The Internet is a magical place full of wonder and excitement. And if Rule 34 has taught us all anything, it’s that if you can think of it, it exists somewhere on the Internet. That includes true love, a fling or whatever else you might be looking for.

Online dating shouldn’t be hard. I mean, you fill out a bunch of basic info, add some pictures and send out some really suave opening lines and boom. Online dating. Well, I guess that makes it sound really simple, but there’s a little more to it. What do I put in my bio?  Should I clean my mirror before I take a picture of myself? Is sending a picture of my penis an appropriate pickup line? (It’s not, don’t do it). Creating an online profile is like making a resume, except it’s not boring because if someone reads your profile and their first thought is that you’d be good for a job then you’re doing everything wrong.

I’ll start with the easy bit. Posting a picture of yourself on an online dating site is a lot different than posting one for Linkedin. You’re not looking for interviews; you’re looking for dates. Sure, you might look cool in that suit and tie, but chances are that’s not enough. Think about what you’re saying with every picture you post. If you’re a guy and posting shirtless pictures and are expecting a long-term deal, then be prepared to have an empty inbox. Post pictures of yourself having fun, even something artsy. Based on statistics that I just made up you’re 70% more likely to get replies when it looks like you’re enjoying yourself in your picture.

Once your potential SO or FWB has been intrigued enough to actually click on your profile, you need to leave them with something that’ll actually make them want to talk to you. Listing out all the reasons the reasons why they should talk to you is a bad start.

1) Lists are boring.

2) It’s just fact.

3) After fact.

4) After fact.

5) You’re not a Buzzfeed article.

Tell a story. Making things exciting. The number one rule in writing is never directly tell the audience anything. Show them. Give them stories or mildly clever lines. Turn “I’m really cool” into “I make ice cubes look like hot chocolate.” Leave people wanting to know about you. Don’t give them everything they need to know, be a little mysterious. Turn “I like climbing” into “I climbed a mountain and didn’t die.” “Buy me a steak and we’ll talk more” or something like that. Telling you climb and leaving it at that is kind of dull and that’s the last thing you want to be.

Online dating is supposed to be fun. So if there’s one thing that I want you to take away from this, it’s that you should just have fun. When you’re having fun, people will be drawn to you and it makes the whole experience much more exciting. Next time, I’ll go over some pick up lines. What are your best ones?

And in the meantime, try out some of the stuff you’ve read on myTamilDate.com.