So you’ve decided your about to take the plunge into online dating. In essence what you’re going to try to achieve is selling yourself, so before you go wading in and then end up starring blankly at the profile page, here a few pointers in writing a good personal ad.

 Many of the dating sites provide templates and questionnaires to help, but you will have to have some writing input into it with things like your profile name, hook line ( one sentence that sums you up ) and a bit about you.

 The internet dating gurus recommend writing a bit more about you then just a few sentences as the brief profiles tend to get passed over.

 It is important to describe yourself as honestly as possible. The questionnaire bit normally takes care of the weight, height, colouring, body type, religion, smoking/drinking preferences, education and profession. Be honest with this as trying to pretend your into the stock market to snare a rich chap or that you’re a 6 foot model when your not doesn’t do you any favours and wasting your own plus others time.

 When you think up your username try to steer clear of the ‘cutesy bunnies’ and ‘never found love’ types and don’t use anything that gives exact information about you. In your bit about you, you can mention hobbies and interests you like. Try and write with a personal touch instead of coming across cold and factual. Be humble but stay away from self-deprecating humour.

 Some good words to try and include – sophisticated, loving, generous, reliable, my colleagues describe me as…… affectionate, likes to cuddle, sensitive, caring, down to earth, looking for best friend.

 Words to defiantly avoid using (even if you are all of them) – great in bed, animal, great lover, erotic, uninhibited and other sexual connotations.

 Also spell check and check your grammar. People notice these things in a little box. It’s good also to include what kind of person you want to respond to your ad and also state if you are just looking for friendship, casual relationship or marriage material.

 As for posting a photo of you – the internet dating gurus reckon that the ads with photos get up to ten times more response then those without. So it’s your call on that one but if you do, choose you’re best recent photo and don’t even bother with a pretend picture of a model. Your profile might get rejected.