Online Dating Advice

Writing a headline for your Online Personal Ads is both an art – and a skill. If you do the job well, you’ll be amply rewarded. And if you don’t – you can easily get burned.

Just ask a Fire Eater if he knows what I’m talking about!

Your Online Personal Ads should be written with your reader’s interests in mind. And the headlines at the top of your Personal Ads should accomplish two things – and they must accomplish them in a fraction of a second:

First, they must absolutely “target your reader.” In other words, they should select, from the crowd of people who are reading your ads, your perfect lover (or date, potential wife/husband, or whatever it is you’re looking for). This means that your Personal Ads should “qualify” your readers – right in the headlines themselves.

And the headlines of your Personal Ads should also convey some meaningful benefits. (Take a look at the headline of this post as a good example).

Personal Ads are truly a sophisticated art form. When you sit down to write your Personal Ads, you are really both a Story Teller and a Sales Strategist – combined.

You’re a Story Teller in that your Personal Ads should get your readers emotionally involved in your story. And you’re a Sale Strategist because you’ll have a goal in mind while your Personal Ads are telling your story!

The Headlines of Online Personal Ads

Here’s an example which shows how your Personal Ads can get your readers “emotionally involved” –

World Famous Author Searching for the Star of his Next Romance Novel

Can you see how this headline will appeal to women who get turned on by famous men, accomplished men, and romantic men – all rolled up into one?

And what are the benefits implied by this headline? You can read into this in all kinds of different ways, but let me suggest a few for starters. When a woman reads this headline she’ll imagine herself with an accomplished guy who has money. (And here’s a hint: women get turned on by this big time!) Women love romantic guys too. What this translates to are romantic vacations to beautiful tropical islands, romantic cruise ships, Valentine’s Day gifts, and more. But it’s not just that the author is world famous (although that, in itself, is plenty!) but also that he sees his future partner as “a Star” and therefore (again, implied) he’s not a self-centered guy who thinks only about his own pleasure. Can you appreciate this entire package coming from one well-written headline?

When you sit down to write the headlines of your own Personal Ads, put yourself in the shoes of your readers and ask yourself “What’s in it for me?”

In other words, why should your audience continue reading past the headlines of your Personal Ads – and onto the text below? And why should your readers respond to your Personal Ads? When you can think of some very compelling reasons in response to both of these questions, then translate your answers into great headlines and you’ll be on your way to getting lots of replies!

If you’d like some help with the headlines of your Personal Ads, please feel free to contact me here. I’ll be happy to give you some feedback!

Talk to you soon!

Jay Reiss, M.S.W.
The Online Dating Coach