You can use it as a great opportunity to showcase your personality and to tell people about your interests. Avoid adding vague, one-word answers in your prompts because that doesn't say much about who you are. Dating apps like Bumble have an option where you choose to match with people who are looking for a relationship, or those looking for friendship. However, some apps don't have that option.

Ideally, you would say whether you're looking for a romantic relationship, a friendship, or any other relationship. This will prevent you from wasting your time or anyone else's time. Your photos are the only feature on your dating profile that shows people what you look like.

Your first picture is the one that is likely to get you the most attention. So, it should have good lighting and include a clear view of your face. You should also ensure your first picture, and a majority of your other pictures, are pictures of you alone, simply to avoid confusion about who owns your profile.

You can include a group photo as one of your additional photos to show people that you have a social life. In addition, you need a picture of your full body, one where you're doing an activity or a hobby, or one taken while out on a trip. Verifying your account can help you get more matches on Bumble or other apps that have a verification feature.

Given how easy it's become to find people online with a few keystrokes, decide how much you're willing to share before even creating your profile. Protecting your privacy while online dating is crucial. Don't upload images that show easily trackable information, like a landmark seen from your balcony indicating where you live; or a photo of you with a name tag showing your place of employment.

Unfortunately, there are a lot of creeps online, so be wary of what you share. Not to mention the dating app scammers just looking for the right opportunity to strike and swindle you.

Don't be afraid of talking to multiple people on multiple apps simultaneously. Matching with someone on a dating app is not the same as being in a committed relationship with them. You're free to talk to multiple people at the same time. Maintaining several conversations at once means if one match turns out to be a flop, you haven't wasted days, weeks, or months only giving them your attention.

It's a great way to weed your matches. If you're on a dating app, you're bound to face rejection, so learn to accept it and move on with no fuss. You're not going to fit everyone's preferences, so there will be days when you won't have new matches. Some conversations may reach a point where they stall, and it's not uncommon to get ghosted by your matches out of the blue.

Rejection is part of offline and online dating, so the sooner you accept it as a normal and expected part of your app experience, the better. A simple search online will uncover countless dating experts that offer up tons of rules about online dating.

There's advice on everything, starting from creating the right profile and using the right images to the best opening lines for starting a conversation, and so on.

You don't need 'expert' advice, though, because here's the thing: although many of these supposed experts make some good points, you don't have to take their words as law. For example, many experts admonish people who share funny images intended to make you laugh on their dating app profiles, claiming it shows you don't have serious intentions. But if you're a funny person who likes to joke around and make people laugh, those images will attract a person with the same sense of humor who likes to laugh.

And, isn't that the point? To show your true self and find someone who finds that attractive? Online dating is a constant back and forth with people exchanging information about themselves, what they're looking for in a partner, their hopes for the future, etc. And since the conversation happens through a screen, many people lose their inhibitions and sometimes ask inappropriate questions or become too pushy.

Always remember that you don't have to share information if you're not comfortable doing so. You also don't owe your matches a meet-up, a call or anything else unless it feels right to you.

Don't let anyone push you where you're not ready to go and do things at your own pace. As with offline dating, online dating takes time.

You're bound to meet some people that will make you regret every decision you've made until this point and have you doubt you'll ever meet someone you like. But that's just one part of the dating app experience. Many users agree that online dating sucks for all parties involved. You have to accept that you're likely to meet dozens of unpleasant characters until you find some nice ones. And, even then, you might only have a friendly relationship that doesn't progress further.

So be patient and give it time. Then, who knows, your next match might prove the best one. Online dating is an easy and convenient way to meet new people and develop new relationships, be they friendly or romantic.

But with the rise in popularity of dating through apps, there are countless scammers looking to make a buck off your naivety; people who refuse to accept no means no and keep bugging you; and people who don't know what they want and keep wasting your time.

But when you're looking for a partner and venturing out into the online dating scene , it can be tricky to draft a profile that distills your essence down to a few carefully chosen pictures and adjectives that will hopefully attract like minds. Alyssa Dineen launched Style My Profile , a consulting business that combines her decades of experience as a fashion stylist with her skills as an online dating guru, after her own divorce led to meeting her current partner online.

So, we end up with a kind of glossy and often cliché caricatured version. And because we are worried about being too vulnerable, we often round off the edges so much that what is left feels indistinct from every other profile out there.

Alyssa Dineen. We asked both experts to share their tips. A simple headshot no sunglasses is the place to start — it gives prospective playmates the chance to connect with your face — but both experts say it takes more than just one photo to capture your true essence.

And make sure you have at least one photo where you can see head-to-toe. Hussey discourages using a group shot as your main profile photo — it can be a challenge for people to figure out who you are, and reiterates the importance of a smile.

Before writing your bio, Dineen recommends jotting down every kind of adjective or description of yourself that you can think of. Their bio comes off as sounding negative, so having as much of a positive attitude as you can help. Hussey adds that negative generalizations and self-depreciating turns of phrase can also inspire people to swipe on by.

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For an optimal experience visit our site on another browser. SKIP TO CONTENT. News NBC News NOW Nightly News Meet the Press Dateline MSNBC TODAY Search. Better Logo. Share this —. NBC News Logo.

Follow better. More from NBC News Think. About Contact Help Careers Ad Choices Privacy Policy Do Not Sell My Personal Information CA Notice Terms of Service NBC News Sitemap Advertise Select Shopping Select Personal Finance © NBCNEWS. Search Search. Facebook Twitter Email SMS Print Whatsapp Reddit Pocket Flipboard Pinterest Linkedin. Social Cues How to be better at online dating, according to psychology. Go beyond the headshot A simple headshot no sunglasses is the place to start — it gives prospective playmates the chance to connect with your face — but both experts say it takes more than just one photo to capture your true essence.

I figured out the secret to dating in a digital world April 30, Related A BETTER Way. A BETTER Way Forget swiping right. How to keep the fizz from fizzling out in your relationship May 21,

And, what if your respective match proposes a hike for a meet-up activity, noting that it's something you both have in common? Best Meditation Apps of Wouldn't it be nice to finally stop swiping and start dating higher quality matches so you can meet someone special? Of course, dating apps generally have boxes you can tick or fill in to specify what you're looking for in a partner. But for the time being, here are 4 key tips to make your online dating profile more attractive:. Sherri Gordon is a published author and a bullying prevention expert.

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