I noticed that after every episode of Sex and the City new trends would take off. Some of the more memorable ones include cosmopolitans and the very painful, but admittedly neat, Brazilian wax. More recently, the Hills’ Heidi Montag has set the trend for cosmetic surgery over personality while Audrina makes a case for vegetarianism. Then there are the designer home shows that have finally relegated beige and neutral back to their ideal location as the perfect, personality-stripped choice for office cubicles everywhere.
The trends set by TV shows have made me wonder if I’ve missed an episode lately where men managed to somehow successfully woo women by featuring big, shiny dead fish on their online dating profile pictures. These poor creatures (the fish) seem to be featured everywhere. I thought, perhaps, they were simply more prominent in certain fishing states like Alaska or Minnesota but oh no. I checked. Trout, catfish, salmon are proudly displayed by men all over the country. In addition, they’re on every site from Plenty of Fish which, however misguided would be sort of clever, to Match.com.
Could this trend be due to some nebulous connection to idioms such as “plenty of fish in the sea” or “looking for a good catch” or, dare I say, “cold fish”?
Whatever the reason, men need to remember one thing – you’re trying to attract women. I know our gender can be fairly complicated but some things are blissfully simple. “Don’t use fish to attract women” is basic advertising 101. If you insist on using fish as bait (I had to say it!) then cook it, put it on a plate, and display it in an enticing way in front of you, with you dressed and clean, rather than in dirty fishing gear.
Of all the lessons advertising can teach online daters, one of the simplest is to remember your target group. Target group is the ideal person whom you’re trying to reach with your message. So whenever you take photos or write your online dating profile remember whom you’re trying to attract and craft your overall message in a way that attracts them. This is yet another reason why you should hire a professional online dating profile writer (me) so that you can maximize your chances of success.
Nevertheless, for help writing your online dating profile, check out the samples or go straight to the fun free personality quiz. It won’t help you unlock the mysteries of how to communicate to the opposite sex, but it will help you determine some of your most appealing traits.
