Your dating profile: taking the first step

Meeting the right person online has as much to do with making your dating profile memorable as it does having chemistry when you first meet. It may sound obvious, but to find ‘the one’, you have to appear to be ‘the one’ to someone else.

Many singles can in fact do much more to attract the person they really want – to get the process started, here are our four best tips for those wanting to really ace their presence online:

1. A happy self makes a happy relationship

If it’s anything that attracts people most to an online dating profile, it’s a sense that the person writing it is optimistic and happy. To be ready to meet someone new, we have to be happy and proud of the person we currently are. And, if you’re already happy with who you are, it’s easy to make sure your new relationship is one that actually enhances your life – since you’ll only accept those who bring you more happiness. Focusing on your many positives, sharing details about the personal things you love, and showing yourself off as an optimistic person excited to meet others is the best way to make the man or woman of your dreams interested in you.

2. Dare to be distinctive

Most people aren’t exactly bowled over by reading identical lists of likes and dislikes. Rather than casually filling your dating profile with tiresome clichés, attract more interest by properly introducing yourself – after all, studies often show that the self-descriptive parts of profiles can greatly influence attraction!

READ MORE: Our Partner Psychologist, Sam Owen, examines the classic mistakes Canadians make in their dating profiles.

Alongside your photos, what you write here gives other members the main motivation to contact you. To make sure you get contacted by the kind of interesting singles you’re looking for, avoid writing the obvious like “I’m easygoing” – this tells enquiring parties very little about you. Remember: they don’t know you at all yet and need to be quickly convinced why they should get to know you, so give as much detail as you can about what makes you tick.

3. Keep that dating profile fresh!

A message to singles seeking love: don’t forget to update your information! Finding your dream partner may take some months, and during this time it’s likely you’ll undergo some personal changes. Tell people about them! Review what you share from time-to-time, add achievements or update your interests so our users know what you’re like now. As well as indicating that you’re an active, serious member, this sort of detail can help you find the right person.

After all, if one of your new hobbies just so happens to be the passion of an interested party, it may end up being the small detail that convinces them to send that first message! So whether you’ve become a published author or have recently started climbing, take the time to tell people what you’re really like – now.

4. A picture says a thousand words…

What you say on your dating profile may make difference between someone sending that first message or not, but an attractive photo is still often the main motivation for someone clicking onto your profile initially. First impressions, too, have a proven effect on relationship judgements later down the line, so let your picture accurately reflect your personality.

READ MORE: Photographer Toby Aiken reveals how to take a profile photo like an expert.

While a mix of images is the fastest way to the dating results you want, your main picture deserves the strongest focus. Portrait photos are always preferred here, simply because they give others the most focused and (hopefully!) honest image of you. You may, of course, add up to 23 additional photos to your profile, so do aim for variety – but also try to ensure that your main picture is one which best embodies your personality, presents you in a happy, engaging and genuine way and sparks interest

Looking for a partner is a process made easier when you have the right tools at your disposal. The best tool in your arsenal? A perfected dating profile. So why not get writing today? It’s the quickest way to romantic success with EliteSingles – just join here to get started.