Last week, I joined many of my single brethren and turned to online dating in a moment of desperation set up an OkCupid profile.
I’ve got to say that so far it’s been pretty good . . . also weird. Like, really, really weird.
Why? Because, honestly, it wasn’t that different from setting up a LinkedIn or Google+ account.
Only instead of listing my college degrees I named various video games I like. (Nerd girl charm FTW!)
While promoting yourself for business or romantic purposes have very different ends (I would hope), it turns out the methods are pretty much the same.
So, whether you’re trying to get more viewers to your blog or are just struggling to build business partnerships, here are four valuable entrepreneurial lessons you can learn by creating an OkCupid profile.
1. Personal Branding
When you first log on to OkCupid you may be surprised to find yourself competing for attention with roughly 9871237419027843 members.
That means you always need your best digital foot forward with the same things that made up any good Linkedin profile or “About Me” page.
This includes: a well-cropped photo of you looking approachable, a clever name/tagline, and prose that demonstrates a working understanding of the English language.
Most of all, you need an engaging and uncluttered bio that moves the eye down the page to the important bits.
Friendlyguy88 with his profile pic of him playing frisbee with a dog and funny catch line is bound to get more clicks than a shot of blurry abs. (And no, your ab definition isn’t the issue. They look fine, I promise.)
2. Effective Communication
Whether you’re looking to partner with another freelancer or just partner off in general, you’ll need the ability convince people of your worth.
No one wants to do all the giving. More than that, they don’t want to work with someone who seems, for lack of a better phrase, scuzzy. The best idea in the world seems terrible if it comes from the shadiest person ever.
On OkCupid, you’ll get a wealth of messages that either contain far too little information (I get a lot of “hi” and “hey”) or suggest a relationship that certainly hasn’t been earned (like the guy that asked me to go camping).
And as fate would have it, this is the same problem people have when they send e-mails asking to guest posting or work with someone else. Either they provide some kind of vague promise or they’ll write a short novella with at least eight misspellings.
In either case a clear, well-tempered message outlining exactly what you want and how you can work together is what gets attention. Be concise, be intelligible, and show that you’re willing to help the other party get what they want. They have needs too!
3. Sorting Good & Bad Connections
On the flip side of this equation, is learning how to spot when flaky people are trying to contact you. Or even just identifying the ones that aren’t real.
OkCupid is full of profiles clearly made by stock photos that have gained self-awareness.
(One was just a picture of a flower that said it had never done drugs. My sister and I concluded it was an actual flower.)
While most of the spammers that reach out to you promising professional bliss are obvious, a few of them are borderline. Sometimes people that aren’t real will not only e-mail, you they’ll have a few social media accounts and maybe even some articles.
Learn how to dig. If they’re not on the level, you’ll soon discover them lurking on nonsense-spewing crawler site. Most of all, don’t forget to key an eye out for stock photos in profiles. Real people don’t post their pore-free faces in front of all-white backgrounds.
4. Taking Risks That Pay Off
Perhaps I should have stated this up front (and not 800 words in), but I’m not trying to make fun of people that use OkCupid.
Not only would that be ridiculously hypocritical, it takes guts to foray into online dating. As soon as you slap that profile together you’re basically saying, ”Who thinks I look attractive/interesting enough to date?”
When you decide to start a business online, you have to take a lot risks and undergo a lot of rejection trying to get off the ground. Sometimes, it’ll hurt.
But the mere fact that you’re putting yourself out there is already a triumph. Making yourself vulnerable, whether romantically or professionally, is the only way to achieve something great.
So whether you’re struggling find a takers in an affiliate marketing program or just trying to answer, “How often do you want your significant other to call?” I commend you. You got guts.
Also just skip that question about calling people. The answer is WAAAAY to loaded.