Writing a Profile

Writing a Profile for a Dating Site

What do I know about writing a profile? Well, I run Lovesail.com, a global online dating site for boating enthusiasts. If your passion is sailing and you’re looking for a sailing soul mate, then Lovesail can help.

Running a dating site is hard work but fun and enjoyable. One of the many tasks I undertake is approving new profiles. As part of the Lovesail screening process, when new members join and write their profile, it needs to be checked and approved, or not, as the case may be!

As you can imagine, I have read a great many profiles over the years, both good and bad. Here are my five top tips for writing a strong dating profile:

1. Honesty

This really is the best policy! For whatever reason, some people feel the need to embellish, exaggerate, or just plain lie when writing a profile.

Who will ever know? Well, think ahead a little. If you do meet your soul mate, at some point you’re going to have to come clean and admit that you can’t dance/sail/cook. This isn’t a good start for any relationship.

If you lie about things from the start, how is your future partner ever going to trust you? Be honest, and that includes your age!

2. Positivity

No one likes a grump. When writing a profile, try to be as positive as possible. Modern-day life has many challenges, leaving people very busy. One consequence of this is that we assess situations, and people, quickly to save time.

So, faced with choosing between someone who loves/enjoys/has a passion for something, and someone who hates/gets irritated by/can’t stand certain things, I know which one I’d choose!

A positive tone makes you more approachable.

3. Short and Sweet

When writing a profile, try to keep it short and sweet. You don’t need to run through your entire life story. Save that for your date, it will give you something to talk about.

Just write a little about:

Why you’re on the site
What you’re looking for
Your hobbies and interests

On Lovesail, members indicate whether they’re looking for dating, friendship, or crew, and share what type of connection they want. They may outline their sailing experience, places they’ve sailed, and other interests.

The great thing about a niche site like Lovesail is that you already share a common passion.

4. Spell Check

When you’ve finished writing your profile, please proofread it and check for spelling mistakes. Most software will flag spelling and grammatical errors, so do take a moment to fix them.

If you can’t be bothered to spend a few minutes checking your profile, then what other things might you be lazy about?!

5. Photos

I know this article is about writing a profile, but photos go hand in hand with the text. Whether we like it or not, profile photos matter. You are far more likely to be viewed if you have a photo on your profile.

When choosing a picture:

Make sure it is clear and correctly oriented.
Avoid photos where you are tiny in the distance or lost in a group.
And remember to smile!

Put some thought into it. Consider the lighting and background. The best photos for Lovesail are of you out sailing.

If confidence deserts you, then at least choose one from your holiday collection, or even your boat. And finally, make sure it’s a recent photo, not something from 10 years ago. Nothing annoys members more than meeting a date who looks nothing like their profile picture.

Final Thoughts

I hope this has helped and given you some useful pointers for writing a dating profile. And one last thing: be proactive. Don’t sit back and wait for people to contact you.

Carpe diem.

If you would like more tips on how to improve your profile see our article Profile Picture Advice.

Lovesail.com is a global online dating and social networking site for boating enthusiasts. Join our friendly sailing community today.