The importance of the headline

In addition to having a clear, recent photo of yourself on your profile, other items can also help make a good first impression on potential friends and future partners. Have you put much thought into your dating profile headline?

Many people run out of inspiration when they're writing their profile headline and simply add a silly sentence such as, "Hi, get to know me, I might be the one," or even worse, "Hello!"

Are you turning people away with a introduction headine that makes you look uninteresting or uninterested?

It's important to put some thought into your dating headline. It's your introduction. People browsing profiles will probably spend only a few seconds checking out your profile, and if all you give them is a "Hello", then you may not hear from many of them. You need to grab peoples' attention, show something of your personality, and spark curiosity. Give them a reason to stay awhile and to read more about you on your page.

Here are some pointers to keep in mind when you're writing your headline.

Avoid Common Phrases

"I may be the one", "Looking to meet new people", "Get to know me" are common and overused headlines. You don't want this.

Remember that there are thousands of people that you are competing with to find their other half, so you need to use a little creativity if you want to really stand out in the crowd.

Of the following headlines, which one is most likely to grab your attention and make you want to find out more about the person who wrote it?

"Hello there!"

"Looking for a fresh start"

"I Would Like To Meet Fun People"

"Don't Worry: I'll Tell Your Parents We Met At College"

Three of the headlines are boring and overused. But the fourth one will spark curiosity in many readers. Using humor in your headline never hurts. It's funny in a clever way.

Analyze The Cool Headlines

Just go and browse some profiles on the site. Glance through the headlines quickly until one of them grabs your eye. Then analyze why it caught your attention. Was it funny? Funny how? Was it ironic.. mysterious.. poetic.. philosophical?

Why did it stand out? Write down the example and your notes on a piece of paper. You can use these notes to come up with your own dating headline.

Here are a few catchy headlines from Connecting Singles:

• NEXT MOOD SWING: 6 MINUTES!!... :)
• I want it all... but I'd settle for some chocolate!
• Single, but you're welcome to change that....

Filter Unwanted Response

Who needs to receive a lot of messages from people you will have no interest in dating? You may be looking for someone of a specific age in the San Francisco area and have no interest in hearing from people who are older or younger from other parts of the world that don't even share a common interest with you.

You can use your headline to improve dramatically the quality and relevance of your respondents. You can use your headline as a filter. For example:

"Looking to meet 27-35 year old male within 25 miles of San Francisco."

Now you won't have to sift through all the messages, since most people won't waste your time with a message. Your headline filter does the heavy work for you. But keep it positive. A negative headline may turn people away from reading any further.

More examples?

• Like outdoor activities: camping, fishing, snow boarding, biking. Wanna go offroad with me?
• Brains and beauty seeks handsome and hard working
• I love Red Lobster. Do you?

Keep It Dynamic

Rotating your headline occasionally will help keep it fresh, and also help you gauge peoples' reaction to it.

Different headlines attract different people, so it's up to you to have some fun experimenting with it, and see what kind of people get in touch with you based on the headline that you are currently using.

Remember that your headline is an important part of your dating profile, right up there with your profile photo. So spend some time on it, and you'll be happy that you did.