* This is a contributed article. The IBTimes news staff was not involved in the creation of this article and this content does not necessarily represent the views of IBTimes. When you buy through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Here are our T&C. For licensing please click here.
couple-holding-hands
With thousands of people joining online dating sites each day, it’s easy to feel lost among the crowd. You can stand out from the crowd with these 5 tips. Pixabay / Free-Photos

With thousands of people joining online dating sites each day, it’s easy to feel lost among the crowd. You can stand out from the crowd with these 5 tips.

The world of online dating is full of possibilities and the chance of finding your special someone isn’t as hard as some people think. Everyday there are thousands of singles joining the different dating sites for a variety of reasons and it’s not uncommon to feel like you’re going to get lost in the crowd.

For those who are new to the online dating scene, it’s understandable that you’d want to dive right in and start meeting people. Before you can do that, you’re going to want to take some time to carefully fill out your dating profile. Each dating site will have their own unique profile set up that requires you to answer a variety of questions.

If you’re thinking that you can just answer the questions with short answers and little detail, think again. Think of it this way: your profile is like an information sheet which will give other members some insight as to who you are, your interests, and more.

As you keep reading, you’ll learn five bits of expert advice that will turn a boring profile into one that will draw all the boys to the yard - so to speak.

1. Avoid Using a Selfie for a Profile Picture

The infamous selfie… These self-taken photos are one of the most common photos you’ll come across when you’re browsing Instagram or Facebook, but they have no place on a dating site. Instead of whipping out your smartphone to snap a picture, we recommend asking a friend to take a photo for you.

The ideal profile picture should be taken outside but you can take a photo inside a room with plenty of natural light. According to Zoosk, a popular dating site, your photo should be a full body shot and in doing so, your messages received could increase as much as 203 percent!

2. Avoid Posting Group Pictures

You might be an avid volleyball player and you may even want to highlight this on your profile. This is fine and well, but your pictures should be of you and you alone. If there are others in the picture, interested members may get frustrated trying to figure out which person is you. This is especially true if it isn’t an up close shot because they’ll have to squint or zoom in to find you and maybe go back and forth from your main profile picture to the group photo.

In short, keep the photos of only yourself.

3. Get Personal but not too Personal

Part of the whole reason why you’re filling out a profile is to give potential suitors a chance to learn more about you, so of course you’re going to share some personal things about you. However, you don’t want to air out your dirty laundry either.

So what is considered too personal? Well, a good rule of thumb is to stay away from personal subjects like past relationships, income, any risque details such as what’s your favorite position or if you have any fetishes… Although these things are fine if you’re on an adult dating site where singles want casual encounters and nothing more.

4. Be Honest About Everything

You know the saying, “Honesty is the best policy”? This saying should be practiced all the time, but it’s especially important when you’re trying to meet a potential date. It’s tempting to embellish certain aspects of ourselves that we aren’t necessarily proud of, don’t. When you embellish the truth, it could come back to bite you in the butt - especially if your ultimate goal is to find a long-term partner. The truth has a funny way of coming out sooner or later.

5. Talk about What You DO Want

It can be easy to list all of the things that you don’t want in a partner, but those negatives will only scare people away. When they read that you don’t want to date unemployed smokers who have mommy issues, it’s going to be a huge turn off. Instead, focus on the qualities that you want in a partner. Not only will you attract those who have the qualities you’re looking for, they’ll be more likely to see you as a positive person and willing to see the best in people, not the worst.

Final Thoughts on Creating the Perfect Dating Profile

It can be challenging for many people to create a well-thought out dating profile. Some people find it difficult to talk about themselves, while others can’t seem to limit how much they share.

If you’re struggling to find that balance, ask your friends to look over your profile and your picture and give their honest opinion. After all, your friends know you pretty well and they’ll highlight the good things about you, without making you seem like a saint.