Are you ready to begin the process of looking for love online? To be successful in online dating you need to have a great profile. Your profile will introduce you to the online dating community. Your profile is your first impression, and we all know how important first impressions are. You do not want to rush through the process of preparing your profile. You want to make sure that profile is interesting, unique and detailed. If your profile is boring, incomplete or unappealing you will probably not have very much success in online dating. There are multiple things that you need to do to create a great profile, in this article we will focus on perfecting the profile photo.
Let me start by saying that you DO need a profile picture. I know that the idea of allowing complete strangers to view your photo can be intimidated, but it is necessary. Studies have shown that people that have a profile picture are 75 percent more likely to have their profile viewed then people who don’t have a picture. If you don’t post a picture, people may assume that you are unattractive.
Most online daters will want to know what you look like. Many people don’t want to form an emotional attachment to someone that they may not be physically attracted to. I would like to tell you people don’t care what you look like on the outside as long as you are beautiful on the inside, but that isn’t usually true. Physical appearance is a key component in traditional dating and it is just as important when it comes to online dating.
Since your photo will introduce you to the online dating community you need to put effort and thought into selecting your profile picture. The picture that you select needs to be current. If you are 40 years old you should not be using your high school yearbook photo. Your picture should be no more than 1-2 years old. You want your picture to represent an accurate you and not be a blast from the past. Don’t be ashamed if you have put on a little weight or you hairline isn’t as full as you want it to be. There will be people that will find you attractive regardless of your perceived flaws. Please don’t use picture(s) that are overly photo shopped or altered or generally deceiving. You want the person that views your picture to know what you really look like. If things go well you are going to want to move your online experience to the real world. You want the person to actually recognize you when they see you in person and not feel lied to or deceived.
I recommend that you include at least three pictures of yourself. One dating site found that a profile with one image received 5 times as many replies than profiles that had no photo. Posting 3 photos netted 7 times as many views, and 5 photos netted up to 9 times the replies as profiles with no photo. Be sure to include a variety of different poses when selecting your profile picture. Make your primary photo a headshot, something that really highlights your face. For your additional photos, you should include at least one full body shot. A picture is worth a thousand words so use the picture(s) in your profile to tell your story. If your favorite hobby is horseback riding include a picture of you riding. If you love to be outdoors take a picture of you surrounded by the beauty of nature.
The picture(s) you select should be individual photos of you and not group photos. The person viewing your profile should not have to guess which person you are in the photo. Don’t include picture(s) of your nieces, nephews, best friend,etc. You don’t want the person viewing your profile to be distracted by the other people in the photo or be wondering if your ten nieces and nephews are all of your kids. (lol). You also don’t want the person checking out your profile to eye your hot friend instead of you. Do not post a picture of you and your ex!!! If you decided to crop someone out of a picture make sure that they are fully cropped out and there isn’t a mysterious body part left in the photo.
If you are having a hard time selecting your profile photos, ask a close friend or family member to help you with the selection process. Ask members of the opposite sex if the photos are attractive to them. What your mom might think is your best photo might not be the best photo for attracting the opposite sex. Get several opinions about the photos that you should use then select the photos that get the most votes. If you utilize a New Love Online-Dating Coach, your coach will help you select your best photos.
If you don’t have any recent picture(s) that are flattering invest in a professional photographer. Let your photographer know the purpose of the photos so that they can help you meet your objective. If you cannot afford a photographer you may want to check out schools that offer photography classes and ask a student for help. Their prices will be probably significantly lower that a professional photographer. They may even be willing to take shots of you for free so that they can gain experience and build their portfolio.
If you are unable to find a photographer, ask a friend with a good camera to photograph you. If at all possible avoid taking your profile picture(s) yourself (no picture(s) of you in your bathroom mirror, please). Do not take the picture(s) from a camera phone, they usually do not have enough pixels to produce a clear picture. No matter who snaps your picture, avoid taking picture with messy backgrounds. Your messy bedroom with clothes strewn all around will not serve as a good backdrop! Not only will a messy background take away from the quality of the picture but it will also let the world know that you are a messy person which is a turn off for many people. Review your picture(s) to make sure that they are in focus and not too dark or blurry.
It is also important to know the maximum picture size that your dating site of choice will allow you to use. Your picture(s) have to fit the photo size specification of the site or you will not be able to use them. If you picture(s) are too big you may be able to resize them using a picture editor program and then upload them. Review the general Terms of Agreement for uploading your photo to ensure that your photos are also appropriate for the website.
Don’t use photos that show too much skin. Ladies, you do not need to post a photo of you in your bra and underwear. Guys, you do not need to take your shirt off. Studies have actually found photos that depict participation in a hobby receive a better response than “sexy” photos.. When you pick your photo stay away from anything that could be featured in Playgirl or Playboy. You don’t want to use photos that suggest that you are interested in only a one night stand if you are looking for love.
I saved the best and simplest advice for last: SMILE in your photos. Smiling is so important for several reasons: First, a smile makes you look more attractive. Secondly, smiling makes your potential suitor feel more comfortable. Your smile will send the message to the person viewing your profile that you are approachable. A smile is often the most memorable part of your face. You should select picture(s) that showcase your best smile. Remember you are posing for a profile picture and not a mug shot. You don’t want to scare away your potential matches with a grimace, scowl or frown.