While online dating isn’t the most ideal way to meet the love of your life, it is the preferred method at the moment. We all complain we are time poor and have heard stories about how our best friends and Auntie Sophie met the loves of their life through online dating.  It is hard to imagine that people actually had relationships before the year 2000, when the world’s first online dating site J-Date launched. Since then, all sorts of dating sites have graced the internet. OK Cupid, E-harmony, Match.com and several others have taken the dating world by storm. There are many Jewish Online dating sites that have different spins on how they work. Saw you at Sinai, Zivug Zone, Shlish Gan Eden, Shadchanet and Two Become one are just a few. Watch this space for an upcoming article for an analysis of which sites are best for you.

 Seeing as how I work with lots of my clients on ways to meet potential dates creating a good online dating strategy is essential. Having done lots of research on what works here are a few of my top tips to consider.

 Top Tips that will make your online dating profile stand out and attract the kind of person you are looking for…

  – Let them know what you are looking forward to contributing to a relationship. This sends the message that you are a giver, which is a very attractive feature.

(e.g., looking forward to baking cookies for them or with them,  giving foot massages, creating romantic memories, etc)

 – Don’t just say what you like to do – demonstrate it. Too many people say that they love to do chessed (charity), or that they are very chill (when often they are uptight but wish they were chill…). If you can instead share a brief story about how you laugh off a stressful situation, or how you make time daily to chill (i.e. how you nurture and look after yourself), this shows that you really value yourself which again is a very attractive quality.

 – Never say you have a sense of humor. Show it instead. Tell a funny story that shows you in a good light. Show how you have a lighter side. Everyone’s sense of humor is different. Demonstrate how yours’ is unique and attract someone who enjoys your style.

 – If you are an introvert and want to attract someone who gets this about you, say how you enjoy sharing lots of one-on-one time with the important people in your life. The message will be made clear without hammering it home. If you are an extrovert, share how you love making others laugh at a party, how you love making introductions and connections between people.

Really let yourself shine either way.

 – Demonstrate that you can think of others beyond yourself. This is super attractive. Talk about the time your nephew was sick for days and how you pitched in and sent your sister and brother-in-law off for the night so that you could bond with your nephew and give your siblings the restful night they needed.

 – Show off your personality through what you do regularly combined with what you wish you could do if you didn’t have a day job. Talk about your hopes and dreams. Throw in a few fantasies. For example, “If I wasn’t so busy lawyering, I would be getting my hands dirty in a beautiful garden, with the sun beating down on my back.” Or “While I love crunching numbers, I would be communing with gorillas in Africa”.

 – Make your online-profile sensory. Give the reader a feel and taste for what you are about. This will make you come alive- which is super attractive. Talk about how you love the feeling of walking on wet moss. When you take walks on the beach, talk about how you love the feel of sand tickling your toes, the feel of the wind in your hair and the sun warming your body. When you cook dinner, talk about how you love the smell of the zatar and oregano in the stir fries you make.

 – When it comes to commenting on your religious level, consider whether you really need someone who is exactly the same religious level. You don’t have to be exactly the same, but attract someone who is open and willing to respect the way you do things. Even if you were to find someone exactly like you religiously, I guarantee you may find you have to compromise on a value that may be even more important like how you communicate, or spend time or money.

 – Rather than saying you go to shiurim or learn Torah regularly, consider sharing something you have learned recently that really excited you or that made you feel alive. Sharing is caring, and everyone wants to be with someone who cares.

 – Although you may wish to convey that you are a serious person, be sure to show off your lighter side as well. Every relationship requires flexibility and lightness, especially when things get serious- and trust me, they do!

 Although many people write almost nothing in their profile, this doesn’t mean that you have to be equally phlegmatic. Writing a great profile is another opportunity to potentially connect with someone who is right for you.  If you take the opportunity to invest in considering who you are, what makes you tick and convey this in a humorous way to potential dates that may connect well with you, hey, you never know. Life is full of surprises. There is no better way to meet someone than by surprise!

 By taking the minimal risk of sharing some important parts of who you are online, you may find it pays off. If you don’t put your best foot forward and at least try, you will never know what you may have missed out on.

 As the saying goes: You gotta be in it to win it!!!

 Which online dating site do you feel matches you best? Email me and let me know: [email protected]