Cupids Dating Blog

Now, a lot of people have trouble making a good profile and a lot of people look at the issue and say there should be a course called "Dating Profiles: Marketing 101." I think that’s one of the problems people have with online dating - they feel awkward about advertising themselves, so to speak. We all wish our relationships could start out feeling more organic, natural and comfortable.

Both sides of this issue make a lot of sense to me. On the one hand, I find the idea that the marketing world is entering the sphere of personal relationships categorically disturbing, and I don't like the idea of strategically constructing an image of myself. On the other hand, you can't just expect people to know you for who you really are right away. People will look at your profile and create an image of who you are that may not resemble you at all. The one thing marketing can teach you is that you have to be aware of who your audience is and communicate in ways they will understand.

These "marketing" issues aren't a bad thing. All it really means it that you have to recognize that good communication is important. It's also important to remember that while these problems are perhaps more apparent when it comes to putting together a profile, we really do the same things any time we meet someone, in any context.

The problem I do have with things that try to condense wisdom into stuff like the "Top 10 Dating Rules" is that they homogenize things. They tend to make us think that we have to conform to some kind of generic image. The thing that most marketing courses forget to tell you is that while you have to be communicative and understand your audience, you can also target a very specific audience and even create one. Some of the most beautiful personals I've ever seen are the ones that are quirky, that make me laugh and that manage to make me curious simply by being different.