Online Dating Advice
I regularly review excerpts from random dating profiles (for anonymity). Pointing out dos and don’ts from real profiles can help you improve on your own personal branding.
Online dating and deep crimson red flags.
Some online dating profiles are the literary equivalent of Scandal. There’s drama, anger, betrayal, intrigue, even surprise confessions. Today I read the dating profile of a woman who proudly asserted that she keyed her ex’s car. She added “lol” after that admission. I admit these are delicious reads. Lunacy often is. That said, red flags aren’t usually so obvious. Most have more subtle (though no less disquieting) clues. Here are my top six red flags of online dating. If you… read more →
She asked, “is it me or are men pigs?”. The answer is perfect.
Here’s what to do when guys online dating just want in a roll in the hay. The other day I was chatting with a single woman who had abruptly pulled her online dating profile off okCupid. She’s vowed never again to go online dating. In her experience, the men were rude and inappropriate. Most had sent sexually explicit messages. Others, while less indecent, still made clear that all they wanted was sex. Frustrated, she blurted, “Is it me or are men online dating just total… read more →
Her dating profile was so sweet, then this happened.
See what I did with my headline? I gave it a sensational quality, but for no reason. It’s called bait and switch. It’s a form of advertising writing that uses deception to attract people to a product or service. It fools them into thinking they’ll be clicking for one reason, but when they do – it’s not what they expected. It’s an old trick and I just I fell for it myself. I was scrolling through online dating profiles that I could review for… read more →
Does your online dating profile open with a…yawn?
“Just checking out this online dating thing to see if I could meet a man who is cool and decent and see where fate may take us.” That was the first sentence on an online dating profile that I found on POF today. It brings up two important points: 1. Avoid being redundant If you’ve posted an online dating profile on an online dating site then you don’t need to say that you’re checking out this online dating thing. It’s redundant… read more →
How a gym ad can help you write a strong online dating profile.
If you want a successful online dating profile – or any online profile, for that matter – then deconstruct an ad. After all, marketers are experts at getting a message across in a way that reaches an objective. And, the point of an online profile is, in fact, to reach a goal whether it’s finding love or finding a job. Today, we’ll analyze this ad by Publicis Ambience Advertising in Chennai, India and address two techniques that makes it effective:… read more →
Online dating profiles and lessons learned from lip syncing.
Does your online dating profile need a wrecking ball? I’m a big fan of celebrity lip syncing battles. They’re funny, creative and memorable. I doubt I’ll ever forget Anne Hathaway’s, Wrecking Ball, any time soon (or that finger). What else do I think lip sync battles are? Inspiring. How? Because they teach us three big lessons about marketing ourselves. Want to write a great online dating profile? Then take a cue from these comedians. 1. Dust off your dating profile and make… read more →
Meet the hiking boot that takes online dating to new heights.
I was putting together my monthly newsletter. It includes a section on how certain techniques used to write billboards can help us when marketing our own selves. In doing the research for that section, I came across this billboard and I just loved it! It’s so simple, catchy and memorable. It’s also a very good example of how you can take something commonplace, like a hiking boot, and make it stand out. Better yet, that otherwise boring shoelace becomes magical… read more →
When great lives make bad dating profiles.
I read the online dating profile of a 43-year old woman today. It felt like the literary equivalent of a smiley face – happy, but lacking in substance. Here’s an excerpt: I have a great job, great kids, great outlook on life and a great sense of humour. I love to do things and enjoy everything I can. She uses “great” so many times that she sounds like Jessica, the Daily Affirmation girl – who’s really cute, but also just… read more →
How a bad pun can make a great dating profile.
I read this profile on POF and was pretty impressed with it. A lot can be improved (I’d have suggested my Most Popular service where I keep the foundation, but add other great touches). However, there were some very good aspects. I’ve italicized some of the excerpts followed by my critique. I like spending as much time as I can outdoors – preferably by a large body of water. I do yoga, go hiking, read books, try to not suck at… read more →
Online dating and taking a break.
In the past, I’ve suggested that it never hurts to take a break from online dating. Now I’m following my own advice. Though I’ll continue writing online dating and LinkedIn profiles, I’ll be taking a break from writing this blog. I’ve truly appreciated the emails and newsletter sign ups from those of you who follow it. I’ll be sure to let you know when I take it up again. As you know, I put in real time and effort to… read more →
