Your online profile is your first impression – so take the time to get it right.
1) Post A Great Photo Of Yourself – After all a picture is worth a thousand words. And most online polls have shown that a person with a photo on averages gets ten times as many responses. (Please remember to use a CURRENT photo…otherwise you may be setting yourself up for repeated failure…chances are you do not look the same in your thirties and forties as you did at your high school graduation).
2) Write A Catchy Headline – From funny or romantic, capture your true self with whimsical wording. Would you rather contact “Runs with Scissors” or “SM seeks SF for blah, blah, blah”.
3) Accentuate The Positive – If you won a nobel prize for peace…that is something people would be interested in – just make sure it isn’t the focus of your entire profile.
4) Be Honest And Direct – You are much more likely to attract the right kind of person if you paint an honest picture. No one wants to discover that you are covered from the neck down in tattoos when your ad read… “Successful businessman, member of the local country club and professional golfer.”
5) Don’t Expose Too Much – No one wants to know right away how much money you’ve paid in child support or why you left your cheating spouse. Keep that type of information out of your profile. While it might be written in jest it still leaves a bitter taste in the mouth of the reader.
6) Keep It Simple – It is best to keep your profile focused and short. The average attention span of a person surfing the web is around two minutes.
7) Be Unique And Memorable – Since you only have about two minutes to grab their attention be creative. For example… “I want to be Spiderman! I love to climb. I spent the summer rock climbing in Spain before I had to return to the states to finish my education in computer science. I’m looking for a fellow adventurer of the female persuasion to join me in my quest”, says a lot more than… “SWM, computer student seeks a SF for companionship, maybe more.”
8) Articulate Clearly – “Had two good years before my heart was broken. Picking up and starting over. I’m just looking for someone nice…” WHAT IS THIS?!? Please don’t do this. If you get flustered when you write it is probably a good investment of your time to hire a professional to clearly convey your message.
9) Use Correct Grammar, Spelling And Punctuation – One misspelled word could completely change the meaning of what you intended to convey. “Hard man looking for some special women.” definitely changes the meaning if what you meant to say was… “Hard working man looking for a special woman.”
10) Have Fun – There is nothing wrong with being playful and inventive. If the profile projects a fun-frolicking feeling (and you are actually a fun person) chances are the dates you get from your time and effort will be worth it.
