Teach a man to fish

“Give a man a fish; you have fed him for today.  Teach a man to fish; and you have fed him for a lifetime” – Author unknown

Below
are The Top Ten Ways to improve your online dating profile. If you read
this and feel moved to make some changes to your profile, hurry up and
do it while you’re still inspired. It’s not rocket science, but it’s
trickier than you might think…

1. You’re writing for an audience.
   Don’t forget it. – Ever hear of T.M.I.? Too Much Information? Just
   because you think of something doesn’t mean you should say it here. Want
   to date a hottie and nothing but a hottie? Don’t say it, just do it.
   Leading with your superficial side has never helped anyone.

2. Adjectives mean nothing.
   Anyone can write a similar list: nice, smart, kind, warm, funny,
   honest, successful, ambitious, family-oriented. If I can write that, and
   you can write that, and your mom can write that, how are we any
   different? Turn those adjectives into anecdotes and your profile may
   actually sound different than every other well-intentioned adjective
   writer out there.

3. Activities mean nothing, too. You
   might think you’re writing something specific when you list your
   interests: “hiking, biking, movies, music, travel,” but really – don’t
   most people dig this stuff, too? If you’re going to mention something,
   make it as specific as possible. Where do you hike? What’s your favorite
   movie? What’s the city you’re just dying to visit one day?

4. Ask yourself: “Can anybody else say the same exact thing?”
   You want a person who is honest? You like to laugh? You’re done playing
   games? Join the crowd. Better yet, come up with a more creative way to
   express these same sentiments.

5. Leave the clichés to everyone else.
   Listen, I think it’s cool that you “work hard and play hard”, are
   “equally comfortable in a little black dress and a pair of jeans”, and
   “are looking for your best friend and partner in crime”, but so is the
   next person on my search list. And the next person. And the next…

6. Watch the bragging. You
   can talk about yourself at great length without sounding like you’re
   showing off, but it’s a fine line. Avoid subjective evaluations such as
   “I’m very attractive/intelligent/funny” and focus on illustrating the
   same points. Your picture will let me know that you’re attractive. Your
   grammar and diction will indicate that you’re intelligent. Your humor
   will come across in your essays. Show us, don’t tell us.

7. Nobody responds to negativity.
   If you’re depressed, fed-up, lonely, frustrated, or just out of a
   relationship, you may want to wait until you’re in a better place before
   you date online. If you can stay upbeat and have fun writing your
   profile, people are likely to have fun reading it.

8. Don’t define yourself by what you don’t want. So
   you’ve dated enough people to determine that you don’t want someone
   who’s a liar, who is grossly overweight, or who is chronically
   unemployed. Congratulations. Turn those negatives into positives or just
   leave ‘em out. People shouldn’t feel personally indicted by your
   essays.

9. One word: spell-check.
   Write your profile on a Word document, spell-check it, then cut and
   paste it onto the site. Note: a lot is two words, definitely doesn’t
   have an “a”, and you’re is a contraction meaning “you are”.

10. For the love of God, tell the truth.
    If you don’t, you’re destroying any future trust you may have tried to
    build up, and you’re giving all the honest online daters a bad name.

For
help on your profile, photos, and everything else that affects your
online dating experience, call 1-866-432-9726 and let me know you’re a friend of Divorce Magazine. For more information about my services, please go to www.evanmarckatz.com.