How Long Should Your Online Dating Profile Be?

"How long should my online dating profile should be?"  Here at Next Evolution Matchmaking, this is a fairly common question. When it comes to profile length, there are 3 typical lengths.

Short form profiles

These are profiles that are approximately 50 and 150 words.

Mid length profiles

These are profiles that are approximately 150 to 300 words.

Long form profiles

These are online dating profiles that are 300 words or more. 

The question is, which profile will be the most conducive to success?

To the surprise of many, I am a huge advocate of the long form profile.

Short form profiles don't really leave enough room for creativity, nor do they truly establish ones personality. 

Mid length profiles are often long enough to spark attraction, but not quite as effective as the long form profile.  Why? This can mainly be attributed to the natural progression of the average online dater when he or she looks at someone else's profile.

Most online daters tend to skim profiles the first time they read them, looking for commonalities or things they like about the person.  Following this logic, the longer your profile is, and the more info it has, the more others will find reasons to interact with you.  People who interact with you will eventually read your profile word for word.  But this usually doesn't come until after they have began exchanging messages with you.

But won't people instantly click off of a long form profile?

The key to success with a long form profile all depends on the structure.  If you write 400 words that are divided into 2 long paragraphs, nobody will ever read it, let alone skim it.

On the other hand, if you divide those 400 words into six mini paragraphs, that are 2 sentences each, with each paragraph focusing on a different aspect of your personality and interests, people will scan the profile to see what you are all about.  If they find enough things that they like about you, they will proceed to a conversation, and eventually, will read the profile in it's entirety.

This is why the best profiles are designed to both be scanned, and read like an engaging and fun short story.   So don't be afraid to go long.  And if you need a little help, you can also read some more free advice on the subject on our website, or speak with one of our profile writing specialists.