Creative Dating App Profiles to Attract Your First Date

happy woman dating online

The bad news about online dating is that there is no one secret formula to guarantee success. There’s no one perfect way to craft a profile that is sure to gain attention and attract a date for you.

The good news is that there are some tips and best practices you can use to increase your chances of success. You’ve probably heard them before—use a good picture, be honest, and show what’s unique about you.

But sometimes, tips and tricks like these don’t get you far enough toward finding that special someone. If this is the case for you, it might be time to get creative.

Here are four types of creative online dating profile ideas that could really help you attract your first date.

The marriage material profile

marriage

One way to stand out from the crowd in online dating is to subtly show that you have some of the qualities that make someone a really good spouse.

This angle can be particularly useful in Catholic dating, where potential matches are most likely looking for someone they can discern marriage with.

The idea is to highlight aspects of your personality or interests that might make someone realize that you’re the type of person who would make a good husband or wife, or a good father or mother.

This could be something as simple as saying that you love studying Saint Pope John Paul II’s The Theology of the Body. Or, it could be showing that you’re eager to be a parent by mentioning that you love to babysit nieces or nephews.

You can also emphasize that you are also looking for someone who is ready to settle down and that you’re eager to find someone to pursue the married vocation with.

The pop culture guru profile

pop culture

Beyond showing that you’re marriage material, there are some other more subtle ways to creatively connect with others in online dating. One thing angle that could catch the eye of a potential match would be to tap into popular culture.

This could mean you have a quote from a movie or a song in your profile. You could ask the reader to message you if they share your love for the movie or song.

Or it could mean you give a “hot take” on some aspect of popular culture, which essentially dares people to debate you or tell you they agree. You could say that you think DC movies are better than Marvel movies (this tip only applies if you happen to have terrible taste in superhero movies). Or, you could say that you can talk about the superiority of country music to every other music genre for hours.

The advantage of mentioning some aspect of popular culture that you love or hate is that it immediately gives people a hook, an easy way in for starting a conversation with you. As a bonus, it can also give them a glimpse into the type of person you are.

The light-hearted profile

happy

Another great way to attract attention in online dating is to be lighthearted in your profile. This can mean a lot of different things, from straight-up making jokes about yourself to subtly poking fun at various things.

One angle to try could be that you write something sincere about yourself that sounds kind of cheesy—and then to say something like, “I know that sounds super cheesy, but it’s true.” Another way to try this would be to mention some likes or dislikes of yours that are unusual, and to point out that you know this makes you sound weird, but that you don’t care.

Don’t know where to start? Try looking for inspiration by reading some non-dating profile bios of people who do things like write comedy or have a stand-up routine. For example, a comedy screenwriter I’m acquainted with says in his writer’s bio that he is considered by all to be a terrible bowler. In my own screenwriting bio, I mention that I enjoyed competitive Costco sampling before Covid-19 stole it from me.

Something silly, or quirky, or that excites a light chuckle from the reader can be a great way to stand out from the crowd in online dating.

The fun adventurer profile

adventure

An online dating profile that shows your adventurous side might mean different things to different people. But the idea is to demonstrate that you know how to have fun and will be fun to date. You could show that you like to try new things, go new places, or have exhilarating experiences.

This might look a little different in Catholic dating than in the secular dating world. For example, a Catholic dating profile could show adventurousness by talking about pilgrimages you’ve been on or would like to go on. You could also mention the unique places you’ve been to Mass.

If you’re a thrill-seeker or a frequent traveler, this kind of profile could show potential dates your unique interests and help them see how much fun they could have with you.

If you do opt for this type of profile, there’s no need to worry that you’ll be turning off those who are hoping to settle down in the near future. Just make sure to mention your own hopes for marriage.

Adventures and family life don’t always sound immediately like they go together, but often that’s just from a narrowness of thinking or a lack of creativity for how it could work. If the “fun adventurer” is totally you, give a little thought to how your love for adventure will fit into a future family life and try to communicate this vision in your profile. You just might find that special someone who wants to embark with you on the greatest adventure of all.