Here’s how to craft the perfect dating app profile pic
There are plenty of fish in the sea. Problem is, you’re one of them. So how do you get her to cast you a line?
We looked at dating app data and talked to online dating experts to find out how to optimise your profile picture for success.
Here are four ways to make sure you’re always the catch of the day.
WEAR BRIGHT COLOURS IN YOUR PROFILE PHOTO
Seventy-two percent of Tinder’s users wear neutral colours in their primary profile photo. Dress boldly to stand out, says Tinder sociologist Jess Carbino.
SKIP THE ACCESSORIES IN YOUR PROFILE PHOTO
Leave your Warby Parkers out of your first photo, says Carbino; obstructing your face in your main photo prevents women from discerning if you’re a creeper or a keeper. The same goes for hats and voluminous scarves.
SMILE—BUT DITCH THE LINKEDIN PORTRAIT
Users who smile get swiped right 14 percent more, Carbino says.
But headshots won’t get you far. “Headshots are problematic because they look staged and do not seem natural,” Carbino says. “The entire point of a Tinder profile is to provide insight into who you are!”
Be careful with those gym selfies, too. According to user data from dating app Happn, 60 percent of women would rather see your face than your abs.
And, of course, avoid the group shot. You have nothing to gain by showing her you either have hotter friends or hang out with ugly dudes. And don’t get us started on photos of you snuggling up to your ex or other ambiguous, attractive women.
GO CLEAN-SHAVEN IN YOUR PROFILE PHOTO
Men who go out of their way to look good are rewarded for their efforts. According to data from Match.com’s Singles in America study, guys who listed appearance as one of their top three expenses had a 35 percent better chance of landing a second date.
Start with a fresh shave. According to Match’s data, while about a third of women still love a man with scruff, more than 70 percent of women were attracted to clean-shaven men.
And when you’re shaving, please, don’t get any ideas about trying out a stache. Women aren’t feeling it—two thirds of them, anyway. Almost as much as they’re not feeling coloured hair.
Or man buns.
