Admit it: you can’t help but admire a sandwich board. It’s garish, in-your-face, and completely without shame. Those who wear them can smile proudly, knowing they’re always a stone’s throw away from a new customer. If only our dating profiles had that amount of chutzpah…
Well, actually, they can, providing we cleave to a couple of advertising truisms. For anyone who’s not confident about ‘selling’ themselves, we’ve roped in some extra help to give you a few dating profile tips, turning people onto your goods like never before.
Snap up interest
Like any sound advertisement, images have a voice, perhaps the clearest one there is. A profile photo is the window into who you are and how you approach the world. Although the way you talk and think eventually plays a larger role in the connections you make, we still have basic instincts; physical attraction (as subjective as it is) will light the Bunsen flame for any potential chemistry.
We’re not saying that your profile pic should be a windswept, sepia-toned snap on a beach in Cyprus, but quality matters, nonetheless. A well-lit image, supported by a casual pose in your favourite clothes, is all that’s needed for a great hook.
Even if you doubt yourself, never resort to leaving the photo out altogether, because it pretty much announces your insecurities. Our Dating Guru James Preece agrees. “The most important part of any online dating profile,” he says, “is the photo. If you don’t have one, it’s like sending a letter without a stamp – completely pointless.”
Confidence is key
Let’s go back to the sandwich board analogy, just for a moment. What makes a business have the gumption to place a symbol of their wares and skills on a person in the street, for all to see? Like other aspects of selling ourselves, it’s mainly down to confidence: how we present our attributes in a package that makes others want to delve a bit deeper.
As such, it’s useful to be bold about your interests. Consider your greatest accomplishments, or the happiest time in your life, and what it meant to you. As James Preece adds: “It’s not the time to be shy, so use the opportunity to pat yourself on the back and stand out from the crowd.” By distilling your awesome qualities and acting like you’re meant to be there, people will want to respond to you just as brazenly.
Leave little hooks
Once the profile photo is frame-worthy, and you’ve hit on your best bits, all that’s left is a couple of teases for conversation. Show potential suitors that you’re approachable by ending your bio with a question (“Tell me your fantasy holiday…” or “If you could wear me, what would I be?”) to give them an ‘in’.
Alternatively, say something funny, provocative or insightful, like sharing your favourite joke or quote. Preece calls these “little hooks”, the statements and comments that “the other person can use as a way of contacting you. If you don’t have any, then it’s very difficult to start a conversation.” And you don’t want all that hard work to be for nothing, right?
Love at first sight is either a myth or a mantra, depending on who you ask. Whilst we’re tepid about falling down that particular rabbit hole in online dating, it is certainly advisable to make a brilliant impression, placing yourself firmly in the contest for a soulmate. Take these hints on board when creating your FreeAndSingle dating profile and you’ll soon be making the most of your online dating experience!
James Preece is an author, coach and regular keynote speaker on a variety of dating and relationship issues. Styled as the Dating Guru, he helps men and women work on their pickup skills.