Ah the age old question, since the classified ads back in the day, right up to dating apps and Mixeo. What makes a good dating profile? Well, one thing for sure is there's no hard and fast rule, no special formula or psychological hack. Everyone is different and that means different things will work for different people. However, there are some do's and don't, which we will take a look at later as well as some brilliant dating profile examples but firstly let's break it down to the basics. What is a dating profile?
A dating profile is a bit like an advert but instead of a product it's you, you're selling yourself. This is going to become a bit of a self-reflection exercise, which if you're anything like me, is not necessarily a fun game but worthwhile. So write down some things you're proud of, you like about yourself, you enjoy doing, things you consider to be important to you, your best qualities or features and anything you think will help sell the product that is you. Some of you might feel this is a bit big headed or arrogant but it's not, not if you say it right. This certainly isn't supposed to be a bragging exercise. Listing these things on a piece of paper will give you a better understanding of yourself and what it is you might say in your dating profile. You might have noticed I've not mentioned things you look for in a partner like looking for someone who likes going to gigs or looking for someone who can double backflip. Why? Simple, when you're looking at a profile do you ever say 'I can't double backflip, that's a shame I liked the sound of them' and it might make you skip over a potentially great match. Or if you really like them you'd ignore it anyway, so I just wouldn't bother with it. You can state WHAT you're looking for IE long term relationship but it's an advert for you not for who you're looking for. That comes later when you're looking at their profiles. Don’t confuse the two. So now you have your list of selling points, you can think about how to arrange them into a profile. Fun.
Now we've done the cringeworthy self-reflection we can now have a think about how to turn it into a dating profile and the possibilities are endless. There's the three words to best describe me approach, desert island discs, self-deprecating and humour just to name a few styles. This is where there's no hard and fast rules and really just comes down to you. You might be the creative type or someone who finds writing fun copy second nature but more than likely it's something that will require a bit more thought and it really comes down to how much time you want to put into it. I would say it's more important than you think. Put yourself in their shoes, when you're looking at profiles why do you stop on certain ones, apart from the obvious 'their fit' but what grabs your attention in words. Let's take a look at some examples from the simplistic to the hilarious.
Niamh
It's pronounced Neev.
English girl. Irish name. Scottish heart.
Food. Rum. Yoga.
Just home after travelling Asia for 3 months.
Niamh has nailed the short and sweet approach with a light-hearted, fun style.
Alexander
I'm looking for someone to be a contestant on Bargain Hunt with. You better be good though, I'm not losing!
I think we could guess that Alexander had competitive and funny on his personality list.
Zadie
You should message me if;
If you're looking to date in a low commtiment long-term relationship. Finishing up uni is my number one priority right now and I can't give too much to a deeply invested relationship right now. You should also message me if you're career driven (it's attractive!) and if you can keep up good banter (also attractive!). Driven, smart, funny that's the combo.
So Zadie has told us where she's at in her life journey with a touch of playful banter thrown in. She's also said what she finds attractive and what she's looking for but in a playful way that's not off putting or limiting so we'll forgive her.
So get knowing yourself a bit better, write it out on a bit of paper and see what jumps out from the page. Then it's down to how you present it that shows off your personality. Can't wait to see what you all come up with for your Mixeo profile!