Contributed by: kellyseal on Sunday, September 09 2012 @ 09:40 am
Last modified on
Creating a dating profile isn't an easy task. Once you've captured someone's attention with your photos and headline, you might lose them in what you choose to say in your profile.
It's better overall to avoid negative phrases - what you don't want - and instead focus on what you DO want. Shifting your focus can help change your attitude and outlook, especially if you're not feeling very inspired because your dating life isn't going so well. Even if you've been hurt or betrayed, there's no reason to take it out on the people who are browsing your profile. You've never met, so don't make assumptions based on your experiences. There are all kinds of people in the world - and you want to attract the best type of person for you.
Following are some of the biggest mistakes people make in their profiles, and how to fix them:
"I don't know why I'm online dating." This makes you sound like you're excluding yourself from the tens of thousands of people who are members of online dating sites - like you're too cool and have way too great of a social life for all that. That won't score you many dates. Instead of dismissing online dating (after all, you are doing it!) focus on the fact that you're excited to try it out for the first time.
"I'm not into liars or cheaters, so don't contact me if you are." Even if your last few boyfriends cheated on you or lied to you, this is the wrong way to attract the right guy. You will probably find that liars will gravitate to you even more if you put it out there. Avoid this subject by saying instead that you value honesty and mutual respect in a relationship.
Terrible grammar. I hate to say it, but you'll turn away a lot of candidates if you write in text-speak, or with grammatically incorrect phrasing or a lot of misspellings. Take the time to have a friend proofread your profile before posting it.
Talking about your ex. Nothing turns a person off more than someone who can't stop talking about their ex - whether it's positive and wistful or negative and abrasive. Leave that topic alone. Nobody wants to hear about your past love life - they are only interested in your future potential.
"Prove me wrong by..." If you describe the male gender as "all the same" or "players" or whatever else you had in mind, leave it off your online dating profile. Same with challenging potential dates to "prove you wrong" by being the exact person you want them to be. This is an impossible request - people are all different, and we all have our own issues to deal with. Also, think about if you came across someone else posting that - would you want to date him, someone who hates an entire gender? Probably not.