How To Write An Effective Online Dating Profile
Nobody is perfect, and everyone has things they do and don't like about themselves. Writing an online dating profile is a little like writing a CV or résumé in that you want to stress your best features and skim over your less brilliant ones; this isn't dishonest, assuming you don't lie about what your best qualities are. Here are a few tips that ought to help you to do that, and you'll notice better responses if you follow them.
Don't Talk About Your Ex Or Past Relationships
While it can be tempting to tell prospective partners about things that have happened to you in the past, that's the kind of thing that is best saved for after you've got to know someone a bit. When you're writing your profile and making initial contact, you want to avoid it; don't mention any other relationships you might have had, and steer clear of using previous your exes as examples of what you don't want. Concentrate on what you do want, instead.
At Least Vaguely Avoid Self-Deprecation
Self-deprecating humour can be tempting, particularly if you think it might be amusing to read – but in truth it's usually more of a turn-off than it is anything else. It's best to stick to emphasising your best qualities and downplaying those that are not quite as appealing – though it's important that you don't lie, too.
Try Not To Predict The Future
You might think you know exactly what you want from your next relationship, but by proclaiming that nothing but that will do you're preventing yourself from discovering something that could turn out to be even better for you. Don't limit yourself – have those ideas in mind all you want, but don't put them on your profile. You could scare off the perfect person for you.
Write As Well As You Can
There are plenty of people who will be put off by a profile filled with terrible grammar and misused punctuation. Make sure you proofread your profile and don't publish it till you've checked it over for terrible sentence structure and egregious spelling mistakes.
Above all, though, remember that dating online and making your profiles should be fun – don't let yourself stress about it too unnecessarily, and if you find that you're starting to panic about it you might want ot take a step back and put it all into perspective.