Even a well-written dating profile will be ineffective if you don’t know how to choose the right photos. This article discusses 7 reasons why your profile picture might not work.
Your dating profile picture isn’t merely an image but a story about you. In addition to showing how you look, it expresses who you are. Meredith Davis of the dating app, The League says profile pics are “prime advertising space.” If you’re sending the wrong messages with your photos, or your dress sense, it doesn’t matter how glowingly you describe what you’re like and what’s important to you. Your profile is going to be dismissed faster than you can say, “swipe left.”
If you wonder why you haven’t been getting any dates, here are seven reasons why your profile picture isn’t working.
1. You’re Using Selfies Taken in a Bathroom
No matter how striking you look in your bathroom selfie, it’s still a bathroom. A toilet in the background is just plain disgusting. Even if the only visible things are tiles, it’s still a bathroom, and bathrooms aren’t exactly romantic.
2. You Only Post Head Shots
It’s okay to post one or two headshots, but if those are the only ones you display, it may look like you’re hiding something. When you finally meet in person, there shouldn’t be any surprises. This is a dating site, after all, and people want to know what your entire body looks like.
However, this doesn’t mean that men should post gym pics of themselves shirtless and sweat-slick, or women should pose in micro-bikinis. Suggestive shots are also dangerous because they can lure predators or people who are just interested in sex.
3. You Only Post Close-Ups
This is just plain creepy. If you’re not smiling, it’s even worse. You don’t want to be mistaken for a sociopath.
4. You Include Group Pictures
Group photos look fun and playful, but they’re not so fun if no one knows who’s who. You only have a few moments to capture someone’s attention, and it will be too time-consuming for them to puzzle out which one is you. They may also think that one of your friends is more attractive than you and want to meet THEM!
5. You Wear Sunglasses, a Hat or Both
Rock stars wear sunglasses and hats because they don’t want to be recognized. You do. There needs to be eye contact, even via a photo. Much of your personality is conveyed through your eyes, so ditch the sunglasses no matter how cool they are. Hats make you look closed-off too, so don’t wear one. The same goes for hoodies.
6. Your Pictures Have No Variety
Six photos of you shot from the same angle, at the same place, doing the same thing aren’t going to tell the world you’re steady and dependable. They’re only going to say that you’re boring and not date-able.
Throw in a candid photo and one of you on an exciting vacation. Maybe include one of you playing your favorite sport, another in a casual setting or another with your pet. Use your imagination and include pics that sparkle with your personality. These types of photos will let prospective dates know that you have many facets that could make you interesting to go out with.
7. Your Pictures are Dated
Back in the day, that mullet was way cool, and that sky-high teased hairdo looked amazing. Since then, however, you — and your hair — have definitely changed. You need to post pictures that are no more than two to three years old, to honestly show what you look like now. This will also prevent embarrassment if you have an actual date, and you look nothing like your picture.
Online dating is a great convenience, but if you post the wrong profile pictures, you may as well sit at the corner bar every Saturday awaiting that special someone. You only have several seconds to make a positive impression, but with the right photos, those seconds could turn into minutes. And those minutes could turn into a date.
