Are you ready to start the process of looking for love online? To be successful in online dating, you must 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 don’t want to rush the process of preparing your profile. You want to make sure the profile is interesting, unique, and detailed. If your profile is boring, incomplete, or unattractive, you probably won’t have much success in online dating. There are several things 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 I need a profile picture. I know the idea of allowing complete strangers to see your photo can be intimidating, but it’s necessary. Studies have shown that people who have a profile photo are 75 percent more likely to view your profile than people who don’t have a photo. If you don’t post a photo, people may assume you’re unattractive.
Most online daters will want to know what you look like. Many people do not want to form an emotional bond with someone they are not physically attracted to. I’d like to tell you that people don’t care how you look on the outside as long as you’re beautiful on the inside, but that’s not 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 should put some effort and thought into selecting your profile photo. The image you select must be current. If you are 40 years old, you should not use your high school yearbook photo. Your photo must not be more than 1 or 2 years old. You want your image to represent a true image of you and not be a blast from the past. Don’t be embarrassed if you’ve put on a bit of weight or if your hairline isn’t as full as you’d like. There will be people who find you attractive regardless of your perceived defects. Please do not use images that are heavily doctored or altered or are generally misleading. You want the person viewing your photo to know what you really look like. If things go well, you’ll want to bring your online experience to the real world. You want the person to actually recognize you when they see you in person and not feel cheated or cheated.
I recommend that you include at least three photos of yourself. A dating site found that a profile with a picture received 5 times more responses than profiles without a picture. Posting 3 photos generated 7x more views, and 5 photos generated up to 9x more responses than profiles without a photo. Be sure to include a variety of different poses when you select your profile photo. Make your main photo a close-up, something that really highlights your face. For your additional photos, you must include at least one full body photo. A picture is worth a thousand words, so use the picture(s) on your profile to tell your story. If your favorite hobby is horseback riding, include a photo of yourself riding. If you love being outdoors, take a photo surrounded by the beauty of nature.
The photo(s) you select must be individual photos of you and not group photos. The person viewing your profile shouldn’t have to guess who you are in the photo. Do not include photos of your nieces, nephews, best friends, etc. You don’t want the person viewing your profile to be distracted by the other people in the photo or wonder if your ten nieces and nephews are all your children. (LOL). You also don’t want the person checking your profile to look at your hot friend instead of you. Don’t post a picture of you and your ex!!! If you decided to crop someone out of an image, make sure they are completely cropped out and no mysterious body part is left in the photo.
If you are having difficulty 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 they find the photos attractive. What your mom might think is your best photo might not be the best photo to attract the opposite sex. Get various opinions on which photos to use, and then select the photos that get the most votes. If you use a New Love online dating coach, her coach will help you select the best photos of her.
If you don’t have any recent flattering photos, invest in a professional photographer. Let your photographer know the purpose of the photos so they can help you achieve your goal. If you can’t afford a photographer, you can check out schools that offer photography classes and ask a student for help. Your prices will probably be significantly lower than a professional photographer. They may even be willing to take photos of you for free so they can gain experience and build their portfolio.
If you can’t find a photographer, ask a friend who has a good camera to photograph you. If possible, avoid taking your profile photo(s) yourself (no photo(s) of you in the bathroom mirror, please). Do not take the photo(s) from a camera phone, they usually do not have enough pixels to produce a clear image. No matter who takes your photo, avoid taking photos with messy backgrounds. Your messy room with clothes lying everywhere will not make a good backdrop! A messy background will not only take away from the quality of the image, but it will also let the world know that you are a messy person, which puts off many people. Review your images to make sure they are in focus and not too dark or blurry.
It is also important to know the maximum image size that the dating site of your choice will allow you to use. Your image(s) must fit within the site’s photo size specification or you will not be able to use them. If your images are too large, you may be able to resize them with an image-editing program and then upload them. Please 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 don’t need to post a picture of yourself in a bra and underwear. Guys, you don’t need to take your shirt off. Studies have found that photos depicting engaging in a hobby receive a better response than “sexy” photos. When you choose your photo, stay away from anything that might appear in Playgirl or Playboy. You don’t want to use photos that suggest you’re only interested in a one-night stand if you’re looking for love.
I saved the simplest and best advice for last: SMILE in your photos. Smiling is so important for several reasons: First, a smile makes you look more attractive. Second, 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 images that show your best smile. Remember that you are posing for a profile picture and not a mugshot. You don’t want to scare away your potential mates with a grimace, scowl, or scowl.