Tips for writing a great online personal ad or dating profile
11/4/2008
Sex Advice for Men / Online Dating Home / Opposite Sex Channel
In this article, I’ll go over the kind of things one can and should talk about in their personal ad or dating profile to get across their real you, their personality, on the online dating board-to get responses from the right people to their dating ad.
The best way to write a profile is to imagine yourself meeting someone new for the first time in a casual setting- a bar, a coffee shop, or at a friend's party. Think about the kind of things you would tell about yourself to this person- your dating profile or personal ad is the same idea extended over the Internet.
Follow a factual but casual approach to writing your personal ad. You want to let the people get to know concrete things about you, but at the same time, your ad shouldn't come across as a boring resume. Sprinkle it with some humor, exclamation marks; make it fun and interesting.
A good profile has 200-250 words, with 150-200 words for yourself, and 50-100 words describing the kind of person you are looking for.
Discuss your career history and plans. What kind of jobs you have held, what your future career aspirations are, etc. These are generally looked at as positive. Think of it as the first conversation you are having with someone, don't we usually talk about we do? Excellent stuff to write about in a profile. Be brief, of course- you don’t want to go on and on about selling shoes, delivering the mail, or designing and fabricating cars, for that matter.
If you have children, tell a little about them. This is an important part of your life, and interests the people interested in dating you. Mention their ages, and if they live with you. Don't describe them too much-but giving their ages for example, makes you come across as a normal parent.
If you have moved around a bit in your life, mention the places where you have lived. It gets more people interested in you and wanting to write to you. For example, if you are presently living in Los Angeles but have lived in Dallas, someone who has a Texas connection is more likely to write to you. If you have lived internationally, all the better-people are always interested in life in other places and cultures.
If you have just moved to where you are living now, mention that. People love playing tourist guides. They are eager to know new faces from other parts of the country or the world. They can also help you settle down in the town more easily-so even if nothing happens romance-wise, you can always make some good friends.
If you speak a foreign language, mention that. It attracts attention. Along the same lines, mention a little of your family genealogy, as people may find a connection there as well (e.g. I have a Scottish or Chinese mother).
Talk about how you entertain yourself. This is where you can be funny and witty, so exercise your imagination. Mention about your social circle. Are you a social person? Do you have many friends? Do you go out with them a lot? What activities do you do with them? If you have a good relationship with your siblings, your parents, and your family, mention it. Mention if they live close to you, and how often you see them.
Mention if you like pets, and have any of your own.
When you are talking about the person you are looking for, be clear in your requirements, but make sure you don’t limit yourself unnecessarily. So if you don't want to date men who have kids, say so. Or if you don't want to go out with smokers, say it clearly in your ad. But again, be careful-you are restricting potential mates here, so put things only if you are very sure what your potential partner absolutely must or must not have.
Mention if you are looking for a stable relationship or if you are just looking to make friends and will see how things go from there ("looking for nice and interesting people to hang out with").
If you want John to review or rewrite your Dating Profile,visit DatingProfile.com.
You can follow us on Twitter and Facebook for content updates. Also, sign up for our email list for weekly updates and check us out on Google+ as well.