Cutting Out the White Noise
- Wednesday, October 10 2012 @ 07:14 am
- Contributed by: Jet
- Views: 1,257
Creating an online profile can be nerve-wracking. The creators of online dating sites know this, and they want you to be successful (so you can tell all your friends). Thus, some of them try to help you along; they provide surveys, choices, options... basically, lots of stuff to fill out. And that certainly can be helpful; it can definitely help you figure out what you’re looking for and give you that starting nudge. However, at some point, you have to ask yourself: would you actually want to read through all these answers?
Remember, your readers, your potential matches, are just like you: they’re human beings who get bored and prefer to be entertained. Yes, they want to get a general idea of your personality, so they can figure out if compatibility is a possibility. However, chances are that doesn’t hinge on what breakfast cereal you prefer or what characters you’d be from each of your favorite TV shows.
However, that doesn’t mean these sorts of quizzes and surveys are useless. Some of them can be great conversation-starters, and some of them can be fun (for example, if you share the same favorite TV shows). The problem is the quantity; if someone’s profile is laden down with less relevant information, it can be harder to pull out the bits that are really important. More likely, the reader sees they have a novel to read and decide to move on instead.
So here’s what you do: use these questions and surveys as a jumping-off point. Then ask yourself: “What would I be interested in reading?” You’re not incredibly more interesting than the next person, so if you wouldn’t be interested in reading this answer from someone else, move on. Stick with what you find funny or interesting, or vital information (like what you do for a living or the sort of person you’re interested in).
If there’s some quiz that you find hilarious or intriguing, save it for when you’re chatting via email or instant message. Completing a specific quiz together, or comparing answers, can be fun, informative, maybe even intimate. And you’re zeroing in on what’s relevant to the two of you, instead of making your match wade through the white noise to find it.
Ultimately, that’s the key to making a profile stand out: it’s all about eliminating the white noise and distilling it down to something that’s interesting, not too long, and memorable. And the first step in creating such a profile? Be comfortable in the fact that you don’t have to answer every single question that’s put in front of you.
Remember, your readers, your potential matches, are just like you: they’re human beings who get bored and prefer to be entertained. Yes, they want to get a general idea of your personality, so they can figure out if compatibility is a possibility. However, chances are that doesn’t hinge on what breakfast cereal you prefer or what characters you’d be from each of your favorite TV shows.
However, that doesn’t mean these sorts of quizzes and surveys are useless. Some of them can be great conversation-starters, and some of them can be fun (for example, if you share the same favorite TV shows). The problem is the quantity; if someone’s profile is laden down with less relevant information, it can be harder to pull out the bits that are really important. More likely, the reader sees they have a novel to read and decide to move on instead.
So here’s what you do: use these questions and surveys as a jumping-off point. Then ask yourself: “What would I be interested in reading?” You’re not incredibly more interesting than the next person, so if you wouldn’t be interested in reading this answer from someone else, move on. Stick with what you find funny or interesting, or vital information (like what you do for a living or the sort of person you’re interested in).
If there’s some quiz that you find hilarious or intriguing, save it for when you’re chatting via email or instant message. Completing a specific quiz together, or comparing answers, can be fun, informative, maybe even intimate. And you’re zeroing in on what’s relevant to the two of you, instead of making your match wade through the white noise to find it.
Ultimately, that’s the key to making a profile stand out: it’s all about eliminating the white noise and distilling it down to something that’s interesting, not too long, and memorable. And the first step in creating such a profile? Be comfortable in the fact that you don’t have to answer every single question that’s put in front of you.
Subscribe
