All About the World of Online Dating

Here are some of the many aspects of contemporary online dating.

The Do's and Don'ts of Online Dating

Dating etiquette has always been confusing — and now online dating has only made matters more complicated.

Do exchange photos. It's like ordering a flower arrangement over the phone — you want to know what it will look like.
Don't post a photo from your hot days in college. Choose a flattering picture, but don't advertise goods you can't deliver!
During the first date:
Do provide details about yourself. Share just enough information about yourself that your date will be itching to learn more.
Don't go overboard in revealing personal information about yourself. On the first meeting, no one needs to know the names of your childhood pets or that you take antidepressants.
Do stick to positive and relatable topics in your conversation. Discuss work, movies, etc.

Don't try something that you might not be able to pull off. If you attempt to fake a skill, you'll crash and burn.
Do show off a special talent. Great at bowling? Go for it — as long as you come off confident and fun.
If things don't work out and you want to end the relationship:
Don't pull a disappearing act. Guys, if you appear to have fallen off the face of the Earth, girls will picture you lying in a ditch somewhere, cell phone in hand, trying desperately to call. So it's best to come clean!
Do bow out gracefully. Avoid doing the slow fade.
Don't break up over e-mail — even if you met that way.
Do break up in person.

How to Write An Effective Profile

A-I-D-A stands for Attention-Interest-Desire-Action. It is a 4-Step plan for grabbing the Attention of a fickle prospect, sustaining their Interest with powerful benefits, instilling want or Desire for the advertised product and motivating Action to buy or possess their object of desire.

Most dating profiles stink because people try to do everything at once, and fail horribly in their attempt. But you don't have to, because you are armed with the most powerful weapon in a professional writer's arsenal: AIDA!

Now let's see how we can apply AIDA to writing your dating profile:

I. Grab Attention with the Opening Line
A full profile can take up an entire page, so most dating websites display just your opening line and photo on search results. Make sure your opening line makes them want to click! Refrain from cheesy, overused opening lines, such as "hello ladies!" or "girl next door" or "knock…knock…"

II. Sustain Interest with The Body Text
The body text is the long, descriptive part of your profile. Most people squander away this opportunity to talk at length about themselves. Some fill it with over-used adjectives, such as "I am ambitious, good-looking, athletic, successful, talented and romantic." (Are you yawning yet?) The trick to writing great, unique profiles is to fill them with detail. Detail is what makes your profile believable - and effective! Don't just say "I'm athletic" Talk about that memorable trek in the rain, across miles of slippery hills and dale. Don't just say "I'm persistent" Tell them how you finally mastered horseback riding after being bucked off thrice. A dash of humor won't hurt. "If you're tired of paying a spa $50 for a simple mud bath, try horseback riding." Don't say "I'm romantic" Talk about the beauty and magic of love, and how it affects you.
The body text is the part where you tell them: Who you are and What you want.

III. Incite Desire by making a 'real' connection
If you want to really connect with someone, don't appeal to their mind. Get in touch with their emotions. Add an element of fun. Flirt! If you're a man, say something flattering that a woman will enjoy. If you're a woman, find funny ways to point to the absence of a man in your life. Make them laugh with you or cry with you or feel deeply about what you say. That is the key to desire!

IV. Invite Action with a powerful close
It's not easy to approach a potential date, is it? You don't know what to say without sounding silly, you don't know if they'll say yes or quickly block your advances…
That's why it helps your readers to know how to respond to your profile.
Make them feel comfortable about approaching you, by thanking them for taking the time to get in touch. Invite them to chat or mail you. Entice them with your idea of a wonderful date…Challenge them to answer a funny question…Just use your imagination!