Dating Profile Tips for Guys
Tips for Men
What should you not put in your dating profile?
Online dating sites have been connecting singles since 1994! But, you know how these things work. The only tools you have are words, photos, and maybe a boomerang or video to catch someone’s attention. The women I have surveyed who are dating men complain about low effort dating profiles all the time. If you’re not putting effort into writing statements within the prompts and using decent photos, you could be getting overlooked for that fact alone. If you’re interested in putting effort into getting to know someone new, start with showing that energy in your first impression.
Disclaimer: Obviously, you do you boo. But straight females who are swiping tell me they are automatically swiping left on these common dating profile pet peeves.
Today, Let’s talk photos.
11 Mistakes to Avoid in Dating Profile Photos
Profile photos in sunglasses and hats. The viewer will most likely connect with you through your eyes. Don’t miss out on this! Replace those hiking pics if you can’t see your peepers. I recommend your first photo be a clear headshot while making real eye contact with the camera lens. (Warning - Some apps like Tinder will choose your first photo for you based on engagement. Make sure you’d be happy with any photos you have posted being your intro photo.) She also needs to know if you’re confident enough to show your balding pattern. If you’ve got it, flaunt it. Women respond well to confidence without cockiness.
Dating profiles without smiling. Swipers want to see a genuine expressive smile. It can make the viewer’s brain feel things instantly. Daters also want to see your teeth. That gal checkin’ out your Hinge profile is wondering if you’re hiding something. Do you have nice teeth? Are you confident about your smile? Do you have a cute gap between your front two teeth? She needs to know bro.
The first photo is a group photo. Ah, the group photo guessing game. Man, we hate that. Men tell me this frustrates them as well, almost as much as those damn Snapchat filters do. So don’t be that guy! Crop if needed, or choose another photo. This is 2021, you have plenty of photos to choose from. If you don’t, ask a friend to dig through their archives from that wedding you went to last summer. Or ya’ know, hire Denver Online Dating to fix you up.
Photos are blurry and obviously old. She’s going to worry about getting cat-fished if your photos are obviously from a 2015 cell phone.
Photos are all selfies. I want to advise against most selfies in general. The lens on a cell phone is like a ‘fisheye lens’. That means whatever is in the center of the photo will be enlarged and emphasized while the other edges will be minimized. Your overall face shape is distorted and the photo is not an accurate representation of your looks. If you do take a photo of yourself with the selfie lens, prop the phone up on a timer and back away from the lens. Your features won’t be distorted and you will look like yourself. You’ll want to be more than an arm’s length away from the phone.
Middle fingers or other confusing hand gestures. This one is pretty self-explanatory, yeah? Let’s not start out by insulting the viewer. Unless you genuinely know sign language, throw out the hand sign thingys. See, I don’t even know what to call them! If I am missing something, please throw me a message. I must know.
Drinking in several of your photos. I get it. Your mates snap pictures of you while you are out sharing a few beverages. But consider what more than one of these photos communicates to the viewer. If you are shotgunning a beer in one photo and at a club in the next, that definitely says something whether you want it to or not. If you’re online looking for a drinking buddy, go for it. But if you’re looking for a serious partner, take a look at the story you’re telling with all of your photos combined.
Photos with women with who you seem to be intimate. I’d say this one is on a photo to photo basis. If you’re posting a photo of you being a dork with your sister, that’s a good idea. If you’re posting a beach pic with a couple of gals in bikinis, just say no. If it’s a photo of you at a wedding with the date you just happened to have with you that year, crop her out. Cropping is so easy, why be lazy?
(Pro TIP- Don’t put emoji stickers over women’s faces. It immediately tells the viewer that you devalue that human. Subconsciously, the swiper thinks to themselves, that’s probably an X-girlfriend in that photo, and they probably aren’t on good terms. Just crop her out if it’s really that great of a photo.)
Photos in full gear. Full gear means any sporting gear that hides your body shape and face. Are you hitting the pow with goggles and a helmet? Are you on your dirt bike and I cannot tell you apart from the next guy I’ll be swiping left on? Yes, please put a full-length body photo on your profile. But take every opportunity to show your face and eyes. She’s looking for clues, so do the vulnerable thing and give her as many clues and you can with your facial expressions and eye contact.
Mirror Gym selfies. You may consider showing your enthusiasm for fitness in some other form. Your potential match is likely already on guard for conceited behavior. If you post a gym selfie while flexing in the mirror, you’re just another one of those guys. She may not even bother reading your prompts. Have a buddy snap a photo of you jogging or being active. Or, just email me or whatever.
Inanimate objects or pets. If you’re not in the photo, do not bother adding it to the gallery. Your potential match doesn’t need to know what your car looks like, what your pet looks like when you snap a photo of them, or what your favorite meme says. If you have an inanimate object that you are very proud of, and you think your future partner will not be satisfied unless they see it, find a way to include yourself in the photo. When in doubt, look happy while you’re engaging with the pet or object.
Alright, well that was a lot. Those were just the dating profile pet peeves. We’ll have to save the dating profile description mistakes for another day!
Still Confused? Want me to look over your dating profile?
Throw me a line. I’d love to help you improve your matches!
Dating Profile Photography in Colorado
