Written by Laura Bilotta
Welcome back to The Dating Diaries. A series on the trials and tribulations of our collective dating experiences. Our rants, our raves, our first dates and our worst dates. It feels good to get this all off our chests.
A new year can call for a new you and a fresh start. Do away with your old dating profile, and create something new. Statistically, the first couple weeks of a new year are the most popular weeks on dating apps. The last time we created a dating profile, it was over a bottle of wine with some girlfriends going through our “best” photos and wittiest catch phrases. This time around, however, we decided to get help from an expert. Laura Bilotta is one of North American’s leading dating coaches and matchmakers. She’s the founder and CEO of Single in the City, the voice behind the Dating & Relationship Show on Toronto’s AM640, and she provides countless dating and relationship tips on her Instagram account. You may remember her from that time we needed to get over a bad break up. Without further ado, here’s what Laura had to say on creating a dating profile:
Creating a dating profile is sometimes so over thought that it can lead people away from you rather than attracting them. I have some tips to keep in mind while making a profile. These tips are simple and will help you create the perfect dating profile that attracts attention!
Before you even begin writing a dating profile you should have a good idea of what you’re looking for in a date or in a relationship. You should also have a general idea of what type of person you are looking for.
A picture says a thousand words, so make sure you pick a good one of yourself. Don’t choose a photo that is sloppy, you don’t want to be wearing sluggish clothes or scruffy tops (men especially), you want to be well put together. And ladies, if you want to go for sexy, keep in mind there is a fine line between looking sexy and looking like you just slid off a stripper pole!
A few more tips on pics, because choosing the right picture is so important when it comes to online dating. An action photo can be good, as long as you don’t disappear into the photo, you want to stand out, a good action photo could be of you doing your favourite hobby, or from a recent vacation. These make for excellent conversation starters. Make sure your smile is genuine, don’t fake your smile or try too hard because a smile says so much about you! If you need to, ask a friend to help you pick some of their favourite photos of you. Let the photos tell the story of who you are!
You want to pick a catchy username, if you are just using your name that’s fine but if you choose a username make sure its catchy because this will help you stand out. It can describe your personality, or it can be an activity you love, whatever it is, just make sure you take the time before choosing one.
Between a great pic and a fun name and a well thought out headline you increase your chances of catching someone’s attention. When it comes to the bio, keep it short and sweet. Not many people now a days have large attention spans and they look for instant gratification. Focus on what makes you unique. Check out other dating profiles in your demographic, is there something you can highlight that no one else is talking about?
You want to use a script of words that describe your true self. Try to catch attention in just a few short sentences. If you think you’re funny don’t just say “I’m funny”, if you think you’re funny then Prove It! Write down something that will make readers laugh. Express your values and interests, don’t just write down things you do and do not like, if you’re an outdoorsy person, explain why! Use descriptive langue and avoid clichés! It is very important to be real, because if someone is interested in you, then you meet in person and you aren’t who you say you are in your profile, this could lead to an awkward date!
Last, but not least, the ending of a profile should be enticing. It is your call to action, so make sure you end with something that will make someone want to contact you. For example, if you recently won a hockey tournament you could end with “I recently won a hockey tournament and would love to win you over too! If you’re into catching a sports game, hit me up and we could go together!”
I hope you will find these tips helpful when building the perfect dating profile! Don’t be shy, don’t be fake, just be you!
