A successful dating website profile has to be honest. And I’m not talking about brutally honest. But you’ve got to be able to give a positive, interesting and colourful sense of who you are.
Remember, there are thousands of people competing with you for the person you want hope to meet. You’ll need to stand out from the crowd. Your objective is not just to be added to someone’s favourites list – you want that person to write to you.
Before you write your advert, think about what’s important to you and who you’d like to meet. What makes you a special person, someone worth getting to know? What do you have to offer another person, and what are you looking for in a date or partner? 
If this seems like a challenge, ask a friend for input and ideas. Find someone you feel safe with and who sees you in a positive light. Put together a list of your best qualities. Are you creative, outgoing, adventurous, reflective or ambitious? Find three or four key strengths that you can develop and focus on in your profile.
Now you’ve got those key strengths, it’s time to begin writing. Don’t just say “I’m creative”. Give an example, such as: “I’ve always wanted to paint and took a watercolours class last year. I surprised myself with the results and am moving on to the next class this autumn”. Illustrate that you are creative and also a person who wants to develop him/herself and move forward in life.
Here’s another example. Suppose you want to say you’re ambitious. Explain how and why and what you’ve done so far. “I work for a bank and have moved from teller to assistant manager in under three years. Eventually I want to become a financial adviser and own my own business.”
A lot of people focus on work in their profiles. This is fine but remember that people are interested in a lot more than your work. Who are you and what are your interests, goals and dreams? You want to give a bit of insight into who you are, grab the reader’s attention, and make them feel like they’d really like to get to know you.
Soon I’ll write about how to put your complete profile together.
