Dating and relationship advice you can really believe in.

Self promotion is one of the most difficult forms of writing there is and we Brits are notoriously bad at it. CVs, personal profiles, dating profiles, all require a magic formula to get them to stand out from the crowd. Here are our 6 top tips:

1. Answer the questions as fully as possible
If your profile is no more than a list of likes and dislikes it isn’t going to stand out and potential matches will come away knowing little about you as a person. Use every question to give a full answer that tells the reader something about your personality. When asked ‘What are you passionate about’ don’t just put down the things that you do regularly or people you see regularly – what are you really passionate about? What can’t you imagine your life without? It may be music, art, personal growth; it could be your work, saving the whale or promoting peace. Say what it is, why you are passionate about it – a bit of history about how you first got involved is great – and how that manifests in your life. Write about things that are unique to you and in a way that will be memorable to the person reading it.

2. Its all about you
Even though our life is made up of the people around us your profile is about you, not them. Everything that you mention in your profile should be there to inform the reader about you. If you have a really supportive brother by all means mention him in the influential people section and say what he has done to help you but then say how you have made the best use of his help rather than loads of information about him. When you talk about films, books, hobbies, relate it back to you so that it shows something about your personality.

3. Inject a little humour
Don’t make your profile too serious. We are more likely to remember a profile that makes us laugh than one which gives lots of information. Tell anecdotes, what are the funny things that have happened to you recently? Think of it a bit like a CV – your CV needs to be short, succinct, interesting and show you have the necessary skills for the job – a good CV’s only purpose is to get you an interview, that is where you will be able to shine – a good profile is simply to get you dates and can never possibly capture the wonder of you – the reader will have to make contact if they want to see that. Make them smile and they are much more likely to come back for more.

4. Be honest
If a shop had a lovely display of iced buns in the window and you went in and discovered that they only sold nails you would naturally be disappointed. If you write a stunning profile that bears no relation to who you really are then you may find yourself with a few disgruntled first dates. Be honest about who you are by imagining what your best friend would say about you – ask them if you aren’t sure. Keep a positive, upbeat tone when you are writing – best achieved by making sure you are in a good mood when you write it. Also try to make sure that you have plenty of time to write, edit, reread and get some feedback on what you have written before it goes live.

5. Check it out with someone else
Remember that it will be someone of the opposite sex (or perhaps not) that you are trying to attract so ask a friend of that sex to check out your profile. The questions to ask them are; Is it interesting? Does it truly reflect me? Do you want to know more about this person? Do you think men/women would find this person attractive?

6. Look at what other people have written
Have a look at profiles that are by people the same age and gender as you and see what they have written. Another good place to look is the profile feedback section on the eHarmony website where people have posted their profiles for others to read. You can also read the feedback comments people have left and put your own profile up for feedback if you think it would be helpful. Remember you can edit and update your profile as many times as you like – it’s a work in progress.