So, you’ve decided to try online dating.
You create a profile and honestly feel like this will be it. No one can surely resist this cool-looking profile, right?
You start swiping. And although you’ve lefted most of the profiles, you’ve found some cool matches, too.
You chat them up. Get swoon by a few. Plan on meeting up, only to discover they exhibit all your ex’s traits or worse. And the one with a lot of potential tweaked their dating profile resume to get you hooked.
You’re disappointed and have had just about enough of online dating. Cause are you that boring? Or have the matches smelled your desperation (loneliness does that to someone)? Or have you been scaring away potential partners with your “only bad bitch energy vibes here” profile?
Well, we’re here to guide you on the dating profile dos and don’ts (as a Black Girl) so you can avoid matching up with ‘losers’ and finally find the partner of your dreams!
The Dating Profile Dos
Be Intentional With Your Profile: If you’re looking for a committed relationship, don’t hide it. Don’t worry about scaring guys off or being extremely forward by writing down what you’re looking for up-front.
That’s just being intentional, and the people looking for a committed relationship won’t be scared by you doing so. It’ll actually help you filter out the jokers and attract the right matches. Think of it like manifesting the partner of your dreams through Tinder (or whatever your favorite dating app is).
Share Some Of Your Values: Talk about the important stuff in your life. This will also help you attract those who are compatible and weed out the wrong ones.
Show, Don’t Tell: If you love to travel, rather than talk about the fantasy, share pictures or tell a cool travel story about your favorite destinations. Often showing your personality and interests instead of just telling is the most incredible way of communicating who you are to potential matches.
Sense Of Humor, Sis: One of the most significant green flags on any dating app profile is a matching sense of humor. A recent Plenty of Fish survey showed that 84% of singles say their favorite thing to see on a dating profile is something hilarious/humorous, while 69% search for positivity in the prompts of their potential matches.
Black Girl Dating Profile Don’ts
Don’t Use A Group Photo: A Plenty of Fish survey revealed that over 59% of singles swipe left on their profile with unidentifiable group photos included in them, meaning over 61% of singles want to see your face rather than your friends.
Avoid Telling Lies: However minor, lies will always catch up with you at some point. If you can’t be honest, don’t tell. So, if you’re 35, don’t go claiming you’re 28. Just act coy and be a little mysterious with it.
Don’t Pull All Your Eggs In One Basket: When you match with an individual and have an incredible conversation with them, that doesn’t mean you’ve found your true love (okay, maybe, but you should put all your hopes on that one person). Dating is all about getting to know people. Explore all your options until you find the right match.
Don’t Make Demands: As much as you should put down what you’re looking for, you must remember that this isn’t a shopping list. Therefore, don’t go writing down your fantasies about the kind of person you want. “You must be…or “I’ll only date someone who’s… should only be left for job descriptions.
Never Play The Victim: Avoid badmouthing your exes, and don’t always discuss your dating disasters. While some might be amusing, most of the time, you just come out as annoying.
Don’t Limit Yourself: According to dating experts, limiting yourself to only a specific group of people (agewise, careerwise, etc.) will only limit your dating pool. Age and work shouldn’t be the only determining factor of one’s maturity level.
There are guys in their 40s who want to be single forever, and there could be those in their late 20s who know what they want and are looking for something committed. Get to know the individual instead, and allow that to show you where they are maturity-wise.
Don’t Overshare: To avoid Tinder Swindlers and Craigslist killers, make sure you avoid sharing your home address, workplace address, or any other details that might attract the wrong kind of matches.
And when a potential match starts probing you on intricate details about your life, practice caution, hun. In fact, hit the report button ASAP ‘cause that’s a major red flag!
Don’t Give Up! It might take a few tries, but when you play all your cards right (follow these do and don’t tips), you’ll find your perfect match!
