Create an on-line Dating Profile That Gets Attention

Be truthful, authentic — and post present photos

by Laura Petrecca, AARP, February 8, 2019 | remarks: 0

First the great news: It’s an opportune time to be solitary and over age 50.

Dating apps and internet sites abound, exponentially expanding the pool that is dating. The divorced, widowed and never married can easily connect with potential partners at any time, from any place with a few swipes on a smartphone.

Now the bad news: To engage, you have site web to produce a online dating profile.

Together with even even worse news: To enjoy complete advantages, dating specialists state your profile should always be positive and enticing, and can include at the least three photos that are current.

Cue the anxiety. For most people, it is difficult adequate to create casual chitchat at a community picnic — not as “sell” their appearance, interests and character traits to total strangers.

But don’t panic yet — there’s some more news that is good. Relationship specialists have actually examined what realy works and does not in online dating sites pages, and now we’ve gathered some top recommendations. So whether you’re on eHarmony, Tinder or OurTime — or age 51 or 81 — you can find tried-and-true means of producing a standout profile.

Here’s how to handle it.

Prioritize your photos. “The value for having great pictures can’t be stressed enough,” says Julie Spira, a dating advisor and a professional for the over-50-focused dating website OurTime. “You’re just as effective as your worst photo.” Post a number of shots, she claims, including a close-up to you smiling (sunglasses down!), a full-length human anatomy photo, and a task or travel photo. Reticent about showing the human body? Here’s some motivation: Users having a full-body picture get 203 per cent more incoming communications compared to average, based on information through the dating internet site Zoosk.

Hog the limelight. Prevent group images or intimately provocative shots. Anyone who has one or more individual inside their picture get 42 % less communications than typical, Zoosk says. And keep Fido out from the framework. Individuals who pose with an animal get 53 % less communications compared to the average.

Showcase why is you unique. Post pictures that highlight the actual, authentic you, states dating advisor and Dates & Mates podcast host Damona Hoffman. “Don’t forget showing your quirky part, your nerdy side, your goofy part,” she claims. “That’s what makes you various.”

Keep your write-up good. Don’t come with a washing variety of that which you want and don’t wish in a intimate partner, claims Meredith Golden, a ghostwriter for dating internet site and app users, whom assists consumers art online profiles. Saying you’ll only date some body with particular traits, such as for example high or athletic, “makes you appear negative,” and you also could disqualify a person who could possibly be a match that is ideal she claims.

Sprinkle in engaging tidbits. Ditch nondescriptive and overused expressions such as “I look more youthful than my age” or “I favor to simply just simply take coastline walks,” Spira claims. Rather, share five or six brief, interesting information about your hobbies, along with basic enjoyable facts, Golden states. some situations are: “I produce a killer grilled cheese,” “I happened to be the captain of my senior school bowling team” or “I know the most useful taco destination when you look at the town.”

Offer a discussion beginner. Offer an opening line, such as “ask me personally exactly exactly exactly what we’m reading” or “if you’re uncertain things to message me personally about, simply enquire about my dog,” during the final end of the profile, states Megan Murray, editor in chief of Zoosk’s online mag The Date Mix. “It helps it be less complicated for somebody you have matched with to give you a note.”

Be honest. Forgo the urge to lie about age, height, physique or absolutely other things. “You wish to have truth in marketing,” Hoffman says. “People will likely be upset if you provide yourself in a single method and show another way up. You’re establishing the building blocks for a relationship, and also you don’t like to set it up centered on a lie,” Honesty may be the trait that is top by female online daters 50 and older in addition to second many wanted one by men for the reason that generation, in accordance with an analysis of Zoosk pages.

Leave off such a thing very individual. Don’t post distinguishing information such as for instance your house or work target, a hyperlink to your internet site or an image of a visible license plate number to your car, Spira states. And save yourself any pictures of children or grandkids for social networking sites such as for example Twitter, where you are able to take control of your privacy settings.

Enlist an editor. As soon as you complete your draft, get candid feedback from a close buddy with good judgment, Golden claims. Ask that pal to examine sentence structure, tone and spelling, along with your picture selection. Revise and continue steadily to make tweaks “until you feel that you’re representing the most effective form of yourself,” she says.

The next thing: Post your masterpiece.

“If you have got a fantastic profile, then preferably the times should come for your requirements,” claims Hoffman, who advises that users additionally get in touch with others.

Your profile is “like your résumé or card that is calling” she says. “That could be the gateway to get more dates.”