Writing a successful Online Dating Profile

To get the best out of an online dating site such as Mature Dating you need to have a profile which will do a good job of attracting the right kind of attention. Your profile is important, because it is what creates the first impression of you, and encourage other members to contact you. It is essentially your 'advert' to the rest of the mature-dating.com community. These tips will help you create a compelling profile which should put you in the best light possible and create lots of interest.

Use a photo

Members who post a photo with their profile are much more likely to be contacted than those who don't. It doesn't have to be a fantastic professional posed shot - in fact it may be better if its not, as it will appear more genuine. There are some things to consider however. It should be relatively recent - don't put a 10 year old photo up if you've changed a great deal. A common mistake is to post a photo with more than one person in and not say which one is you, which isn't very helpful.

Think about what you're looking for

Before you write your profile you should put some though into the kind of relationship you're looking for, and the kind of person you would like to attract. A profile geared towards finding a long term partner will read differently from one geared towards casual encounters or simply friendship. If you know what you're looking for it's best to say it in your profile, so that you get the right kind of attention. However don't be too specific – you don't want to put off people from contacting you because they don't feel they measure up.

Say the right things about yourself

Be positive about yourself, but avoid boasting or coming across like a second hand car salesman. Talk about the things you like, and avoid talking about the things you don't like unless they are really important to you, and would prevent you connecting with someone. Try to make yourself interesting, so that you stand out from the crowd. That doesn't mean you have to come across as wacky or crazy, but if you an make your profile engaging or witty, you're more likely to get a good response.

Be honest

Honesty is important, as you can't expect a relationship based on misleading someone to go anywhere, but that doesn't mean you have to highlight every flaw. There's no point saying you're interested in something if you're not, because anyone with a genuine interest is likely to pick up on it quickly, but it's OK to leave out things if they're not important.

Write for your audience

Use appropriate language in your description – if you're looking for mature professional people, then spelling and grammar may be important, and you'd want to avoid text-speak and the like.

Revise your online dating profile regularly

Your profile isn't set in stone – it's a good idea to review it every so often and make changes if you spot areas for improvement.