Looking for someone who loves sunsets and long walks on the beach? Get in line. Here are some of the biggest cliches to avoid in online dating.
Online dating is tricky because it's competitive. When someone does a search on a dating site, dozens or even hundreds of potential partners pop up. If your profile is one of hundreds, it has to catch someone's eye immediately, or else they're going to pass it by for the next one.
So what can you do to make your ad stand out? There are a number of things you can do, like including great pictures, but one thing many ad writers need to work on is the wording of the profile itself. If your ad sounds like everybody else's, there's nothing special that's going to make people stop and take a good look at yours. Unfortunately, many profiles are filled with cliches that sound nice, but that appear ad nauseum in the world of online dating. These cliches may describe you well and in a positive light, but since they're so common, they don't make you stand out.
Avoid tired cliches in your online dating profile! Here are some common ones to delete.
Cliche Opening Lines
Chances are you've seen plenty of ads that open with a line like "I can't believe I'm actually doing this," so don't be yet another profile with this disclaimer. Besides, this kind of statement makes the writer sound insecure. In addition, you don't want to imply that there's something desperate or weird about online dating, because the people who read it are doing online dating too. Similarly, avoid lines such as, "I'm only doing this because my sister made me do it."
In addition, avoid opening statements such as, "Hi, I'm Jenny, and I'm 36 years old." This is a pretty tired way to start your essay that won't get anyone's attention, and besides, that information is elsewhere in your profile.
Cliche Self Descriptions
- "I love watching sunsets on the beach while holding hands." This may be the most overused cliche in personal ad history. Who doesn't like beaches and sunsets and hand-holding? Find some other way to describe yourself that's more unusual and unique.
- "I feel just as comfortable in jeans as I do in a cocktail dress." This is a phrase women use to convey that they are low-maintenance and flexible. Think of more creative ways to make this point. One way to do this is to make a similar contrast between things that are more specific to your personality, such as, "I love my job as a stockbroker, but I also love spending an hour playing on a swingset."
- "I give great backrubs." Good for you. So do half of the other people on your online dating site-- or so they claim--so unless you're a professional masseur or masseuse, brag about some other skill.
- "I know how to treat a woman." That's nice, but half of the men on your online dating site claim the same thing. Instead, explain in detail how you treat women, such as, "'I'm the kind of guy who tells his girlfriend to go watch football while I do the dishes."
- "I love life." As opposed to what?
Cliche Descriptions of Who You Want to Meet
- "I want to be with someone who's my best friend." A sweet sentiment-- but a very common one. Go wander around the wedding card section of Hallmark, and you'll find six dozen cards congratulating people for marrying their best friend.
- "No game players!" Women use this phrase quite a bit-- for good reason, sadly-- but it's used so often that it doesn't mean much. If honesty is important to you, think of a more creative way to describe the kind of honesty you want, such as, "He's the kind of guy who would never steal a pack of Post-It Notes from the office."
- "Great sense of humor is important." Everyone thinks they have a great sense of humor, so this line doesn't say much. What kind of humor are you looking for? Are you looking for Monty Python funny, or more like Superbad kind of funny?
Get the idea? A cliche may actually describe you rather well, but if your ad sounds like everybody else's, but it won't get the attention fo the people you are trying to attract. Describe yourself in more specific, unique ways, and avoid tired phrases that you've heard before. Best of luck to you.
