Creating A Great Profile
The first thing to bear in mind, as we've suggested, is that your profile is the first version of 'you' that any potential online date will 'meet'.
So, try to think what such a potential date might be looking for before you sit down to create your profile. Make sure that you are in the correct frame of mind to write a profile that you believe that your potential 'target' partner would be happy and eager to read. Bear in mind several key factors:
1. Be positive, cheerful and optimistic in your profile. Quite obviously, being cheerful is attractive, whereas being negative tends to repel. Avoid using negative language and words if at all possible (and it is possible 99% of the time!). So, for example, even if you really loathe the game, it would not help you to announce that you think that basketball is 'stupid'! Far better to say that you 'love football' instead.
2. If possible, make sure your sense of humor comes through, but be very careful. Humor does not always translate, even amongst peoples who are native English speakers. For example, British and Australian humor can often be very sarcastic, which, on the written page, can just look vindictive or rude. However, it's pretty obvious that most people are looking for someone interesting and funny, so, if you do have a sense of humor that will work on paper then by all means, use it!
3. Write your profile in a way that is designed to have the widest appeal possible, and is not too restrictive. Fine, if you have particular requirements based on religion, race or whatever, you can suggest that, but don't be too picky or specific. Doing so will only limit the people who might respond favorably to your profile.
4. Try not to appear arrogant or self-centered in your profile either. Fine, tell people about your achievements, because they are a part of who you are, but try to do so with some humility. For example, you may want to tell people that you were a reasonable football player - telling them that you were the best player your team ever had suggests that you are not a person to whom perspective comes easily!
5. Follow the site rules! Every online dating website will have its own set of rules that dictate what you can and cannot say. Read those rules, and follow them or your carefully crafted profile might just disappear one day!
Always try to be positive, optimistic and cheerful whenever and wherever possible. People want to associate with those that will make them feel good, so understand that that is what you want your potential dates to know about you.
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