Placing an Ad

Dating adverts are a great way to attract new and interesting people, and the way you write your ad will make a huge difference in the number and quality of responses. Here is your chance to reveal your personality and sell your best traits. If you want to attract the most suitable singles, you have to plan very carefully what you are saying in your ad. However, you may find it difficult to describe yourself in a few words without sounding corny or like you're bragging, so here are a few tips:

• Have a look at other people's ads, and see what words you think work well, and then piece them together to form your own character map.
• It's essential to include your age, and if you are advertising in a national publication, the area in which you live.
• Provide as much information about yourself as possible, as long as it's relevant, without revealing details that are too personal. The more information you provide about yourself, the more likely someone will realise that they have something in common with you.
• Make sure you include unique traits of your personality, something that makes you stand out from the crowd.
• Don't be too vague (see our example ads, below).
• Emphasize your positive traits. If you are energetic, active, sexy, or romantic, make sure you say so.
• Avoid any negative points, or any kind of problems you are currently having. People are usually interested in what they will gain from dating you, rather than in the emotional baggage you might bring into the relationship.
• Think of your target audience. Who do you want to attract and what traits of your personality do you think they would be interested in?
• Men are interested in knowing a woman's body type – slim, curvy, petite, full-figured.
• Women are interested in knowing how tall a man is, so make sure you include that detail.
• Make sure you are clear, specific, and realistic about your preferences, but don't be too demanding as this might scare away your potential dates.
• If the publication allows it, don't forget to give a nice and attractive headline to your profile. It should be short and creative to catch the reader's eye. An appropriate quote or a short summary of what has been said in your profile can make a catchy headline.

Example Adverts