How to Create a Quality Dating Profile on Plenty of Fish

Great conversations start with great dating profiles, and you have the opportunity on Plenty of Fish to create a well rounded depiction of who you are and what you like to do. With a lengthier profile view on POF vs. other apps, singles gain a much better understanding of what you’re all about, rather than just your height and name.

Here’s how to write a quality dating profile that represents who you really are, without sharing your entire life story.

1. Create a unique POF username

Your username is your official POF identity. It’s publicly displayed on your profile and visible to all other members, so you want to make sure it’s a catchy one! It’s a good idea to go with a nickname or an abbreviated version of your name to ensure you’re not giving away too much information about yourself upfront. If you’re completely stumped on what type of username you should use, here are some examples of the good vs. the bad.

Let’s breakdown this chart a little shall we!

Bad Usernames: These usernames aren’t going to get you anywhere on POF, because they’re sending potential matches the wrong message. Either they’re too negative (ie. sadandsingle4ever) or they’re overtly sexual or sound spammy (sexykittenpur123456).

When brainstorming a username for yourself, try to focus on your interests, occupation, nickname, and character traits. Think of your username as your personal brand, and create one that is completely unique to you.

Good Usernames: Are you a chef and foodie, integrate this into your username (Chefalex_foodie). Or maybe you’re a single father who coaches their kids’ soccer team (SoccerdadDan30). Perhaps Game of Thrones is a show you simply can’t live without, why not share this fun fact with others (GOTfan_2019).

Quick tips before you create your username:

• POF permits letters, numbers and underscores in a username, but no special characters like @,’&. If your username is not accepted, it’s most likely because it’s been taken by someone else already OR you’re inputting special characters.
• You can only edit/change your username if you’re a paid member. Free members can’t change their username.

2. Post photos that represent the real you

Sharing moments of your life are sometimes best captured in a photo. Photos can include a candid headshot, your hobbies, talents, achievements and most memorable moments in your life so far. It’s not about posting the most curated Snapchat filtered selfies – we encourage you to share the real you!

Perhaps you have a furry friend, share a picture of you with your pet! Or maybe you love boating, or hiking – why not post a photo of you on a trail or in a kayak. If you’ve recement come back from a trip, share a photo of you in your favorite place from your travels. Sharing images like these will give other singles, not only a great idea of what you look like, but also how you make the most of your time. It will also give people the opportunity to strike up better conversations with you too. Perhaps they’ve traveled to the same destination recently or also have a dog.

Quick tips before you settle on your photos:

• Free members can post up to 8 images
• Paid members can post up to 16 images
• Images that break our Community Guidelines will be removed
• Refresh your images every 6 months to a year to keep them current
• Ask a friend to snap some photos of you when you’re out and about

3. Share a short and sweet description

Highlight a little bit about you, what interests you in a potential partner and wrap it up with your favorite quote or cute anecdote. Sometimes it’s hard to know what to write about yourself, but breaking your profile into these three parts will give you the direction you’re looking for. No need to write a thesis about your life story, you want to write enough to peak someone’s interest but save the detailed experiences for your first, second or third date!

Topics and phrases to avoid in your description:

1. “I’ll fill this out later” – Anyone who sees this phrase on your profile will think you’re not taking the experience seriously. If you don’t spend the time on your profile, you’re not going to receive much attention from it.
2. Sex – First impressions count online and offline. If your profile is riddled with sexual innuendos and terms, your profile will be flagged and removed.
3. Checklist of things you don’t like – In a POF study of over 2,000 singles, negativity was identified as the top conversation buzzkill. Stop writing checklists on what you’re not looking for in a partner, instead focus on the positives and what you’d love to do on a first date, or what you’d like to chat about.
4. Promoting products or website – POF isn’t the place for you to get free advertising for your business. If you include links in your profile, you will be flagged and removed.
5. Exes and past relationships – Never overshare details of a past breakup in your dating profile.

Quick tips before you save your description:

• Check your spelling. A recent POF study shows the majority of singles would rather bad sex, than subpar grammar! Make sure you proofread your dating profile and that you’re using the proper their, they’re and there!
• Ask a friend to read over your description to see if you’re missing anything that may make your profile stand out more.
• Update and edit your profile description every 6 months – a year to properly reflect who you are!
• The more interests you include on your profile will give other singles more material to strike up a conversation.

If you’ve followed all the steps in this blog post, your profile is in a great place and your ready to show the community on POF!

Good luck on your journey and happy fishing!