Online Dating, Secrets To Really Sell Yourself in Your Profile,

There are thousands of people that are using online dating services, so how can you really make your profile be prominent from the others? You can set yourself apart by using basic marketing techniques. After all, you are selling yourself to probable mates so use a few tried and true marketing tricks to get noticed.
Your photo is the first thing that people will notice. It’s ok if you’re not a supermodel; you don’t have to be. But if your photo is professional quality it will really stand out. You should consider having some headshots taken by a professional photographer, or even a friend who has a nice camera and can take really great photos.

Think about your profile the way you’d think about a resume. Highlight the goals that you have for a relationship so that they really stand out and write about why you are perfect for someone who shares those goals.
For example, if your goal is to get married and start a family, highlight in your profile that you have been saving for a house and that you keep yourself in great physical condition. That will tell a potential partner that you are serious about accomplishing those goals.

Don’t dwell on the negative if you start ragging on previous people you have dated. Everyone has had bad relationships but you don’t need to dwell on them or bring them up in your profile. That will send a message to potential dates that you are a negative person and dwell on the past and that you don’t have a history of healthy relationships.

Select two or three of your healthiest relationships, or the two that ended the best. Talk about how much you learned in those relationships to highlight that you are a loving, caring person capable of having a stable relationship. Mention that they ended well and if you are still friends with the other person state that too. It says a lot about you as a person if you can deal with a breakup with grace.

Online Dating, DON’T GIVE OUT PERSONAL INFORMATION TOO FAST

DON’T GIVE OUT PERSONAL INFORMATION TOO FAST
I just want to go over this again as when you start emailing and chatting with someone on an online dating site, you might feel a sense of immediate connection to that person that makes you feel really comfortable sharing a lot of your feelings with that person. It’s good to share your feelings, but make sure that you don’t share too much of your personal information too soon.

When you want to start talking on the phone with this person, ask for their number and you call them first, or give them your work phone number. Don’t give out your address or even your last name until you have talked to this person on the phone and feel comfortable sharing more personal details.

Please Don’t be afraid to take it slow when it comes to communication. Wait until you feel comfortable to start talking on the phone or setting up a personal meeting with someone that you meet on an online dating site.

We all know it pays to be cautious and protect your personal information, don’t let that deter you from trying online dating. Online dating is perfectly safe when you take normal precautions to make sure that your personal information doesn’t fall into the wrong hands. And if you don't try you'll never know who out there,

Online Dating, PROTECTING YOUR PERSONAL INFORMATION & BE SELECTIVE ABOUT YOUR PHOTOS

PROTECTING YOUR PERSONAL INFORMATION & BE SELECTIVE ABOUT YOUR PHOTOS
Discover how you can protect your personal information when you’re using an online dating site? There are some easy ways to protect yourself that don’t take a lot of effort. Just to be sure that you haven’t posted any possibly identifyin information have someone you trust read over your profile before it goes live and other people can see it.
Lets look at some other easy ways to make sure that your personal information is protected when you’re posting an online dating profile.
ABOUT YOUR PHOTOS, BE SELECTIVE
When looking through photo albums and boxes of photos trying to decide what photos are appropriate and what photos make you look your best you should also pay attention to the backgrounds in the photos.
Do not post a photo online that shows you standing in front of your home where the address is visible. Don’t post photos that show any identifying features of the yard like a piece of yard furniture, a play house, a particular configuration of trees, or anything else that might make it easy to figure out which house is yours.
Don’t post a photo of you standing in the driveway next to your car where the license plate is visible. Look at the backgrounds of your photos and make sure that there are no identifying features in the backgrounds.
If you want to use a photo that does have some kind of identifying information in it, use a photo editing program to white out the identifying information. This is the best way to keep your photos from giving someone any information that might help them figure out where you live.
Never post photos of you with your young children. It’s natural to want to show off your children, but it’s never a good idea to post photos of young children on the Internet. Save the family pictures to show over dessert after you’ve gone out a few times.
You might also want to make sure that any photos you post don’t show off a tattoo, a scar, or a birth mark that might make it easy for someone you don’t know to identify you.
BE VERY CAREFUL WHAT YOU SAY
 Many online dating sites offer chat rooms to users or let users use a private instant messaging application to get to know others on the site. This can be a very useful, very fun way to get acquainted and to see if you want to take the next step with that person.
 However, sitting at home in front of the computer, it’s easy to feel a sense of intimacy with someone who is still a stranger. You don’t really know who is on the other side of that chat screen or who is lurking in the chat room so make sure that you don’t slip and give out personal information in a chat room or during an instant message session.
 Talk about your life but just don’t go into too much detail on anything personal. For example, you can talk about how much you like your job but don’t mention specifically about where you work or what sort of job you have. You can mention a favorite store where you like to shop but don’t say that you like it because it’s just a mile from your house.

Online Dating, When is PERSONAL TOO PERSONAL?

When we are talking about online dating, you need to walk a fine line deciding how to what extent are you going to give your personal information in your post. You want your profile to be honest and on the other hand this information is available to anyone searching for it so you need to be careful.
On one level you might feel totally safe posting your information when you’re sitting at home in your living room you should be very careful posting any information that might give someone enough to go on to identify you in real life.
You don’t wants to think that their online dating profile could be seen by someone who is a criminal or someone who has ulterior motives in looking for a partner but the fact is that there are all kinds of people who use online dating services for all kinds of reasons.
Apart from the risk of attracting stalkers, your online personal profile might attract thieves who are searching for victims to steal their identities. Identity theft is one of the most common crimes in the country today. You need to be vigilant about protecting your personal information so that you don’t end up a victim of identity theft.
Most Internet dating sites don’t screen their applicants very thoroughly so your information could be seen by the potential love of your life but also by someone who just wants to harm you.
You can be honest about your personality and give people who are browsing your profile a sense of who you are without revealing too much identifying information if you are careful. Express your thoughts and feelings but leave out the facts.
You should also be vigilant of profiles that give away too much information. Odds are those profiles are not going to be genuine because no one would post a profile that gave away their real name, city, phone number, or other identifying information. Usually, if someone posts personal information like that in their profile they have some other reason for it as well as meeting a prospective partner.

Decoding Online Dating Lingo

When you first starting out and going into chat rooms or using instant messaging you might be confused by the many abbreviations that are used in online chat. Chatters often use abbreviations because using abbreviations is faster than typing out a lot of words. There are many different abbreviations for common phrases but here are some of the most often used chat abbreviations that you will need to know:
• A/S/L – Age/Sex/Location
• ASAP - As Soon As Possible
• BBL - Be Back Later
• BRB - Be Right Back
• BTW - By the Way
• CYA - See ya
• FYI - For Your Information
• GMBO - Giggling My Butt Of
• GMTA - Great Minds Think Alike
• H&K - Hug and Kiss
• IC - I See
• KIT - Keep in Touch
• KOC/KOTC - Kiss on Cheek/Kiss on the Cheek
• L8R – Later
• LOL - Laughing Out Loud
• LTNS - Long Time No See
• OMG - Oh My God!
• PM - Private Message
• ROFL - Rolling On Floor Laug• ROFLMTO - Rolling On Floor Laughing My Tail Off
• SWAK - Sealed with a Kiss
• SYS - See You Soon
• TTFN - Ta Ta for Now
• TTYL – Talk to You Later
And yes ..........JMO/IMO - Just My Opinion/In my opinion
Those phrases will get you underway when you first embark on online chatting or instant messaging. You’ll get the hang of Netspeak pretty soon it just takes some practice to get really good at it.

ONLINE DATING CHAT AND INSTANT MESSAGING

Numerous online dating sites now offer chat applications on their sites so that users can chat with one another and get to know each other a little before taking the step of emailing or meeting each other. Talking in online in chat rooms or using instant messaging to talk one on one with a potential date can be intimidating if you don’t spend a lot of time in chat rooms.
And Chat rooms and instant messaging applications have their own jargon and conversations tend to move very fast. If you plan on spending some time in an online dating service chat room or using instant messaging to talk to someone, there are a few rules of etiquette that you should know.
 
Under no circumstances use ALL CAPITAL LETTERS, This is considerd shouting and it’s considerd to be rude.
By no means reveal personal information in chat – just like other areas of the net you should not reveal your real name or any other personal information in a chatroom or when you’re using instant messaging.
Be respectful – Whenever you are conversing with someone else online you should be respectful. Talking online is no different than talking to someone in real life. You would never walk up to someone on the street and demand that they justify their beliefs, or ridicule them for something they said, or make fun of them so you shouldn’t do it online either.
Don’t just jump in – When you first enter a chat room, don’t immediately announce your presence and divert the conversation. Wait a minute or two and read the conversation that is already going on. Join in if you want but don’t disrupt the whole room when you enter.
Watch your language – You never know if someone in the chat room or the person with whom you are instant messaging might be offended by coarse language so it’s best not to use it. Keep your tone warm but professional and don’t use any language that you wouldn’t shout out loud on the street.
 Nect post will have How to Decoding Online Dating Lingo.

Online Dating, WHY POSTING PHOTOS IS IMPORTANT

You want your online profile to get all the looks you can so have to post photos. Photos are critical to an online dating profile.
Not because people are superficial and will only date supermodels but because it’s important to have an notion of what someone looks like in order to know if you find them attractive.
It’s all well and good to say that someone should love you for who you are and not what you look like but is that really realistic?
Are you willing to date someone if you had no idea what they looked like or would you want to see a photo first to make sure that you found that person at least a little physically attractive?
We don’t want to be judged on their appearance but the fact is that we do use visual cues to try and tell what a person is like. That doesn’t mean that no one will want to go out with you if you don’t look like a supermodel.
Various people are attracted to different things in people. One person might find you attractive because of your eyes. Another might like your nose. You just never know.
Even if you have a great profile, it won’t get seen without photos. The photos that you use should be photos showing what you currently look like, or photos taken within a year. Don’t use your old high school yearbook photo and don’t use a photo from Halloween where you are in costume and no one can see what you really look like.
When it might feel like a risk to post a photo of yourself on your profile and you might worry about getting rejected, it’s the only way you’re going to find someone that will really love you just the way you are. And isn’t that the point?
To hit upon that person who will love you for precisely who you are, and we hope you will find that person, but you need to post photos in your online dating profile.

Online Dating, It’s important to be honest in your profile.

No matter what you write in your profile, the most important thing is that you are honest.  If you are trying online dating to find a partner that you want to have a serious relationship with, you need to start out on the right foot with that person. Being honest is starting out on the right foot.

If you are not honest about things in your life like your appearance, your job, your financial situation, the status of your divorce, or other things in your life, ultimately the truth will come out if you do start to develop a good relationship with someone.  It will be a lot harder to tell the truth after the relationship has started so avoid that dilemma altogether by being honest up front.

It’s always rough to put yourself out there and it can be tempting to exaggerate the truth a little bit to make yourself seem more attractive or more like someone you want to be rather than who you are. No one wants to be exposed when looking for a partner and telling the truth makes you vulnerable because if someone rejects you they are rejecting you for who you are and that can hurt.

But to be successful at dating you need to grow a thick skin and be ready to face a little rejection when necessary.  You want to find a life partner right? If you want to attract someone that you can spend the next thirty or so years with, you need to be honest about who you are, what you’re looking for, and what your goals are.

Now that doesn’t mean that you have to be so honest that you make yourself sound less attractive than you are.  Just because you’re not a supermodel doesn’t mean you aren’t beautiful. Just because you’re not a college professor doesn’t mean you’re stupid.  Don’t run yourself down.  Word your profile carefully so that everything comes across in a positive way.

The best way to tell if you have a good profile is to read it over objectively as if you were just another person on the site who found the profile.

Ask yourself if you would be interested in meeting that person. If the answer is yes then your profile is ready to go. If the answer is no, you have some more work to do! Edit and re-write your profile as much as you need to in order to make it the best it can be. Ask a collegue or friend to read it over and add their suggestions before you post it online.

Online dating - Creating a Great Online Profile

Once you have selected the online dating service that you want to use, it’s time to start creating your online profile.  Creating your profile is very important. While your photos might draw in prospective dates, it’s your profile that will make them want to know more, so your profile needs to capture your personality while putting your best foot forward and showing off your attributes.

Here are some tips for creating a winning personal profile for online dating.

Hold some things back – If the first thing a potential match sees in your profile is that you are in the middle of a nasty divorce or you just lost your job they will probably not stop to check you out. It’s good to be honest, but you need to keep some things that might not show you in a positive light under wraps at first.

You shouldn’t reveal too much personal information. Your online profile also should be clear about what you are looking for to prevent any confusion and to help narrow down your choices.  Writing an online personal profile for a dating site is a real art form.

Watch your tone – You should also always keep in mind the tone of your profile. Sometimes, dry humor or sarcasm doesn’t translate well to the Web.  When you think that you have written something that might come across more harsh or bitter than you meant it to be, make sure you have a friend or loved one read it over to see what the tone is before you post it.

Make your introductory line unique – Creating a unique opening line that shows off your personality can take some thought but it’s worth it.  Don’t use a traditional line that a million other people have used like “SWF seeking Husband” or “DWM seeking College Cutie.”  Put some effort into making your opening line fun and personal.

If you like gardening, then try something like, “Green thumb seeks matching gardening glove” or “Dog lover seeks partner for romps at the dog park.” To keep your opening line fresh, try changing it every few weeks.  This will also help you draw new potential dates.

Post current photos – Photo posting can get tricky.  You should post photos that show the real you, so they should be current. You should post two photos. One should be a close up of your face and one should be a larger, full body shot if possible.  Don’t feel intimidated if you don’t look like a super model. It’s important to be up front about your appearance.

When posting photos, you should also think about what the photos say about you.  If you’re looking for a long term relationship you should probably not post photos of yourself drunk in a bar with your friends.  If you’re looking for a serious relationship, avoid posting photos that are too provocative. Your photos are representing you, so choose carefully.  Your photos don’t have to be professionally done, but the photos should be clear and focused.  Your photos should show your personality so consider posting a photo of yourself doing something you enjoy.

No checklists – You might have an internal list of qualities that you want your potential mate to have, but don’t post that list in your profile.  If your profile contains a laundry list of qualities that you demand in a mate it will scare away a lot of potential dates. It makes you look shallow and calculating. Lose the lists. There will be plenty of time to consider how each date rates with the list once you’ve actually had a date. When you are describing your ideal date, don’t list more than three qualities that you want your potential mate to have.

This will help keep your expectations realistic and make you look more attractive.

Think small _ Even though you might have a lot to say, it’s important  to make sure that you write in small chunks.  Keep each paragraph to three or four sentences and use lots of small paragraphs instead of a long essay.

Remember, this isn’t a resume; it’s to show off who you are. Organize your thoughts.  Use short sentences and keep the information simple. You don’t need to go into great detail about your job, your education, or other accomplishments. Leave that information to discuss on your first date.

Instead, talk about things that will reveal some of your personality.  Talk about a book that you loved and why it touched you.  Or write about the first rock concert you attended and why it was memorable.

Make it funny – Having a sense of humor is a highly desirable quality. Most people look for partners who have a good sense of humor.  Keep the tone of your profile light and interject some humor here and there.  A good way to do that is to write about a situation where you looked foolish or were embarrassed and make fun of it to show that you have a sense of humor and can laugh at yourself.

Talk specifically about your hobbies – Making your interests seem too broad is a common mistake that people make when filling out online profiles.  Most people put too many general interests down as hobbies.

Do you really like to walk on the beach, go for long walks, and watch sunsets? Talk specifically about what you like to do instead of writing what you think sounds good.

If you like to ride horses, talk about how you got into riding horses and how often you ride, whether or not you have a horse, and facts like that. If you like to go to sporting games, say that you like football and your favourite team is and how many games you usually go to each season.

Sure that you write in small chunks.  Keep each paragraph to three or four sentences and use lots of small paragraphs instead of a long essay.

Remember, this isn’t a resume; it’s to show off who you are. Organize your thoughts.  Use short sentences and keep the information simple. You don’t need to go into great detail about your job, your education, or other accomplishments. Leave that information to discuss on your first date.

Instead, talk about things that will reveal some of your personality.  Talk about a book that you loved and why it touched you.  Or write about the first rock concert you attended and why it was memorable.

Make it funny – Having a sense of humor is a highly desirable quality. Most people look for partners who have a good sense of humor.  Keep the tone of your profile light and interject some humor here and there.  A good way to do that is to write about a situation where you looked foolish or were embarrassed and make fun of it to show that you have a sense of humor and can laugh at yourself.

Talk specifically about your hobbies – Making your interests seem too broad is a common mistake that people make when filling out online profiles.  Most people put too many general interests down as hobbies.

Do you really like to walk on the beach, go for long walks, and watch sunsets? Talk specifically about what you like to do instead of writing what you think sounds good.

If you like to ride horses, talk about how you got into riding horses and how often you ride, whether or not you have a horse, and facts like that.

Make a pitch – Remember that you’re selling yourself in this profile. Your profile is to tell people why they should get to know you. Don’t put anything negative about yourself in your profile.  You need to sell yourself as if you were selling a product.  In one of your last paragraphs, write three reasons that you are fabulously exciting and unique.  Tell the truth, but put the most positive spin that you can on the truth.

Be confident but don’t brag – Bragging is a big turn off.  Confidence is a big turn on.  Do you know the difference? Make sure that your profile shows you as being confident but not bragging.

Sometimes, it can be hard to know the difference.  If you’re not sure if your profile makes you sound boastful instead of confident, read it out loud.  Would you think that the person behind those words was bragging or just confident?  If the words sound like you’re bragging, you need to keep editing.

Editing your online personals profile is a process.  Be prepared to take some time and really put some thought into your profile.  The difference between finding the love of your life or not could come down to how well written your profile is.