The Power of a Great Dating Profile Picture
Are you finding that you keep getting overlooked on dating apps? Or are you getting frustrated with the quality of the matches you’re receiving? The only thing standing between you and a host of great matches is, in all likelihood, your dating profile pictures.
There is an art to creating the best photos but once you get it right, the matches should start to come flooding in.
Dating app pictures are your premium advertising space, you need to use them wisely. You have 5 - 6 opportunities to show people what you’re about and this is where many people go wrong.
Here are my top tips for maximising your profile pictures so that you can start to have a livelier and more interesting dating life.
Raise your game
The biggest difference between an average profile picture and an awesome one comes down to one thing - quality.
You could be the hottest person on Tinder, but if you’re still using grainy and blurry photos come 2021, you’re going to seriously struggle to get loads of matches.
When you look through the most popular profiles on dating apps like Tinder or Bumble, you’ll find they nearly all have good quality main profile photos, which maximise their looks. Not only that, their support photos will usually be of good quality too.
The minute you ditch your low-quality pictures and replace them with good quality ones, you should start to see an immediate uplift.
You’re only as hot as your worst photo.
There’s another type of profile picture you need to ditch too.There is that one photo in your set that you’re not sure about but you end up including it on your profile anyway. Yes, that one. You need to lose it.
Here’s why. You’re only as hot as your worst profile photo.
We all know that when people are swiping through your photos, they will be very focused on finding your best shot. But, are you aware that they are also very focused on searching out your worst photo?
It’s human nature. We want to know the best and worst-case scenarios.
When it comes to deciding whether to message you or not, it will be that worst photo that holds more sway.
So, only choose profile pictures where you’re at least 95% happy with every single one. It’s better to opt for one less photo than include one dodgy one and risk losing matches every which way.
Include bold colours
A simple but effective step you need to take to increase engagement on your dating profile is to inject some much-needed colour into your profile pictures. The majority of dating photos are in neutral tones.
It’s easy to swipe past these. They all look the same and nothing really grabs people.
As soon as you add some bold, bright colours you’ll find people can’t help but be drawn to your profile.
If it’s your vibe, choose some bold, colourful clothes to wear in your photos. This is the best option. Colours like red, orange and yellow really stand out. However, if you’re not the type to wear bright colours opting instead for blacks, browns and darker colours, you will need to hunt out colourful backgrounds.
If you’re in a park find some bright coloured flowers. If you’re in town, head for the part of town with boutique shops, colourful street art, little cafes and position yourself in front of some colour. You will notice a boost in matches.
Check your body language.
It’s really easy to get wrapped up in how your face and hair look but don’t forget to check out what the rest of your body is doing.
Given that anyone interested in you will be searching your photos for as many clues as possible about you, they will be subconsciously making judgements based on what they see in your body language.
Having an open posture communicates a lot. Confidence, high self-esteem, being open and being relaxed.
Open posture means standing tall with your torso visible. And keep your hands and arms open.
Own the space.
Many people include photos on their profile where you can barely make them out. They’re tucked away in one corner of the shot. Or worse, they are surrounded by so many people you have no idea which one they are.
Remember, these 6 photos are your premium advertising space, so use that space well. They are advertising you - not your best mate, your mum’s boyfriend or the Leaning Tower of Pisa.
Make sure you’re the main focus of every shot so that you’re maximising that advertising space. And don’t let dismal backgrounds upstage you. Eliminate any distracting backgrounds or you’ll lose their interest fast.
Tell your story
One of the key trends for profile pictures as we head into 2021 is to have photos that show off your interests and passions. With some simple tweaks, you can create profile photos that will be incredibly effective at attracting more and better quality matches.
The best profile pictures will be those which help tell your story and capture your vibe. You won’t then have to rely solely on the bio for that.
This may sound difficult, but it doesn’t need to be. It does require you to think about what your passions are and what makes you stand out from others.
The easiest way to bring your personality into your pictures is either by holding something you love, going somewhere you love or doing something you love.
It can be something as simple as holding a book or yoga mat. Or you could ride your bike, walk your dog, put your boxing gloves on etc. These photos will not only attract attention but also act as an easy win offering up a conversation opener.
Once you figure out what is interesting and different about you, you can decide the best way to showcase this in your profile pictures.
Saskia Nelson is a dating profile photo expert and founder of dating photography agency, Hey Saturday.
