Dating Tips and Advice | Dating Blog

Choosing a username for your online dating profile is the first important step in making the right impression. A dating profile username is the first thing someone will notice and will determine if they read your dating profile or not. If you pick the wrong username people will skip your profile and move on to the next.

The sequence is usually to look at the username first, then the photo and if they like what they see then they read the rest of your profile to find out more about you.

Anyone who has joined an online dating site has had the frustration of repeatedly getting the “username taken” message until they just put in any old thing just to get registered. This can be a big mistake as you can’t change your username and it isn’t just a means of logging in to the site.

Try to think of the username as a product brand name, you may be attracted by a toothpaste called ‘clean and fresh’ but I doubt you would be so keen to try it if it were called ‘makes you gag’. Your username can have the same positive or negative effect on people browsing profiles.

Here are 4 easy steps to help you choose a fresh and appealing username for your dating profile.

1. Write down the things that interest you, for example I like to travel, am an avid reader of Terry Pratchett and am addicted to drinking latte. You can then start to create on paper usernames that you think would identify your interests like ‘travelbug’, ‘LastStopCairo’ or ‘AddictedtoLatte’.

Try to choose usernames that can be shortened, as typing ‘addictedtolatte’ in a chatroom would be tiresome and difficult for slow typers. However ‘latte’ is easy and quick to type.

You have to be careful here because if you use ‘takemeplaces’ this could suggest you are looking for someone to pay your way on your travels. Also if your profile suggests you once went to Scotland for your holidays that wouldn’t suggest a world traveller. Choose things that are an appropriate reflection of your lifestyle and interests.

Write down a number of options and avoid using numbers. If you end up as longlegs27 and someone is interesting in finding your profile again the chances are they will remember longlegs but will soon get bored looking through 27 profiles called longlegs to find yours.

Avoid too much emotion, using words like lonely or love in a username can suggest someone who is needy or desperate.

Don’t get carried away and call yourself ‘AvidRunner’ if you just like a gentle jog or the chances are you will meet someone that runs ten miles a day and expects you to be able to keep up. You will not look attractive lying on the pavement trying to breath and throwing up.

2. Choose a username that is appropriate for the site you are joining and the relationship you are looking for. If you are joining an adult ‘free love’ site then a username like “bigandhard” may be appropriate but if you are looking for someone to date and perhaps even get serious with then this would give entirely the wrong impression and invite the wrong type of people to contact you.

If you are unsure of the level of relationship you are looking for then avoid using emotion or sexual innuendo in your username and stick with your interests.

3. Take inspiration from things around you, pick up a favourite book and look at the characters names or a cd for a favourite song. However be a little creative, don’t just call yourself Kylie or Sting, choose a song title and work something out from there.

Examples from those two artists would be ‘covermewithkisses’, ‘DesertRose’ or ‘Valparaiso’. Valparaiso would be a great username because unless the interested person was a Sting fan they would be curious as to it’s meaning and this gives them an opportunity to contact you and ask about it.

4. Browse the other usernames on the site(s) you wish to join and see which ones appeal to you and which do not. This will give you ideas for what works and what doesn’t. If you are put off by ‘ManicDepression’ but want to read more about ‘fun2talk2′ then this should tell you something.

Don’t just look of profiles of your gender, look at your opposite gender too and see what makes you want to read more. If ‘LostinParis’ makes you want to get in touch and ask for the story behind the username then that person has chosen well and may give you ideas for a username you can use yourself.

Once you have chosen a username that is available on the site you are joining make sure you reflect that in your profile, so if you are “addictedtolatte” then mention your addiction to coffee in your profile.

Adding a question to a profile makes it easier for people to contact you, because you have already offered them the opportunity to get in touch and answer you. This can be linked in to your username, for example “I have a latte addiction, what are you addicted to?” or “I recently returned from visiting Cairo. What’s the most interesting place you have been to recently?”