Writing your online dating profile is one of those terrible necessities in life, on par with writing a cover letter, writing a staff bio, or putting into writing in any capacity all the good things about yourself. Everyone on the planet totally hates listing the reasons why anyone should give them the time of day, but it can be especially hard if writing isn’t exactly your thing. But fear not! You don’t have to resort to copying & pasting your resume and hoping someone is turned on by your ability to delegate tasks to enhance productivity. Here are cheats on how to write a dating profile that will give fellow online daters an idea of who you are—no agony required.
Use Listicles
Making a list of some of your favorite things is a concise and easy way to communicate what you’re into, and it’s easy for someone browsing your profile to get an idea of whether or not you have anything in common. Huge music buff? Name your all-time, top five favorite songs, à la John Cusack in High Fidelity. Huge movie buff? List your desert island essentials. It can be anything—countries you’ve visited, restaurants in your city, or artists. Just make the list one you feel pretty passionate about so you’ll be able to speak on the subject when someone brings it up.
Example:
My Top 5 Jonas Brothers, Best to Worst
1. Joe 2. Kevin 3. Taylor Hanson 4. Joe 5. Nick
Add Your Favorite Corny Joke
Admittedly, this is what some would call click-bait, but keeping your profile short and simple by posing a riddle or starting a joke, but leaving out the punch line, is a) intriguing; b) proves you have a sense of humor; and c) forces people to either talk to you, or to think about the beginning of that dumb joke all day.
Example: Why does Snoop Dogg use an umbrella?
See? You want to talk to me now, don’t you?
Use Quotes
This can easily wander into a territory that is comically trite or boring, so it’s best to steer clear of the typical quotes and go for something a little more unique. Pick something from an author or personality that means something to you and choose a quote that speaks to your lifestyle, core philosophy, or aspirations. In other words, let professional writers and/or speakers do the work for you.
Example: “If you can’t handle me at my worst, you don’t deserve me at my best.” – Marilyn Monroe, while eating chicken wings, probably.
Make Your Friend Do It For You
It’s way easier for someone who already loves you to articulate what makes you special, and more often than not, they see awesome things in you that you don’t even see in yourself. So if you’re wondering how to write a dating profile let your close friend show you how it’s done. Or, better yet, since there aren’t any rules against having a guest author in your dating profile, pose the question to your bestie, “If you were going to set me up with someone, what would you tell them about me?” You’ll get authentic energy and enthusiasm, probably a little humor, and most importantly, sincerity. And as an added bonus, it’s a great ego boost:
Example:
You should date Colleen because your mom would love her. She’s witty and hilarious and will forgive you for making stupid mistakes, because you’ll obviously make stupid mistakes. Colleen gives great relationship advice; so if you’re ever wondering how your relationship with her is doing, just ask her. Nothing is ever too serious, which is good because life is so hard already. – Arra Jane, Best Friend
And there you have it; four easy ideas to alleviate the quiet agony of how to write a dating profile. One, or any combination of these are great ways to get started, so Google the answer to that Snoop Dogg joke, ask all your friends to shower you with compliments, and get to it.
