21 Sep Seeking Lasting Romantic Relationship

Are you swiping right left and up and down, hoping to connect with that absolute right person to spend your life with? Most new relationship stories I’ve heard in recent times all begin online, often as the result of connections made using any one of the extant dating apps.

Stories about fake photos, self-aggrandizing descriptions and flat-out dishonesty abound but that’s going to happen regardless. I’m more interested in helping you position your profile to increase your chances of success.

The most common mistake honest profile creators make is to fashion a profile that appeals to their own sense of self, rather than highlighting those things about them that will appeal to the person they want to attract.

Like most strategic communications, it all starts with the recipient of the information and what you want them to do with it. If you have a potential partner in mind, make a list of their attributes and interests, then set up your profile information and photos to showcase how you match.

Don’t choose a photo of you and a friend for the profile picture; it’s just confusing as to who the profile is about. If you’re highlighting your interest in sports and fitness, use photos that match, not photos of you in the library, and so on.

It sounds like simple common sense but it’s amazing how often we make choices that work for us, without regard for the impact those choices have on people we want to influence and persuade. Think about it: it’s pretty much second nature to consider how your wardrobe will support or erode your message to different audiences. If you were simply doing what works best for you, you might want to show up in sweatpants and cowboy boots but it may not work for all audiences. Take that same critical thinking and apply it to your dating profile. Let me know how it works out!