12 Online Dating Profile Tips

Technology has infiltrated dating life as we know it. As much as you want to build an authentic connection, you’d be lying if you said you hadn’t turned to the plethora of dating apps to seek it out. Now is not a time to shy away from technology, but rather embrace how even a swipe on Tinder can lead to something great (or content for a jaw-dropping story, whichever way you want to look at it).

Sticking out amidst a sea of other men can be daunting sometimes, which leads to either no effort in your dating profile or an onslaught of information that would scare even the most kindhearted person away. 

Men, it’s time to stop soliciting advice from your bros on how your profile measures up. They’re failing you, but there’s hope when you take advice from a woman who’s seen every profile in the books.

Naturally, people are on dating apps for a variety of reasons. Whether you’re chasing something serious or just want something super casual, that should be disclosed from the jump, and not when you’re sitting down at the bar with a match. 

Women aren’t going to write you off for wanting something casual because news flash - all women aren’t vying for a relationship. A simple “looking for something more casual” goes a long way.

Even if being selfish and self-centered isn’t in your DNA, learn to put the spotlight completely on you. Yes, it’s nice to see that you’re socialized and are open to being out and about, but no one should have to play detective to see who you are. What if your cute friend steals the spotlight and now a potential match is disappointed? Online apps, unfortunately, bring out the superficial side of all genders. 

Save the group photo for your last picture, and don’t open with it.

You would think it’s a given, but there are too many dating profiles out there that literally have no human pictures on them. Yes, your dog is adorable and that meme is slightly hilarious, but there are plenty of those types of pictures floating around Instagram. It also helps to ease suspicion that you’re actually who you say you are. 

No matter how intriguing your bio is or how much you want to play some real-life version of  Love Is Blind, it doesn’t work in the online dating realm.

Your bio should give a rough synopsis of who you are, and not be an entire chapter. While being open and honest is beautiful, you don’t want to share the nitty-gritty details right off the bat. Reading a life story as a first impression might be overwhelming to some (or nearly all) people who would’ve swiped right on you. 

Even if you’re a stunner and you know it, after reading through five paragraphs of your autobiography, you’re getting a next.

If you got it, flaunt it - to a certain extent. Putting “6’1” since apparently it matters” has to be the most cliche pattern in the dating world. Especially when it’s the only thing in your bio, it’s elevated to cringe-worthy. 

What’s your Myers-Briggs personality type? The sports team you’d go to war for? Zodiac sign? The pet that’s more like your child? Are you a proud parent? Craziest thing you’ve done while traveling? Literally, anything would be more interesting than reading about how you share the near exact height as half of the people on the same app.

If your opening line is, “This app is trash but here I am,” please join the club. For the longest, everyone has envisioned they’d meet their soulmate by some grand twist of fate, but for so many people, the bar is set at swiping right. 

Whether you like it or not, you signed up for whichever dating platform by your own free will. It’s all about the glass half full or half empty mindset. Channel and reverse that energy into some positivity: “This app might bring me my future partner, who knows?

Maybe this should be a golden rule for all humans, but there are certain things beloved by a majority of the population. This lengthy list includes but is not limited to The Office, tacos, pizza, and beer.

We’re not telling you not to love things, but if you can recite every episode of The Office season one, that’s mighty different than just casually watching it like nearly every other person on the planet. Your profile should be all about what sets you apart from people and not why you’re the same.

Some people use dating apps for one thing and one thing only. We’re well aware, but opening with sexually-charged bios can be straight-up scary. 99 percent of these bios don’t take consent into account, but rather pedal off what they and only they would like to do behind closed doors. 

If you’re one of them, it’s time to cut the bio and start from scratch.

Now that you’ve got the basics of pictures down, it’s time to add another layer to that. Include multiple pictures that show you and only you in some solid lighting. You don’t have to have a whole bathroom or gym photoshoot but pull in some natural pictures of you at a sports game, school, traveling, or doing whatever you love. 

We’re talking a minimum of four to five pictures. So even if pictures make you roll your eyes, suck it up for 30-seconds and flash that pretty smile.

Even if you’re only looking for a certain type of woman, that doesn’t need to be paraded in your bio. Whether you have a fetish for a certain race, ethnicity, size, accent, or weight, whatever the case may be, putting down another woman in your bio will nearly guarantee zero interaction. 

“Swipe left if you’re over 160 lbs” or “no women of color allowed,” is completely nonsensical and gross. A match goes both ways, so if you’re only interested in one type of person, then only swipe on that type of person. Please don’t announce it to the world.

Alright, now you have the low down on what works and what doesn’t. Above everything else, know that there is no one like you. If you have a random, secret passion for Animal Crossing and want to share that in your bio, do it. Confidence is key. There’s someone for everyone, so don’t be embarrassed to share your passions. Someone out there will be impressed by them.