Nailing the perfect online dating profile isn’t always easy—and it can be frustrating when you put the time in and still feel like you’re not getting enough likes or right-swipes.
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Luckily, dating apps collect data, which can help you figure out how to rig the system and get way more matches. Here are eight ways to get more eyes on you instantly, based on information provided by OkCupid:
1. Make sure you’re making eye contact in your main profile photo.
While that candid shot of you laughing with your friends is beautiful and can be a part of your profile, your first photo should show your eyes focused out at potential dates.
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“We found that pictures on your profile of you looking directly at the camera ultimately perform better,” says Melissa Hobley, chief marketing officer at OkCupid.
And it makes sense: Strong eye contact is scientifically proven to make you more memorable, according to a 2012 study on eye contact and facial recognition. Using this science to your advantage is the subtlest way to make a lasting impression.
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2. No. Sunglasses.
It’s obviously fine to wear shades in a group pic at the beach, but your first photo or two should show your whole face, according to OkCupid’s data team. The stats found that profiles with sunglasses in the first image get about 20 percent fewer likes than those without sunglasses.
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3. Use photos to show off your personality.
Your selfies may be fierce, but TBH, a profile full of your best angles won’t say much about you other than you’re feelin’ yourself.
“Don’t include only one photo–upload a variety for the best response,” Hobley says. “Be sure to show a well-rounded version of yourself [and] try to show off your family, your friends, your hobbies.”
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4. Throw in more recent photos of yourself.
OkCupid’s team found that regularly adding new photos doubles profile likes, and it makes sense. For one thing, if you have totally different hair in the Instagram you linked out to, it can come off like you never check your app.
Also, on the off-chance that someone’s seen your profile before and swiped left based on one photo, adding new pics gives you a second shot at that first digital impression.
5. Actually write something in your profile.
Sure, it can be both annoying and a little daunting to craft a few sentences about yourself. Where do you even begin?
But honestly, as long as you’re sticking to things about yourself (and not a judgy list of the types of people you won’t date), text is better than no text.
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“We can’t stress this enough but fill out your entire profile!” Hobley says. “Fuller profiles show up more to other users and therefore increase the odds of getting a match,” Hobley says. Additionally, OkCupid researchers found that captioning photos increases your chances for a like by 30 percent.
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The last thing you want to do is look like a spam bot or someone who can barely make the effort to write a few sentences about themselves. PLUS, the more things you have as conversation-starters on your profile, the easier it is for someone to talk to you first.
6. Mention your favorite band.
OkCupid found that movies, books, and sports are among the interests people write about most frequently on their profiles—but music tops the list.
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“We recommend letting people know who your favorite artist is,” Hobley says. And it doesn’t have to be a list of musicians–song lyrics and memorable concerts are also great convo-starters.
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If you’re on an app that lets you link out to your Spotify, take advantage of it to immediately excite potential partners—you have something in common! Anything else that might make someone say “OMG ME TOO!”—like favorite foods, hobbies, travel destinations—should be in there, too, since learning someone loves something as much as you do is the most natural way to trigger a conversation starter.
7. Keep your profile up-to-date with cultural references.
“If your favorite show a year ago isn’t your favorite today–keep it fresh!” Hobley says. Dated references like Breaking Bad or Lemonade could make it look like you haven’t seen or heard anything new—or used the app—in ages.
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You don’t have to go overboard and stress yourself out with being #relevant, but if you happen to love Crazy Rich Asians and want to gush over it with someone, bring it up!
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8. Definitely, definitely proofread.
You don’t need a college thesis-level essay, but you do want to make sure your “you’re” is the right one.
According to OkCupid’s data, over 75 percent of people say they are less likely to respond to someone who has grammar or spelling mistakes in their profile. When you fail to do a quick scan of your short profile, it could seem like you don’t care enough to make even the tiniest of efforts. Would you trust someone with a typo-laden bio to thoughtfully plan a date or engage in a stimulating conversation? Nope. It’s the bare minimum you can do to make yourself look great on an app, and it makes all the difference.
Follow Julia on Twitter.
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