This is where a lot of people get stuck, and we receive a ton of inquiries on how to make this section impactful. Our advice…have fun with it! This is your chance to show your personality so relax and get creative. The most effective “About Me” sections are 200-300 words and engage the reader. Try to use personal stories to showcase your qualities. Keep it light, casual and friendly.
Here are some Do’s
- Tell a Fun Story, Not Just Facts: Anecdotes create opportunities for conversation starters… instead of saying “I like fancy restaurants”, try “My friends and I love sampling trendy restaurants around the city. Just last week, we sat at the chef’s table at Le Cirque.” You want to offer “hooks” for the other person to inquire about.
- Chin Up: Confidence and positive attitude score points online just as they do in real life. Focus your writing on your strengths!
- Teasers: Talk about recent events in your life that others could relate to, but don’t include all the details. For example, “I recently moved to NYC and threw a wine tasting party to meet my neighbors. Let’s just say that was NOT the best way to meet people!” would elicit questions about the party, the wines, the move to NYC, and commiseration about how unfriendly New York neighbors are. All are good conversation starters!
- Highlight What Makes You Unique: Being “funny and laid back” won’t cut it. Do you get through life by making lists? Do you love the Red Sox? Are you a sucker for American Idol?
- Flirt: Try a flirty invitation. For example, “Let’s meet up over a lazy Sunday cocktail and see where it goes.”
- Proofread, Proofread, Proofread: We really can’t stress this enough. Period.
- Second Opinion: Ask a friend or two (we suggest both male and female) to read your profile. Another option is to contact us; we do this a lot so we’re pretty good at helping people through this.
Here are some Don’ts
- Don’t Lie: Creating a superhuman version of yourself might prompt an initial message, but it’s a huge time-waster…and let’s face it, you’re on here to speed this dating thing up.
- No Ex’s: Please don’t talk about your ex. Just go ahead and trust us on this one.
- Stay Safe: We created this site specifically for communication, so until you feel comfortable with someone, don’t provide personal information such as phone numbers, email addresses, Facebook pages, websites, or your real name. We’re just looking out for you.
- The “M” Word: Mentioning the word ‘marriage’ just tends to scare people off. Just sayin’.
- Don’t Apologize: There’s no need to sound awkward by saying “I hate writing these things” or “I feel embarrassed talking about myself”. Everyone on Sparkology is doing it, so be confident and own it.
- Don’t Be Negative: Save your frustration of the dating scene or your personal failures for conversations with your friends.
- Don’t Be Nasty: Save the sexual innuendos for later.
Many of you have asked us for samples of great About Me sections. Here you go! Keep it short, sweet, and positive!
