be like to meet you.
Kick the Negativity
Just about every online dating coach will tell you that negativity is unattractive and has no place on your profile. As Dr. Hartman puts it,
Sure, you don’t want a drama queen or a jerky guy, but stating that in your profile makes you look jaded and will scare away the healthy, good people you seek. Not the best way to attract the right person!
Every now and again, you might come across someone that makes your blood boil, and it’s easy to get caught up in your emotions to the point where you might think it’s a good idea to place “beware” signs all of your profile, but this will most likely keep the bad and the good away.
Willing to Relocate
The dating game can be a complicated field to traverse, but it’s generally never a good idea to play it with a completely open hand. Adding statements such as “willing to relocate” has the potential to scare off people and shouldn’t be displayed with pride on a profile. As Ellen Fein and Sherrie Schneider, authors of Classic Mistakes to Avoid When Writing Your Online Dating Ad, put it;
You sound too eager, like a used-car salesman lowering his price before getting an offer. When he proposes with a ring and a wedding date, you can talk about relocating, not in your ad.
Picking a Photograph
One of the first things that attracts someone to your online dating profile is your picture (as shallow as this sounds, it’s true) and this means that you need to pick it out carefully. Online dating coach Laurie Davis suggests updating your profile photo regularly. As she puts it;
Your profile is the first and potentially only opportunity to woo a match. Uploading pictures that aren’t accurate to your look today is a missed opportunity because they won’t attract the right match.
Be sure to have a look at your dating profile picture about twice a year so that you can replace it whenever you feel it’s become a bit outdated.Online dating can open up a whole new world of possibility, but unfortunately it comes with its own set of rules and regulations, which is why you need to be aware of them to increase your chances of capturing the attention of someone truly special.
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