If you're regularly dating, you know how fierce the competition on dating apps can be, especially for guys. Fortunately, in a sea of bathroom selfies and generic “About Me” sections, it’s not as difficult to stand out as you might think.
Emyli Lovz, a professional matchmaker who also created a Dating Coaching Program for Men, says a good dating profile should be thoughtfully curated and allow you to present the best version of yourself.
She recommends thinking about your dating profile like a movie trailer.
“You want the women who look at your profile to be really excited when they see the trailer to your movie,” she says.
These are some tips to improve your dating profile:
Tinder bios for guys: 7 tips to enhance your profile
If you’re looking for a quality match on Tinder, these are some tips to make your profile stand out:
1. Give specific details about who you are.
Lovz says dating apps use an algorithm to pair you with other matches based on what you write.
If you use vague keywords or barely fill out your profile, then you'll get matched with other vague profiles, and you likely won’t find compatible matches.
Generalizations like “I like to travel and hike” don’t paint a picture of who you are as a person, Lovz says.
“Your profile needs to focus on who you are through the things you love, the things that are important to you, and the things that make you unique,” says Eric Resnick, a dating coach and founder of ProfileHelper.com.
He says guys shouldn’t be afraid to include interests that are more unique or less universally liked. If you’re a guy who goes to trivia nights, owns five cats, loves live theater, or plays in chess tournaments, put that in your profile!
A guy on Reddit asked women to name some of the most annoying/overused phrases they see on men’s dating profiles. These are some of their answers:
- “I hate writing these things”
- “I'm a laid back guy”
- “I don't play games”
- “Good at massages”
- “Good listener”
- “Ask me” / “Just ask”
- “Looking for a girl who doesn't take herself too seriously”
- “Fluent in sarcasm
- “I like working out”
- “Work hard play hard”
- “Lol” / “Haha”
(If you take no other advice from this article, please don’t write “Just ask” in your bio.)
2. Pick the right photos.
Lovz says the best pictures are ones that represent who you are. In them, you should be:
- Smiling, with a warm and inviting expression
- Using direct eye contact, which communicates trust
Lovz also recommends choosing photos that demonstrate your passions, hobbies, and interests.
“Your profile should stand out from the competition by showcasing what makes you uniquely you,” she says.
This Reddit user offered some more advice about selecting photos for your Tinder profile:
3. Be transparent about who you want to date.
Whether you want to find something casual, you're looking to date a cougar, or you want to eventually get married, being upfront and honest about your intentions will get you more compatible matches.
Worried about coming on too strong?
“You can still say that you're looking for a long-term relationship without making it like a high-pressure situation,” Lovz says.
4. Don't forget to spell check.
It's those little details that show you're serious about dating, Resnick says:
“Careless typos make you look sloppy and like you don't care. It might not seem like a big deal to you, but I have heard from literally thousands of daters who consider that to be a turn-off.”
5. Use humor with caution.
It's hard to decipher vocal tone or inflection through an app. For example, if you’re dry and sarcastic in your bio, people probably won’t pick up on your humor when they’re quickly swiping through profiles.
You also shouldn’t try too hard to be witty.
“Women generally appreciate a funny or clever profile, but when you force it, you don't sound funny or clever,” Resnick says. “You just sound like you are trying too hard and like you don't have a real personality of your own.”
6. Be genuine.
The best tip for creating a good Tinder bio is to be yourself.
“The biggest mistake that guys make on dating profiles is that they are trying to sell themselves in a place where no one wants to feel like they have to be convinced to like you,” Resnick says.
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Good Tinder bios
Ready to write your bio but not sure where to start? Check out these examples of good Tinder bios for guys:
“Life plan: retire in 8 years in Bali…drink too much rosé, eat at every Anthony Bourdain top pick in Asia, ship in Sprinkles mini cupcakes, date my best friend, rescue 101 puppies, and have rambunctious surfer children who get scholarships to Ivy League Schools.”
This dating profile is “really getting into the nitty gritty of what makes this person unique, how they're different from other people, and it shows that they really know what they want and where they're going,” Lovz says.
According to Lovz, saying what you love to do is going to help you appeal to your intended audience. It’s a good step in building a meaningful connection.
“Outgoing, athletic, loves to laugh, successful, motivated and confident. Looking for that one.”
“This is a great example of something to add to your profile where it really speaks to who you're looking to attract,” Lovz says. “Using keywords that really define your ideal partner and that you're looking for [them] is going to be really powerful because it shows that you know what you want and you're going after it.”
Resnick recommends choosing prompts that you actually have something to say about.
“Don't waste your profile with an answer that no one would want to talk about,” Resnick says.
Here are some good and bad examples of prompt responses:
Here are some more examples of good Tinder bios:
“Playing lots of board games. Wishing I could kayak more. Raising sea monkeys. Watching paint dry. Video games. Avoiding the shitshow that is Trump.”
“Let's go DO something!
Let's go have a drink. Or shoot some pool. Or play darts, or visit the gun range, or drive go-karts. Let's take a day trip to check out breweries, or stay in on a rainy Sunday and get lost in a Netflix series.
Let's get off this app and do something.”
“I like swearing and adventure.
I have funny looking tan lines from biking and swimming. My craft beer habit would be much cheaper if I just brewed more of my own. Been to enough concerts that I'll probably ask you ‘what??' often. Nerdy engineer, but not like…TOO nerdy, you know? I share a birthday with Mr. Rogers and I think that says a lot about me.
Ethically non-monogamous, native San Diegan.”
“Happy and kind, confident, playful, energetic, active, eternally curious, wine + campfires + starry nights + tent, unpretentious, quirky desert shit, good conversation, hike, mountain bike, run, camp, craft beer, road trips, weekend getaways, mom, independent, emotionally healthy & secure, rebellious at heart 😉”
Funny Tinder bios
As Lovz and Resnick both mentioned, humor can work in a dating profile if used carefully and sparingly. Below are examples of funny dating profiles that are both effective and expert-approved:
“Notable Life Achievements:
– Can cook amazing instant noodles
– Semi-professional bathroom singer
– Has never been in jail before (except when playing monopoly”
“Recovering musician, fell back on a successful career in real estate. Bad ass at this single dad thing. Dad bod (currently). Endless puns and dad jokes. A good relationship: Lots of laughing, calm communication, and a mild addiction to affection.
Potential Cons: (unless you're perfect) Picky eater, neat freak, smokes weed, my two girls are my whole entire world, takes pictures of everything – especially street art and nature, science nerd, obsessive Kings fan, works a lot.”
“If you like bad boys then I'm the guy for you, cause I'm bad at everything.”
“Where the Venn diagram of Ira Glass and Johnny Cash overlaps. Musician. Engineer. Jon Stewart liberal. Hockey player/fan. My long term life goals skew towards travel and experiences over things.”
Bottom line: Best Tinder bios for guys
The best Tinder bios for guys are the ones that are specific and genuine. That's why it's worth taking the time to thoughtfully craft your dating profile.
Sometimes, it’s a process of trial and error, so don't be afraid to play around with prompts or get creative to see what works.
Check out our guide on how to write a dating profile bio.
And most importantly, remember to be yourself.
“You aren't trying to attract everyone,” Lovz says. “In fact, your profile should repel the people who aren't compatible with you and help you connect only with the ones with whom you are a good fit.”
A good dating profile will set you up with meaningful connections that will hopefully turn into something more than a swipe right — if that’s what you’re looking for.
Not into Tinder? Check out our review of these other top dating sites and apps:
