Fear not, there is a surprising amount of research into the effectiveness of different dating profiles – a recent review identified over 80 relevant studies!
It turns out that even your username can make a difference: heterosexual men are attracted to women with names that imply attractiveness (such as ‘hottie87’), whereas heterosexual women tend to go for men with names that imply intelligence and class (like ‘educated-matt’).
In terms of your profile picture, you’ll be seen as more attractive if you have a genuine smile and are looking at the camera. If you include other pics, it helps to present yourself around other people who appear to be having a good time.
When it comes to your bio, the optimal ratio is apparently to devote 70 per cent of the description to yourself and 30 per cent to the kind of person you’re looking for. Also, rather than claiming that you have a good sense of humour and that you’re smart, it’s more effective to demonstrate your wit and intellect in what you write.
Generally speaking, people are drawn to similarity, so if you’re cunning you could first identify someone you’re interested in and then compose a profile that accentuates what you have in common – but beware, if you lie, this is likely to backfire further down the line!
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