The world is full of advice on profile writing, it really is everywhere. There are obvious things to avoid in your profile, like talk of your ex or moaning about stuff in general. But you’d be surprised to learn that there are certain phrases and points that seem harmless but actually may be holding you back. Here are the dating phrases to avoid and what to write about instead…

Travelling

Everyone loves to travel and most of us have at least had one memorable holiday in our lives. It’s a good thing to talk about, but it’s important to avoid bragging. If you’re used to only travelling first class to exotic long-haul destinations that’s cool, but including this in your profile can seem rather intimidating.

Instead of saying “I am well-travelled, here is a list of the places I’ve been to…” say instead, “Let’s swap camping disaster stories!”

TV & Film

Everyone says that they love going to the cinema or watching films. It’s may be true, but writing this is not going to help you stand out from the crowd. The trick is elaborating on your hobby. The aim of everything you write is to encourage conversation, so just mentioning the cinema leads to a bit of a dead end.

Instead of saying “I like going to the cinema.” Replace this with, “I am watching (current reality show), I’m definitely on team (contestant name)!”

Interesting Facts

There’s a question in Q&A which asks you for the most interesting thing about yourself, but you can also talk about this in your About Me. This has been claimed by many as being the hardest question to answer, what is interesting about me? We can’t answer this question for you, but we can point out things to avoid saying.

Avoid: illegal activities, blatant bragging, mention of money or expensive possessions, name-dropping famous people or saying something like you can’t think of anything.

Write about: athletic accomplishments, party-tricks/talents, things you can cook/bake well, unusual stories/anecdotes or weird hobbies or interests you have.

Remember, your goal is to get people questioning you and dying to find out more, so being mysterious and phrasing your facts as a question are excellent ways of engaging readers of your profile.

Food & Drink

We all eat and drink. It doesn’t make you special. That’s why you’re missing a trick when you simply list your favourite foods or mention your favourite cuisine. Whenever you mention food or drink always be as specific and descriptive as you can.

Instead of saying, “I enjoy a glass of wine,” try and tell the full story. “There’s nothing better than enjoying a glass or two or Merlot by a crackling open fire in a country pub. Fancy joining me?”

Also, you may be on the 2020 vegan craze, because who isn’t right now, but remember that being too preachy about your food preferences is very off-putting.

Random Things To Never Mention

Here’s a list of random dating phrases to avoid that should not be found anywhere near your profile if you’re serious about meeting someone:

“Going to delete this soon/I’m leaving/I’ve cancelled my membership”

“Don’t know why I’m on here”

**Answering the most embarassing thing you’ve ever done** Joining this site

“I will only reply to you if you: can spell, have a photo, aren’t married, like dogs, don’t play games, message me first, are aged between 41-42, live within a mile from me, are smartly dressed, have good manners (the list goes on but you get the point, lists, especially negative ones are bad.)

So take a long hard look at your profile, admit your failures and make them right and you’ll be attracting attention in no time!