With the ever-increasing popularity of online dating sites it seems like just about everybody looking for a relationship has a profile somewhere on the Internet. With all that potential competition, it can be hard to stand out. It is possible to come off as witty and interesting enough to attract potential suitors based entirely on the strength of your profile alone, but without anything new and different to offer even the strongest profiles are going to be ignored by countless would-be romantic partners. Miscellaneous updates aside, most dating site profiles are static and unchanging. They will tell a people the bare minimum about a person and nothing else; they don’t reflect how a person changes from day to day. These relatively minor changes may not be reflected in a dating profile, but they can be reflected in a regularly updated blog.
Blogging can be a great way to give people some valuable insight on what kind of person you really are, just like reading other people’s blogs can be a great way to get to know them. With a blog, you can discuss your interests, opinions, and day-to-day life in a way that you never could in a typical dating site profile.
Advantages of blogging
As an example of how blogs can be useful in helping people get to know each other online, imagine that you’re on a dating site and you come across a profile of a typical college guy. His profile might say where he lives, what she studies in college, or what kind of music he likes. Overall, it could be pretty standard stuff that probably isn’t any different from the thousands of other profiles on the same site. You might think he’s cute or that he might have some of the same interests as you, but based on what little his profile says he might come off as largely unremarkable after all is said and done. As you’re ready to move on to the next profile, you notice that he has a blog either on the same site or linked to his profile. In it you might find out that he absolutely loves your favorite movie, or that he has recently discovered a band that you’ve been listening to for years, or that he has a keen insight into politics. Suddenly, he’s a lot more interesting than the thousands of girls who don’t divulge much about themselves other than that they “love to laugh.”
In short, reading a traditional dating site profile is like being introduced to a person; reading a person’s blog is like getting some insight into who they really are as a person.
Another advantage to having a blog in addition to (or perhaps instead of) a dating site profile is that blogs tend to be more spontaneous and off-the-cuff. Anyone who has taken the time to create a profile with any depth has probably put forth a lot of effort into thinking about how they want to present themselves. It can seem deliberate, calculated, and even forced if used incorrectly. While there are plenty of people who put forth the same effort into blogging, there are just as many people who are perfectly happy just sitting down after a long day and typing whatever is on their minds. There are obvious disadvantages to writing like this, but that kind of raw, unfiltered emotion can be refreshing as well. At the very least that kind of writing shows off a little more of one’s personality, and when it comes to dating that’s what you really want to know about someone.
Starting and maintaining blog
Not only is blogging a perfect way to meet new people, but starting and maintaining a blog is very easy. Many dating sites have the option of starting a blog or journal, and if you happen to be a part of a site that doesn’t have that option there are still plenty of sites that allow you to start a blog for free. LiveJournal, Blogger, and Wordpress are all good sites, but there are countless more out there for those willing to search. Not only is blogging a lot of fun, but it can really be a good way to let others know more about you.
