It doesn’t matter how non-superficial you think the dating application you’re using is –photos matter. Even Pablo Neruda would struggle to score matches if his profile consisted of a series of Snapchat filtered selfies.
Photos attract the user’s attention with glaring efficiency. Despite your bio write-up being worthy of a Pulitzer, no one will bother to read it if your photos are lacking.
Luckily there are no doubt some mistakes you’re making that can be easily fixed. Heed the following dating app photo tips for guys- make the adjustments, and start swiping to reap the rewards.
I think I speak for all men when I say that our biggest pet peeve is when a woman’s first profile picture is a group shot. Even if the profile’s owner is smack dab in the middle of a group shot I still can’t be certain as to who they are until I view the following photo. Being required to scroll to the subsequent photo makes the initial picture superfluous.
Seeing that we dislike when women do it, we should take our own advice and avoid this most odious mistake as well.
If your initial photo clearly shows your face (which it should) you’re now free to toss a group shot or two into the photo queue. The dating application, Hinge, found that photos of users having fun with friends were more than 74% more likely to receive a like than the average Hinge photo. But this doesn’t mean that any group shot will do.
Find a candid shot of you and a couple friends engaging in a stimulating activity, perhaps playing sports or exploring an exotic town. Make sure your friends are dressed appropriately and that you’re a tad better looking than them. Surrounding yourself by people that aren’t quite as attractive as you are can actually make you look better. This is an obvious, yet important dating app photo tip you need to follow.
The reason for the dip in swipability, according to dating expert Jessica Carbino, is because “Seeing the iris gives us clues as to whether you can be trusted.” If you’re using accessories to make up for your lack of good looks, don’t bother. Doctor Carbino also says that those that do best on Tinder don’t necessarily Adonis lookalikes. The key is to know how to accentuate your assets.
Oddly enough women that show teeth in photos are 76% more likely to be liked than when they hide their teeth. Feel free to dream up your own theories to explain the disparity but the results are in.
Even when they’re used in the correct medium does anyone genuinely enjoy Snapchat filters? There’s a 90% dip in the likelihood of a like on Hinge when you slap a Snapchat filter on a photo. Filters break the golden rule of keeping your face free of accessories. Furthermore, who honestly thinks that morphing into an animal is sexy?
That being said consider how each photo attracts a certain type of person. If your goal is to date pixies and furries that fetishize animals, maybe consider posting that filtered photo.
Generally speaking the more aggressive the sport being played the more she’ll be into you. In other words, ping-pong, badminton, and bowling photos are best left in your archives. Soccer, football, and rugby photos should be pushed up to the front of your queue.
Your odds of being viewed favorably plummet another 50 percentage points if you post a bathroom selfie. Sure, bathroom selfies with your shirt half off used to be all the rage, but our sexual palates have evolved, so should yours.
Instead of exposing your future love to yet another boring selfie, why not upload a candid photo? Buck the contrived trend of inundating the SM airwaves with selfies and instead get real. Candid photos are 15% more likely to receive a like on Hinge than other types of shots.
It’s no surprise that dog is man’s best wingman. Dogs in particular can make you appear friendlier, trustworthy, and mature. Not only will posing with your puppy bestow you with a halo effect or sorts but it’s a great conversation starter. Who doesn’t want to side step the awkwardness of small talk by gushing about how freaking adorable Lolita is?
Even if your profile doesn’t have many photos, there’s no upside to including one photo that looks decidedly worse than the rest. Even if you only have four stellar photos, don’t feel pressured into adding a fifth picture that’s doesn’t stack up against the others.
Posting between 4-6 photos is the optimal number for your profile. Such a quantity gives your profile variety and depth while still leaving something left for the imagination. Here’s a Bumble profile example of a man with a solid variety of photos, less the selfie.
A recent Match Group study found that 72% of women want to partner that loves to travel. The heavily cited Hinge study that I’ve referenced probably one to many times also says that travel photos receive 30% more likes than the average profile picture. Though not all travel photos are alike.
Women prefer pictures that show users traveling to far off destinations rather than domestic ones. They also tend to prefer photos that suggest assimilation rather than merely posing next to a popular tourist destination.
Not only are these photos symbols of status that show off your more adventurous side, but they’re low hanging fruit when it comes to conversation starters.
Make your first Bumble bios photo a shot of you riding a dromedary through the Sahara and wait for the messages to pour in. If you haven’t done much travelling, take a fantasy trip with your match by listing the places you’d like to visit.
Struggling to identify which photos work for you –why not ask an expert? The next time you’re out with a couple female friends ask them to critique your profile. They’ll tell you exactly which photos do and don’t work for you.
If you don’t want to wait until your next outing, text them a couple photos and ask which one you should be slotting in as your new dating app profile photo. For a more algorithmic opinion, use Tinder’s smart photos feature. Should your friends not be giving you the feedback you’re hoping for, you can also use PhotoFeeler to solicit feedback from real women.
Profiles don’t afford you much room to maneuver. If you intend on making the most of any dating profile you need to treat it like poetry. This is to say, captivate your audience in a concise manner and never be redundant.
Wearing the same shirt in multiple photos is monotonous. If you’re only posting five photos there’s no reason why you should be seen wearing the same shirt twice. Girls will pick up on your lack of diversity and start deducting points in their head.
Everyone looks better in a suit and tie. The attire suggests status and importance. It doesn’t matter if a tuxedo isn’t your everyday attire. The point of a dating profile is to put your best self forward. Who doesn’t feel and look like they’re best self while wearing a tailor made suit on their way to a gala?
Need a second opinion when it comes to your online dating app profile photos? Need a complete overhaul of your current dating strategy. If so, book a new client 1-on-1 Skype session with Emyli, America’s premier dating coach, to give your online dating profiles and overall dating strategy a makeover that will yield results.