I had an expert revamp my dating profile, here’s what happened

Put your best digital foot forward.

Like many young, single, phone-addicted girlies, I dabble in the dating app game. But making a profile for the purpose of selling myself often feels like an exercise in self-dissection, stand-up comedy and cover letter writing all rolled into one. 

Fortunately, when making my profile for Bumble, I had access to the endless wisdom of the app’s Asia Pacific Communications Director, Lucille McCart. Lucille’s job involves speaking to users both in Australia and abroad, so she’s super clued in on how people swipe, judge and connect. 

Interested to hear how others navigate the world? Head to our Life section.

I presented her with a case – a 26-year-old bisexual with limited dating experience, picky tastes and an aversion to earnestness – and placed my profile in her very capable hands. Now, I pass her advice on to the internet at large, so your profiles may also thrive and your romantic cups may runneth over. 

Bios

I hate writing bios. It’s true I pay my rent by writing things and therefore should be good at stringing words together, but writing an ‘about me’ makes me sweat.

Lucille’s number one rule for bios is to lead with positivity. As she explains, “If you’re saying things like ‘not looking for this, not looking for that’ and giving a shopping list of what you don’t want, people are turned off, even if they fit your criteria.” 

She advocates for a more positive spin, like saying “looking for a meaningful connection” instead of “no casual hookups”. She also warned against self-deprecation for similar reasons and pointed out dating apps are one of the only environments where it’s A-okay to give yourself an excellent rap.

My favourite piece of advice, however, was to get a friend to write your bio for you. The logic being they know you well and can talk you up without the burden of insecurity. Eager to shift responsibility, I asked a few of my cleverest pals to submit bio options. I had a good laugh because my friends are funny and perfect, before picking my favourite lines from each of them. 

Photos

There are a few (hopefully) obvious no-gos when it comes to photo selection – no group photos up top, no sunglasses, no dramatic filters. Basically, make it easy for people to see your face and know who you are within their first few seconds on your profile.

Photos of hobbies and activities are a tried and true tactic. I like to think of them as a well-intentioned trap, giving potential suitors both a glimpse of your life as well as a built-in conversation starter.

Lucille mentioned a woman she once spoke to who uploaded a photo of herself in a plane’s cockpit and received more matches, compliments and messages than ever before. While I’ve never done anything as cool as flying a plane, I achieved a similar effect with a photo of me playing Dungeons & Dragons (no, really). 

On the surface, it’s just a really cute picture. But for people who recognise the tools of the trade, it signifies a common interest and offers an easy in for opening lines.

Prompts and badges

One of Bumble’s small but powerful features is the badge that announces your dating intentions – whether you’re hunting down a serious relationship, there for casual fun or somewhere in the middle.

Lucille advises taking full advantage of this feature saying, “Often the person who wants to casually date ends up on a date with the person that wants a relationship, and that’s when things get complicated. So I’m an advocate for putting it all out there.” She also suggests tailoring the vibe of your prompts to your dating goals, and always using badges and other Bumble features to give people clues about you and open the floor for conversation.

Personally, I chose the ‘don’t know yet’ dating intention badge option and opted for fun and flirty prompts, but avoided any one-word, deadend answers. I also followed Lucille’s suggestion to link my Spotify top artists to my profile, in hopes of attracting other cliché sexy sad girls who listen to too much Mitski.

Swiping and troubleshooting

I preemptively asked Lucille what to do if I found my new profile wasn’t working for me. She suggested a full audit of my bio, photos and prompts to ensure I was uplifting and funny, I was leading with my best content and I was representing myself well.

Lucille also told me to think about my own swiping habits and reminded me that receiving no matches doesn’t mean people aren’t swiping on you. She recommends being open-minded, expanding my standards (but not lowering them, of course) and taking chances on people whose profiles make me laugh or intrigue me, even if they’re outside my usual type. 

Step up your online dating game and head on over to Bumble.