If you are searching for love online, writing a great profile is key.  Of course you need to post attractive photos, but for those looking for more than a one-night stand, you need to present a compelling profile.  Potential matches will overlook a generic profile that doesn’t say much or that doesn’t emphasize what makes you unique and what matters most to you.   These 5 tips will help you to attract the right kind of online attention:

Give a snapshot of who you are, how you lead your life and what you are looking for in a relationship:

Your profile should begin by describing your most positive and prominent profile traits.  Are you outgoing?  Funny?  Curious?  Affectionate?  Choose 2-3 adjectives that best describe the core of who you are.  Also, make sure to include what you are passionate about.  Although you do not need to go into every detail of your life, you do not want to speak in pure generalities.  If you like animals, explain why?  Do you love hiking?  Cooking?  This will not only provide your future partner insight into who you are but also the ability to see if you have things in common.

Avoid cliché’s:  

Even if you do like “walking on the beach,”, leave it out.  Everyone says that.  Think instead of something unique about yourself that could be a good conversation starter.

Give specific examples:

Saying you like to “travel” could mean a host of things.  Do you like adventurous vacations or lying on the beach?  What does the ideal vacation look like to you?  Travel could mean anything from a trip to a National Park to a stay at a luxury hotel.  Talk about your favorite vacations, your ideal trip, etc—the person who loves your kind of travel will take note.  Similarly, avoid general statements such as, “I like to have fun.”  What is your idea of “fun?”  In addition, if one of your defining characteristics is charity, discuss how you volunteer weekly at a shelter.  Giving these specifics is not boasting.  It is allowing the person reading your profile to get a true sense of who you are.

Leave out the negative:   

Remember these words, “negativity is not attractive.”  Including a ton of negative commentary or complaints about past relationships in your profile waives a red flag for any future relationship.  Don’t spend time discussing people you don’t want to be contacted by.  Focus instead on the people that you do want to attract.  Sarcasm is another potential pitfall you want to avoid.  Although your friends might love your sarcastic personality, it just doesn’t read well in an online profile.

Decide the story you want to tell:

Your profile is your narrative.  It is a short story that captures your personality.   Ask yourself, “Who am I showing up as?  What story am I telling of my life?”  Your story will dictate who is attracted to you so make sure you are grabbing the right kind of attention.  If you aren’t sure how your story is reading, ask a friend for his or her honest feedback.  You want your story to tell your best story