Writing Lessons & Advice: Writing a Dating Profile
- Katie Johns
- Apr 28
- 3 min read
My anniversary inspiration this year took me in a nostalgic direction!
My husband and I met through the Bumble dating app in the summer of 2020. He was passing through my area while on a truck-driving job so we ended up on each other’s feeds. We swiped right, made plans to meet up, and the rest is history of course!
One thing I remember about his profile is that his bio claimed something to the effect of his photos not doing justice to his blue eyes. They certainly didn’t; however, my husband admitted later that he used a profile generator on his account! I wasn’t mad or disappointed, though. Admittedly, my husband and I were nearly done with dating altogether before we matched and found such a good partnership that it held no make-or-break weight in the long run. But it did get me thinking about six of the best tips for (organically) writing a good, if not memorable, online dating profile:
Express what you’re looking for in a partner/relationship and what you have to offer. Think of these details as your main idea in an essay. They are your guideposts through your dating experience. Best-case scenario: one or multiple potential partners that match your qualities or mentality will connect with you!
Add some charm. Complete your profile with attractiveness in mind. Aim for friendly, funny, playful, and/or flirty tones. Focus on positive, or at least reasonable, aspects about yourself. Bonus points if you can present your bio in a creative way! I still remember one guy's bio incorporating positive review or endorsement-like quotes! (See photo below) I can't remember if we ever matched or connected, but his presentation was nonetheless clever!
Simplicity is fine too. Conversely, putting yourself out there is not easy for some. So even just a no-frills kind of bio is ok to do.
Keep the bio short. Building off the last point, at least provide some essential details about yourself, like your name, age, occupation, and positive or reasonable qualities. These are just to introduce yourself and possibly break some ice with potential matches. Life stories or deep thoughts have their place later in the connection. Plus, the profile’s word processor might have a word or character limit. At best, a few sentences is a good minimum and one or two short paragraphs a good max.
Need suggestions for interesting details or qualities to include? Some platforms may have fun prompts to help, like a “two truths and a lie” icebreaker I completed for my Bumble profile. If you aren’t offered prompts or would rather work from scratch, think about how you might describe yourself or how others might describe you. You might mention what you’re a fan of, what you like to do; what pets or animals you have/prefer; your ideal day or date; your dreams, goals, or talents--either normal or unusual ones. If inclined, you might mention your astrological sign, personality type, or enneagram number. Hot-button labels like political, religious, or sexual affiliations are best to limit or avoid in the bio unless they’re important to the relationship.
Be yourself. This should go without saying...an inauthentic presentation will likely make a worse impression than an honest one. There’s nothing wrong with framing your better qualities to start, but any embellishment shouldn’t stretch to the point of straying from the truth.
Some of the sources/further reading material have practical examples and suggestions for good profile entries. (A profile generator is included too.) The best ways to use them is as inspiration or framework for your own profile creation. A blind, uncustomized copy-and-paste won’t do you enough justice!
Proofread and edit before you publish. As one of the first things seen on dating platforms, your bio plays a big part in setting people’s initial impression of you. Keep your best foot forward by following the writing process for it: brainstorm, draft, proofread, then publish! Major spelling, language, or grammar errors are not impressive or attractive to anyone!
When it comes to getting the person or relationship you want, no amount of effort put into your dating profile is too small! Remember to approach your bio with a healthy and upbeat attitude, showcase your better qualities, and ensure that egregious writing errors are nonexistent before publishing! Hope this gives you some direction on creating or improving your dating profile if you have one!
Are you in the online dating/dating app scene? Or are you happily settled like me and my husband? Which did/do you use? Have any of these tips helped your profile? Do you have any of your own to share? Is there a topic you want me to cover in the future? Let me know by reaching out to me in the chat feature or socials!
Sources/further reading
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