How to Make Your Dating Profile Far More Interesting
Published on July 22, 2010
This is a guest post by Kate Houston of trysweettalk.com
I had a client whose original profile asserted, I love to cook. As a professional dating profile writer, I can tell you that about 80% of the profiles I read say the very same thing.
Eventually I learned this client not only loved to cook, she loved it so much she collected antique cookbooks. I also learned she was a truly unconventional woman in many respects. So, rather than keep, I love to cook, I began her profile with I have a recipe that says, “catch and pluck 10 chickens”. But, don’t worry, I don’t usually do what I’m told.
My point is that your interests are not necessarily what make you interesting, it’s how those interests are manifested that make you interesting. For instance, I had a client who loved to travel – a fairly common interest. However, after probing further, I learned that she used to put on her mother’s high heels as a child then go in her parents’ vehicle and pretend she was driving. On her profile I wrote, When I was little, I’d put on heels, climb into our car and pretend I was driving. I don’t know why I wore heels but I do know that I still love to travel.
If you’re writing your dating profile yourself then be sure to do more than just list common interests. Instead, pick your main interests and bring them to life with an anecdote.
More Dating Profile Examples
Here are some other examples from dating profiles I’ve written that demonstrate how an interest can go from being commonplace to unique:
I love animals became:
I rescued a cat who was missing a tail. I adopted a terrier that was missing a leg. Though I’m not missing anything myself, I do have extra time for the right woman.
I love short stories became:
I spent two full days obsessed with trying to catch a killer. It’s a good thing I love short stories more than novels; otherwise I’d never get anything done.
I like sci-fi because No one imitates Yoda the way I do.
Personally, I don’t think anyone can write their own profile as well as I can (insert shameless self-promotion!), but I do think that you can make your interests far more interesting by avoiding adjectives and lists in favor of anecdotes.
If you like, there’s a free personality quiz on my site that will help you uncover some of your more interesting traits. From there, you can weave these into your profile so that it becomes more engaging. Though I’m the first to admit that online dating success begins with your looks (shallow as that may be), what will clinch the deal is your profile. It’s the first impression people get of your personality so you need to make it count.
Kate Houston is President and Founder of trysweettalk.com, one of the only online dating profile writing services to leverage subtle, but highly effective, ad techniques so that dating profiles stand out and compete among the millions out there.
Posted in: