Online dating is supposed to make it easy for you to meet a wide variety of people beyond your circle of friends. Since you’ve uploaded your dating profile, however, it’s been days, weeks, or even months, and you haven’t received any interest. You begin to doubt yourself and your attractiveness. But really, what went wrong?
Well, there can be a multitude of reasons, and it doesn’t have to mean that you’re not an attractive person. In fact, the only things that people know about you come from your dating profile. In order to garner interest, you’ll have to work on your dating profile to display your true, authentic self, without selling yourself short. After all, no matter how boring you think you’re, there may be someone who appreciates your zenness to life.
In this guide, we’ll walk you through the different components of your dating profile and provide you the tips to spruce it up, so that you may start getting the interests that have been long overdue. It’s good to bear in mind that a good dating profile isn’t one that receives the most number of likes, but one that attracts the attention of those you’re interested in as well.
Inappropriate Username
There’s nothing that puts people off faster than an inappropriate username. Some may think it’s funny to call themselves @yourdaddy or @yoursugarmommy, but all it shows is your lack of seriousness in looking for a relationship or getting to know someone. The only people who may be interested are those who are looking for flings as well.
Also, don’t be lazy in setting up your username. Leaving your username as @DefaultUser101 is not telling people much about yourself and reflects your lack of effort. If you can’t even make the effort to type in your username, how can people expect you to put in the effort for a relationship?
How to Fix It
Using your actual name shows confidence in who you’re as a person and that you don’t mind letting people know that you’re using a dating platform. If you do mind, at least use an actual nickname or a pet name, for example, Izzie for Elizabeth or Jay for Jeremy. Using an authentic name simply makes it easier for other users to approach you and address a message to you. Although calling yourself @AthleticBoy or @GamerGirl may attract people of similar interests, it’s still a step further from calling you by name.
Inadequate Photos
The platform gives you an option to upload up to 10 photos, but you’ve uploaded just one, and even the one you’ve uploaded doesn’t show your full face. It’s superficial, but it’s true that in the world of online dating, photos are one of the first things that people will notice and take an interest in.
Without showing your face, it’s hard for anyone to tell who you are. More often than not, they may wonder what you’re hiding. It shows a lack of confidence in how you look, and no one would want to get to know a faceless person.
How to Fix It
There’s a reason why dating platforms are offering you an option to upload up to 10 photos. It provides an opportunity not just to show other users how you look, but the photos may also reflect your personality and lifestyle. While you do need at least one photo with a clear shot of your face, the rest of the photos can show you doing activities you love, such as traveling, horse-riding, ballroom dancing, or even while you’re playing sports. This will help to attract people who enjoy the same kind of activities to your profile and makes for the perfect conversation starter.
Incomplete Profile
While your username and photos make up people’s first impression of you, if you leave your profile information empty or too generic, their understanding of you stops at a superficial level. It again shows a lack of effort in putting yourself out there for people to get to know you on a deeper level, such as your background, interests, and who you’re looking for. Without the information, it’s hard for anyone to start a conversation with you, let alone express their interest.
How to Fix It
We know it can be hard talking about yourself on a dating platform, especially when you don’t know who may be reading it. If you’re not sure what to share about yourself, start by filling up a questionnaire or personality test available on the dating platform. Otherwise, consider the information you’d like to know about a potential match – that should give you an inkling of the type of information you should include in your own profile.
Also, make sure you give your profile information a onceover to ensure it’s grammatically correct and coherent. While it doesn’t have to be error-free, it would help a great deal if people can understand what you’re talking about at one glance. Long chunks of text can easily turn people off, as it may seem like you’re rambling and unable to communicate effectively.
Cheesy Headlines
There’s a fine line between being witty and being cheesy, and it all shows in the one-liner you use for your headline. While everyone may have a different threshold of cheesiness, using pick-up lines as your headline should generally be avoided, unless you’re trying to be Casanova. A frivolous pick-up line directed at no one in particular has no meaning and makes you appear more flippant than romantic. This may cause people to shy away from you, thinking you may be a player, rather than looking for a serious relationship.
How to Fix It
Your headline should reflect your personality and interest, condensed within a single line. You can start by picking out positive keywords that best represent you, such as independent, adventurous, funny, decisive, and curious, and use that as your descriptor. This can be followed by who you’re looking for, be it another daredevil you can go on adventures with or someone whom you can share funny jokes with. If you’re still at your wit’s end, simply pick a well-known quote that resonates with you.
At the end of the day, your dating profile should mirror you – your name, your looks, your personality, your lifestyle, your likes and dislikes. Having all these in place, it’d be difficult for someone not to notice the incredible person you are through your dating profile.