The Juice & the Squeeze

We know the process of creating dating profile, or entering the world of online dating, can be really overwhelming. Whether you’re about to download, or have already onboarded to FFWD, here are our tips for creating the best profile, by you, for you. 

1. Be truthful in onboarding.

This might be obvious, but it’s not entirely uncommon to fudge things like age and height when onboarding. While some of these things can later be adjusted, age is usually really hard to go back and fix on a dating app (it usually requires a bureaucratic process, completely recreating your account, and, in some cases, can get you banned). At FFWD, we’ve automatically built into our profile onboarding requirements that protect against misrepresentation (filters, uploading doctored content), but this isn’t the way to go, no matter what platform you’re using. Whether you’re a young 40 misrepresenting a 35 year old, or a 5’9” guy misrepresenting as 6’, there’s nothing worse than starting off a connection on a trail of white lies. If you’re going on dates with the right kinds of people for you, you’ll find that lying about these things proves useless – they’ll like you regardless.

2. Focus on giving potential matches the right insight into who you are

At FFWD, we refuse to believe that people are one, or two, dimensional. No matter what kind of dating app you’re onboarding to, though, it’s important to craft your profile in a way that actually represents you. How would your friends describe you? Your family? Your profile should show a tasteful amount of that. Anyone who’s defining trait is that they’re hot, is boring. While profiles that center entirely on having hot photos might get lots of swipe rights from bots, they’re terrible fodder for genuine connection. We use video to address this issue, but it’s important to use video as a tool to let your true self shine.

3. Is there anything that’s important to you? Let ‘em know.

Most dating apps (ours included) offer prompts and bios to let people express interests, passions, hobbies. Within a scroll of your profile, I should have a rough sense of what you’re about. What do you do for fun (other than eat or drink)? Or, if ALL you do is eat and drink, what’s the best thing you ate recently? Do you cook? Etc. I should be able to ask you, or joke with you, about something other than: work, your pet, or your Sunday morning hangover. When onboarding to FFWD you can video to talk about the things you care about, and start conversations that will actually excite you, as opposed to just small talk.

4. Nostalgia, and quirks, are great fodder for dating profiles

What’s one thing about your childhood or adolescence that you’ve held onto, or look back at and think “what the actual f***?” Let me start with mine. I was o b s e s s e d with Britney Spears as a pre-schooler. Loved a good crop top and lowcut jeans. She was my idol. Now you know something about me that’s a little embarrassing, a little funny, but doesn’t give you a chance to play on my present insecurities. Online dating is weird. It’s funny. It’s fun, and nostalgia and quirks are a great way to let your true colors peak out, without revealing too much. 

5. Don’t reveal too much

I don’t want to be reading novellas about your life story. If you’ve lived in 15 different countries, I shouldn’t be forced to memorize them throughout the course of your profile. I don’t need to know about your daddy issues, or other general traumas. Leave some discussion for the date itself. If your profile starts reading like a long form article, or a movie that requires an intermission, it’s time for a re-write. Think of your profile as a trailer for you – you can’t give the whole plot up if you want people to watch the movie. 

6. Avoid cliches

You may really love the office. You really might. I’m thrilled for you. So does every other man on every other dating app. While videos profiles on FFWD are designed to eliminate these repeat responses, be conscious of them. Anything about pineapple on pizza, spicy margs, or espresso martinis is also out. Highly replicable answers, while sometimes funny, are an instant “no” because they don’t set you apart from the crowd. If your profile reads like “Hot take… but I like X thing (that literally EVERYONE likes) or I hate X thing (that literally EVERYONE hates), back to the drawing board. A good litmus test is that if you can think of 5-10 people in your immediate circle that are liable to include the exact same prompt, it needs to go. 

7. Phone a friend.

Creating an online dating profile can be a really fun exercise, albeit overwhelming, in better understanding what sets you apart from the crowd. If you’re overwhelmed, sometimes the best thing you can do is go thru the process with someone who knows you well (and sees how wonderful you are!) Feedback from good friends on your dating profile is a surefire way to ensure that it’s accurate and representative of the real you. 

Online dating gets a bad rap for being a drag, but a lot of that sentiment really comes from the experience of swimming thru bad profiles, and bad dates. At FFWD, we believe that great profiles lead to better dates, and better dating experiences. Whether you’re a seasoned dater, or this is your first pass at dating online, dating success starts in large part with you, your intentions and expectations, and creating a profile that sets you up for better connections. Don’t hesitate to reach out to our team at info@ffwd-dating.com and we can put you in touch with our FFWD network of dating coaches who can help you create a stronger profile, and date better.