Don't Edit, Update
- Sunday, December 02 2012 @ 10:05 am
- Contributed by: Jet
- Views: 948
Perhaps you’re at a stage wherein you’ve worked diligently on your online dating profile, deemed it done, and put it up for all the world to see. But now... well, you’re having trouble just leaving it there. Maybe this word should be changed, this phrase tweaked. While you don’t want to drive yourself crazy trying to fix something that isn’t broken, you can use this impulse to your advantage.
Instead of thinking about “improving” your profile, think about “updating” it. Keeping a profile updated is something everyone should keep in mind; even if you’re checking your profile every day, if it has a reference to wanting to see a movie that came out last year, people are going to wonder if you’re even around anymore.
And while some might balk at making sure they’re not “so last season,” there are in fact brand-new profiles with content from five years ago - or even older. This tends to happen when someone has been off the market for some time. Now they’re single, so they dust off the old profile and copy and paste it into a new account - without giving it so much as a once-over. After all, it’s worked before. Never mind the fact that there’s a joke in there about “partying like it’s 1999.”
A good, obvious way to keep a profile up-to-date is to reference a season or holiday. With a season, you only have to really make sure it’s updated a few times a year. With a specific holiday, you have to be a little bit more on your toes; it’s understandable if you don’t get around to changing it the very day after the holiday, but get more than a week past and it starts to look stale.
Similarly, something that requires a little less constant editing is the concept of adding new content. For example, put up that picture of you in your Halloween costume the very next day; they’ll know you’re actively searching for someone, and you don’t have to take down the photo later (unless you feel you have too many photos up or they’ve become too outdated).
Another way is to mention an event you’re looking forward to or have just attended - the release of a movie, a book, a concert. Not only does this show you’ve updated your profile recently, it can underscore the fact that you’re local and that you have similar interests as your readers. For example, maybe you mention a festival at a city park that was also attended by your potential match. Suddenly, they feel like there’s a pre-existing connection.
So if you’re feeling the need to pick at your profile, try not to play with the structure or content too much; if you put a fair amount of work into it, you’re probably only over-thinking now. But take a few minutes to make sure it’s updated instead; it’ll satisfy that urge to “do something,” and keep your profile fresh at the same time.
Instead of thinking about “improving” your profile, think about “updating” it. Keeping a profile updated is something everyone should keep in mind; even if you’re checking your profile every day, if it has a reference to wanting to see a movie that came out last year, people are going to wonder if you’re even around anymore.
And while some might balk at making sure they’re not “so last season,” there are in fact brand-new profiles with content from five years ago - or even older. This tends to happen when someone has been off the market for some time. Now they’re single, so they dust off the old profile and copy and paste it into a new account - without giving it so much as a once-over. After all, it’s worked before. Never mind the fact that there’s a joke in there about “partying like it’s 1999.”
A good, obvious way to keep a profile up-to-date is to reference a season or holiday. With a season, you only have to really make sure it’s updated a few times a year. With a specific holiday, you have to be a little bit more on your toes; it’s understandable if you don’t get around to changing it the very day after the holiday, but get more than a week past and it starts to look stale.
Similarly, something that requires a little less constant editing is the concept of adding new content. For example, put up that picture of you in your Halloween costume the very next day; they’ll know you’re actively searching for someone, and you don’t have to take down the photo later (unless you feel you have too many photos up or they’ve become too outdated).
Another way is to mention an event you’re looking forward to or have just attended - the release of a movie, a book, a concert. Not only does this show you’ve updated your profile recently, it can underscore the fact that you’re local and that you have similar interests as your readers. For example, maybe you mention a festival at a city park that was also attended by your potential match. Suddenly, they feel like there’s a pre-existing connection.
So if you’re feeling the need to pick at your profile, try not to play with the structure or content too much; if you put a fair amount of work into it, you’re probably only over-thinking now. But take a few minutes to make sure it’s updated instead; it’ll satisfy that urge to “do something,” and keep your profile fresh at the same time.
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