By Jade Seashell (contributor), author of ‘A Seductress’ Confession: How to leverage beauty and savor tantalizing pleasure’
Online dating was a taboo topic ten years ago because if someone was using an online dating site at that time, they would feel embarrassed when others knew it. However, in today’s day and age, online dating is the main way for singles to meet each other, if not the only way. Now I’d like to share some useful dating profile picture tips with you so that your online dating profile will stand out from the crowd quickly.
- Your dating profile picture should be taken outdoors rather than indoors. A psychological study suggests that if a dating profile photo shows a man standing in the sunshine outside, women are more likely to trust him; in contrast, if a dating profile picture shows a man sitting in a darker room, he looks less trustworthy. Indeed, women often associate a man sitting in a darker room with someone dangerous, and you don’t want to be perceived in that way.
- Your profile picture shouldn’t suggest sex. A very common mistake on many online dating sites is: many men are either half naked or suggest sex in their profile pictures. Although we all know every healthy relationship includes hot sex, you simply shouldn’t display sex like that as your profile picture. That’s because women need lots of warming-up before having sex with you. Women love foreplay, and foreplay actually starts from the very first interaction with you. If you consider having sex with a woman is the climax of a movie, then you must understand that women want to see the whole movie, not just the climax at the end. Yes, women love the long story, the complicated plot and the exciting experience in the movie. If you show women the climax of the movie without showing them the other parts, they are simply not interested.
- Your profile picture must be the best picture in your photo album. Many men are so shy that they put their best picture in the photo album of their online dating profiles instead of using the best picture as their profile picture. Some men even use online dating sites without a profile picture because they don’t want anyone they know to see them on these dating sites! That’s understandable, but let’s be honest – if someone you know sees your profile picture on the dating site, that only means that person is also on the dating website, right? Why would you sacrifice your own happiness and opportunities because of what others think? My suggestion is: Always use the best photo as your profile picture, so that more women will actually pay attention to your profile.
- If you don’t have any good photos, ask someone to take new photos for you. Some men never enjoy being in front of a camera and have no good photos at all. That’s okay. But if you want to use online dating sites effectively, you must have some really excellent photos, because nobody will want your goods if they know nothing about them. Hence you need to give women a sample by showing them how you look, your lifestyle, etc. And your dating profile picture is an effective sample because profile pictures are the very first thing that women look at when using online dating sites. Therefore, it’s okay to ask someone to take a few good photos for you. If you can afford a professional photographer, that’s even better. Anyway, your relationship/future marriage is the most important thing in your life, so it’s wise to invest in that.
I’d like to share some useful dating profile picture tips with you so that your online dating profile will stand out from the crowd quickly.
- Never include someone else in your profile picture. Some men even have other people in their profile pictures, e.g. a photo with his friends/kids/co-workers/boss, etc. That’s not a good idea, because it’s too confusing. Women wouldn’t know who is you in the photo. If you display a photo of you and your friend (and your friend looks hotter than you), women would be disappointed when they know they are not chatting with your hot friend.
- Never show any negativity in your dating profile picture. If you look depressed, angry, sad, anxious or upset in your profile photo, that’s an immediate turn-off. Period. Remember: a negative attitude only attracts negative women.
- If you are not sure which photo should be your dating profile photo, do a test. Maybe you have two good photos, and you are not sure which one should be your profile picture. Now you can do a test easily. For instance, in the first week, you use Picture One as your profile photo, and see how it helps you with your online dating; in the second week, you use Picture Two as your profile picture, and see its performance. You’ll quickly know which profile picture attracts more clicks because most dating sites tell you how many women have viewed your profile.
- Upload a variety of photos. All dating websites allow you to upload more than one photo, i.e. a photo album in your dating profile. Your profile picture is only the first impression which attracts women to actually read your profile, then women will look at your other photos. Ideally, all your photos should display your lifestyle and personality. For example, if you love traveling, you can upload photos of you in different countries. This tells women that you live an amazing life.
- Don’t show off your money in your profile picture. If you are a successful man and want to leverage your status to impress women, that’s fine. But don’t show off your fancy car in your profile photo deliberately. There are many high-value ways to demonstrate your high status, e.g. you can wear an expensive suit in your photo – that indicates you are a successful businessman.
