The adventure of browsing and responding to online personals. You wait anxiously every week for the new profiles to be posted or you’re constantly checking everyday to see if new profiles and ads were posted. You narrow your search parameters. Seeking man/woman, from age 28 to 41, living within 50 miles. Depending on the dating agency and your own location, the resulting number of profiles fitting your parameters can be anywhere from 15 to 500!
That’s a lot of possible eligible- far more than what you would find at the one of the local dance clubs on any given Saturday night regardless of what city you live in. And all it took was a few keystrokes and mouseclicks. But with so many prospects to contact, it’s likely you will make some minor or even major mistake that will result in negative feedback. Anxiety and excitement will lead to misreading or misunderstanding or overlooking important items in the profile you’re about to respond to. What they say about first impressions apply online as well. That is why there are some important things to remember and take heed of:
Don’t just scan the ad/profile. READ it! Study it! Understand it! Read it word for word. Read the vital statistics. Make sure the person you’re about to contact really fits what you’re looking for. If you’re merely scan the ad for keywords you’re very liable to see only what you want to see instead of what is actually there.
Describe yourself in detail. Most people will not reply to weak, little two- or three-lined emails like “Hi, saw your ad. I’m interested. Write me back!”. You’re trying to make this person interested in you. Tell him/her what kind of person you are, your occupation, your hobbies, etc. Don’t overdo it and give the other person the impression that you’re bragging yourself. Tell him/her about any certificates or degrees you have but it is not necessary to tell him/her what your grade-point average was or that you graduated in the Top Five Percent, etc.
Provide a photo.A photo is one of the most essentials in online dating. Most people need to see a photo to have a face to attach the person on the other end with. And provide a photo that is in good taste and provides a close-up look of the face.
Standard replies. Okay, if you have a standard reply which you send to every ad or profile that you respond to, be sure to make any changes or re-crafting before sending it out. Be sure to change any names that might be in the response.
I’m glad someone finally posted such a guideline. It is so frustrating to get sloppy responses after putting in so much effort to put up a good profile. Many people out there should really take heed to this advice.