Best online dating photo tips from around the internet

In a rut with your online dating photos? Here’s a compilation of tips to give you some ideas

1. Expand your body language

According to this NPR article:

“An expansive, open posture involves widespread limbs, a stretched torso and general enlargement of occupied space,” says Tanya Vacharkulksemsuk, a social psychologist at the University of California, Berkeley and lead author on the study published Monday in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

For the 144 speed daters, Vacharkulksemsuk says, “expansiveness nearly doubles chances of getting a yes [to see each other again.]”

Separately, she and her colleagues had three men and three women create two dating profiles each on a popular dating app. (All six participants were white and heterosexual). Their profiles were identical in every way except the pictures in one profile were all expanded postures, while its twin had all contracted poses.

2. Experiment with different pictures

Lauren Urasek, an online dater in New York City, made headlines in recent years for being the most popular female user on OkCupid, and she’s been sharing her best advice. According to this Examiner article:

I definitely realized some pictures got more of a positive response than others. When I was originally on OkCupid, I’d probably change my profile picture every couple weeks or so because I always wanted to have the most current photo up. Also, it’s been shown that if the same people on the dating app see your picture again and again, (even if they’ve never messaged you), they’re likely to just skip by you. However, if you change your picture often, you’re more likely to get a better response because people think it’s a new person at first glance.

For me, selfies in natural lighting with my shoulders up always got the best response. If I posted a far away shot of me doing something, it didn’t get a good response. Now with the dating app The Grade, you don’t have to guess what photo gets the best response and it makes it that much easier.

3. Selfies may help you or hurt you

According to this article in Time:

Whether or not you think selfies are embarrassing, they do impact online dating profiles, for better or worse. Female profiles with selfies get 4% more messages, while guys took an 8% hit.

“People who want to date women, whether that’s men or women, seem to be more concerned about authenticity and is this person heavily filtering this picture,” says Braley. But for men, she wonders if they are lacking skills in the art of the selfie. But get this — full-body photos net users (either men or women) 203% more pick-ups on the site. So, invest in a selfie stick, and start working on your technique!