Does the headline on your dating profile actually matter? According to most online dating “experts”, it does. As a marketing expert, I say it doesn’t – not when it comes to dating profiles.
The reason why a headline in an print ad or bus board matters so much is because you have seconds to distract people from whatever it is they’re doing and get them to pay attention to you. Rarely do people open a newspaper because they’re objective is to read the ads. In the online dating environment however, people go onto a dating site with the sole purpose of checking out the personal ads. As such, they don’t need to be jarred or jolted away from a news story or article.
My opinion is contrary to the general dating advice about headlines. However, it’s based on something more important than general opinion. It’s based on the behavior of singles dating online. That is – single men and women tend to look at the photos then read the profiles. Dating profiles often seal the deal whereas headlines are usually overlooked – unless they’re particularly good or bad.
My feeling is that if you think of a great headline – not one that’s trite – then post it. Otherwise, I would focus my efforts on making sure that every word in your profile highlights all your most unique traits, habits and interests. If you do write a headline, be sure that it’s surprising, engaging, interesting or in some way positively different from anyone else’s. The irony about dating profiles is that people feel less conspicuous when they write one that “fits in” when, in fact, they’re online to get noticed.
This is yet one more reason why you should hire a professional ad writer (me!) to write your online dating profile. I’m trained to make my clients stand out.
For help on how to write an online dating profile, check out the dating profile samples or go straight to the fun free personality quiz. It won’t help you write your online dating profile, but it will help you uncover some of the unique traits that you need to highlight so that you stand out.
