I spend a bit of time in the morning scanning arbitrary online dating profiles on the more mainstream sites. Some are poorly written. Some are outrageous. Most, however, are average. As an ad writer turned online dating profile writer, presenting yourself as average is one of the biggest mistakes.
Today I’m featuring three excerpts that I found on three different dating sites followed by a general critique. By seeing what I mean by average, it might help you be anything but.
From the dating profile of a 42-year old woman.
I am a single mother of one. I like to do a variety of things when I can including day trips, markets, dinner and drinks with friends. I like all kinds of music except country and when it comes to movies I will watch just about anything.
From the dating profile of a 33-year old woman.
I enjoy doing lots of things, have a variety of interests and will try almost anything once. I enjoy taking walks, playing tennis, roller skating, playing laser tag, boating, going to festivals, museums, concerts, movies, sitting on the deck drinking wine looking at the stars, cooking, etc. I am just missing the person to share it with.
From the dating profile of a 41-year old man.
Hi everybody. Thanks for stopping by. I’m a nice guy looking for a nice gal. I like doing many things from sports to movies and am always open and pretty easy going. One of my favorite things to do is to have a barbecue and then sit around with good music and friends.
My critique.
When people are looking online for love, they tend to scan a lot of dating profiles. I’ve only posted excerpts of three and yet, already, they all sound alike. Enjoying movies, music, friends and having a number of interests, are pretty typical. What’s not typical is how you approach these interests.
For instance, here are two ways to make an interest in movies far more interesting:
“I love movies, but will steal any popcorn within my grasp…you’ve been warned.”
“I love movies and will even go to a chick flick if you promise to say that you forced me to”.
These are just broad examples of course, but they do give you an idea how a small twist can transform an otherwise overused interest.
Dating profiles are marketing opportunities.
I’m online dating profile writer with an advertising background. That means I know all the subtle marketing techniques to make your profile appealing. In addition, I ask a lot of questions about you so that I can, in turn, use your answers and expressions to craft the profile in a way that’s truly you.
Check out my online dating samples and see for yourself. Better yet, get started by completing the personality questionnaire.
