Fix Your Dating Profile & Get the Connection You Want! PART 5: How Do I Fill Out the Prompt Sections of My Online Dating Profile?

September 03, 2020

Dating App Prompts

Use the prompts that inspire positive answers, and avoid any complaining or bragging. Your answers should give some insight into your personality and offer an invitation to the person reading so they will want to ask more. If you're answering with short or one-word answers, you're missing an opportunity to draw someone in by sharing a part of yourself. 

If you haven't already read part four of this series, check it out for tips on what details to include, how to use humor vs sarcasm, and other guidelines for the written parts of your profile.  

Your answers should give some insight into your personality and offer an invitation to the person reading so they will want to ask more. You only get a few of these, so make them count.

These prompts are great to use to describe the type of person you are looking for:

• Favorite quality in a person (Bumble)
• I’m looking for (Hinge)
• I want someone who (Hinge)
• You should message me if (OkCupid)

Be specific about the type of person you’re looking for in terms of their personality, temperament, or shared interests. Don’t do this: “I’m looking for a girlfriend.” It's a given that you're using dating apps to meet someone, so you need to get more specific. 

These work well to describe yourself:

• I go crazy for (Hinge)
• What I'm doing with my life (OkCupid)
• I can teach you how to (Hinge)
• I’m most grateful for (Bumble)
• My simple pleasures (Hinge)
• A life goal of mine (Hinge)
• I spend a lot of time thinking about (OkCupid)
• I feel most empowered when (Bumble)

Provide some specifics that are interesting, authentic and genuine. A bit of humor (not bitter or too sarcastic) can also be appealing. 

• My Love Language is (Hinge) - This is a good prompt, however many people just keep the example that Hinge provides, which is “receiving gifts, words of affirmation, acts of service and physical touch.” Because so many people just grab some or all of these, and then add “tacos,” to the end, it loses some meaning. If you use this prompt, be specific and give some examples, such as, instead of “physical touch,” say “holding hands,” etc.  

• Greatest Travel Story (Bumble) or any other Travel prompt - People often reply to this with a one-word answer, like “Berlin,” which doesn’t tell us anything. Why did you like Berlin? Try answering with some specifics like “My favorite Berlin moments were fresh baked pretzels, photographing graffiti art, and the night boat tour.”

By giving a specific example you’re allowing whoever is reading your profile to have an entry points to talk to you about it.

Here are some prompts that I’m not a huge fan of and why:

• Two truths and a lie (Hinge and Bumble) - This immediately asks the reader to figure out which one is the lie. It often includes a “humble brag” which is also annoying. I personally don't want to date a good liar or a bragger. I think this works better as a party game or a get to know you that is face-to-face, where it's more interactive and the humor is more clear. 

• Never have I ever (Hinge and Bumble) - This one also invites some humble bragging and/or confusion about using a double negative.

• My Pet Peeve (Hinge) / My biggest date fail (Hinge) / My worst date (OkCupid) - Because these invite complaining, I’d stay away from them. Your profile is not a place for airing grievances. 

• You should *not* go out with me if (Hinge) - This one is a mixed bag. If you’re going to complain about what you don’t like in other people, skip it. If you can make it funny and informative about yourself, it can work.

• My 3^rd grade teacher described me as… (Bumble) - I’ve seen answers like “a smart ass,” or “intelligent and thoughtful,” but unless this tells me something about who you are today, or shows your sense of humor, it’s a waste of a prompt.

• After work you can find me (Bumble) - So often the answer to this is “at the gym,” that it becomes a boring. Skip this one unless you can add something interesting about you and your personality.

• Beach or Mountains (Bumble) - Only use this one if you’re going to explain why. None of the one-word answers to this are that informative or inspiring.
  
  
• I’m weirdly attracted to (Hinge) - I don’t like how this is phrased, especially when people reply with physical characteristics or personality types. If the answer is something like “people who have freckles” and you have freckles, why is it weird to be attracted to that?

• Believe it or not, I (Hinge) - This is usually followed with a “humble” brag and in most cases, is annoying.

The main point to keep in mind with all of these suggestions, is to stay true to yourself. You don’t need to make up an elaborate story about how you'll go to the ends of the earth to try every taco if that’s not how you really feel. You don’t have to be extroverted and vivacious if that’s not your personality. If you're an introvert, talk about the things that make you feel content, or what makes you smile. You don't have to be a jet-setting social media influencer to create a wonderful profile that will catch the eye of your perfect partner. Authenticity is KEY.

Think about the kind of person you'd like to meet and imagine having a conversation with them. Share information that you think will pique their interest, and that will give them an opening to follow up with you.

Stay tuned for the next installment: Fix Your Dating Profile & Get the Connection You Want! Part 6: What Photos Should I Use on My Online Dating Profile?

Want some help? Get support around creating or updating your dating profile with tools you can easily and immediately implement to make your profile magnetically attract your ideal mate and get you the love you desire. Check out the Dating Profile Tune Up. 

Learn more about me on my coaching page.

Tanya Madoff is an artist, a maker and a coach. She is currently offering a free copy of 8 TIPS TO FEEL MORE CALM CONNECTED & INSPIRED to anyone who signs up for her newsletter. SIGN UP HERE to get your free copy. 

Photo by Olya Kobruseva from Pexels

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