SEX TIPS

7 Tips to Create a Fun and Sexy Online Dating Profile

Ask a couple-whether they've just started dating or are about to tie the knot-how they met and it's likely that instead of getting a "meet cute" story of chance or fate, you'll hear about apps, algorithms, and the best dating profile ever.

Love at first site is no longer just about walking into a party with a great outfit and a confident stride, it's about making a great digital first impression, too. Online dating is both a science and an art, and your profile is one the most important parts. So, we've put together some tips for a good dating profile.

1. Select Quality Photos for Your Dating Profile

We know there's more to a good match than good looks, but even when we meet IRL, the first thing we notice about a potential paramour is usually their appearance. Picking the right pictures for your flirty and fun dating profile is important.

Tips for Picking a Good Photo:

Go solo. Group pics are fun for photo albums and Instagram, but potential dates want to see you. Choose photos where you are by yourself.

Face front. Avoid artsy shots where you're just out of frame or focus and anything taken from too far away. Include a direct image of your face.

Limit selfies. At this point, we all know how to angle our faces and our arms to get a decent shot of ourselves, but selfies are rarely the most interesting pictures and too many selfies might send the wrong message.

Grab attention. Choose shots with vibrant colors and beautiful scenery to catch someone's eye as they scroll by. Think beaches, trees, and city skylines.

Say more. They say a picture is worth 1,000 words for a reason. In addition to ones that highlight your face, find a few pics of you doing something you love whether that's surfing, gardening, dancing, or snuggling your rescue mutt.

Skip filters. We want flattering photos for sure, but the pictures you post online should look like the you who shows up on the first date. Avoid filters, heavy touch ups, or anything that can be considered outdated.

2. Be Yourself and Be Honest

When thinking about how to write a dating profile, start with honesty. It's like a resume-you want to put your best self forward, but you have to be authentic and truthful. If you're spreadsheet-phobic you wouldn't bill yourself as an Excel wiz.

Same thing applies here. If you eat mac and cheese for dinner most nights, don't pretend to be a foodie. If you tolerate animals but don't love them, don't post a picture of you with your best friend's bulldog (no matter how cute that smushed face is). Don't choose a favorite book that you've never read or a movie you slept through just because you think it's what someone might want to hear.

We can all imagine the scenario where you get caught in a lie. Plus, the whole point of making the best dating profile for you is to find the best date for you. You don't want to end up with someone who loves cats and camping if you're a dog and day spa kind of a person.

3. Share Interesting Information

The pressure to be interesting and witty and smart can be overwhelming but writing a great dating profile is not as hard as you fear. (You are interesting and witty and smart, we promise.) Go online and read some dating profile examples. There's no need to plagiarize but feel free to riff on ideas you find.

Here are Some Tips on How to Write a Dating Profile.

Be brief. This does not have to be a memoir, you're just trying to pique someone's interest. They can learn about how you played a tree in the third grade play when they meet you in person.

Be unique. Everyone likes walks on the beach, puppies, and a nice glass of wine. Okay, maybe not everyone, but nothing about that list is going to set your profile apart from the next one. Focus on the weirder and quirkier things about you-your excellent Scrabble playing, quest to find the best hot sauce, or love of 60s Godzilla movies.

Be specific. There's an old author's adage that says show don't tell. Instead of saying you like travel, describe the favorite place you've ever been whether that was ziplining in Costa Rica, line dancing in Austin, or hitting the red light district in Amsterdam. This tells the reader so much more about you.

Be positive. We all have things we like and things that irritate us to no end and once you get together you can talk about both. For now, keeping things a little sunshiny and highlighting what you love is the better bet.

Be funny. Humor goes a long way but try too hard to be funny and you'll land flat on your face (ask any standup comic). Being lighthearted and willing to poke a little fun at yourself can go a long way: "I love dancing, but I admit that sometimes I get my right and my left mixed up. Consider your toes warned."

Be fearless. You won't appeal to everyone but that's not the goal. Sure, some people will swipe away as soon as they know you're a bird watcher, but you don't need those people. You're looking for the fellow warbler-lover or someone who can't tell a pigeon from a finch but wants to learn.

Be complete. Complete all fields in the dating app template. Each app will ask slightly different questions or give you slightly different prompts. Whichever app you choose, fill in all fields. This helps maximize the app's algorithm and shows potential dates that you're committed to finding someone.

Be confident. You're not begging for anyone to swipe left or send you a DM. You know the right one will come along. There's no need to end with a request for people to get in touch, that's the whole point of this game and it will happen.

4. Be Upfront About Your Relationship Intentions

We're back to the importance of honesty and authenticity here. There are many different types of relationships, from the casual hookup to the married couple with a mortgage. You don't have to know exactly which of these you want now or might want in the future as you sit down to type your dating profile, but be as truthful as you can and never misrepresent your intentions.

Articulate the Type of Relationship You are Looking for by Using Phrases Like:

I'm keeping things really casual right now.

I'm looking for someone I could really spend time with long-term.

I'm really sick of casual dating and would like to find something more serious.

I'm busy these days with school and work but I'd love to find someone to have fun with on the weekends.

There are no rules for what type of relationship you should want, and we guarantee you there's someone out there who wants the exact same thing. Honesty is the trick to finding them.

6. Have a Friend Review Your Online Dating Profile

Remember in English class when your teacher told you writing was really all about revising and editing? She was right. Reread what you wrote a few times (reading it out loud will help you catch errors or phrases that don't sound right), and then have a friend you trust read it as well.

Specifically Ask Your Friend to Review Your Profile for the Following:

The pictures. We are not always the best judge of our own photos. You may love a particular shot because it reminds you of your favorite vacation, but a friend's critical eye could point out that the lighting is terrible and your smile looks a little like a clown (the scary kind).

The content. Self-promotion can be hard. Knowing which details to highlight and which to let speak for themselves later is tricky. And, striking a balance between "Look at me, I'm awesome" and "Wow, I sound like a conceited jerk" can be as well. Let your friend's slightly more objective eye see if you hit the right notes.

The jokes. The writers' room at SNL has a team of people working on jokes for a reason-we're funnier in teams. If you aimed for a funny dating profile, have your friend read through it and see if they laugh at the right places. If not, get their help punching up the humor.

The spelling. Yes, we live in a texting world where abbreviations are everything and punctuation looks ridiculous, but in this case wrong words and typos can make it look like you didn't put in the effort and aren't really interested in making this work.

7. Publish Your Dating Profile and Get Ready to Swipe!

We gave you a lot to think about but try not to overthink it. If you like what you've written and your friend gives you the thumbs up, press the publish button and see what happens. Try to get excited about the people you might meet and the fun you might have. Sure, there may be a couple of bad dates in there, but those will make for good stories when you do find someone you click with.

Being Prepared for Dates

Once you have matched with someone and are ready to start dating in person, we're here for you! Our guide to talking to your partner about sex can help you start those sometimes-awkward conversations about if, when, and where you will have sex for the first time. Once you have decided to have sex, be sure to take the condom finder quiz and review how to put on a condom so you're ready for your big night.