Single and seeking love?
Sean Rad, CEO of Tinder, the hot dating app from InterActivCorp (IAC) spinout Match Group (MTCH), offered pro tips on creating an effective dating profile to the audience at the New Yorker’s 2016 TechFest on Friday.
“We have sociologists on staff who look at this stuff all day long,” he said. “What gets you the most swipes from a sociological perspective? What are people looking for?”
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There are a few tricks, Rad said, citing the research of Tinder’s social scientists and data analysts. “If you’re smiling in a photo it’s better,” he said. “Wear bright colors to stand out. Write something in your bio. If you showcase one of your interests, you’ll stand out,” he said.
Another piece of data to consider: Some jobs perform better with prospective love interests than other ones, according to a ranking of professions displayed on slides flanking the stage during the interview. The most right-swiped men claim to be pilots, founder/entrepreneurs, and firefighters, in that order, the list said. For women, most matches go to physical therapists, interior designers, and, again, founder/entrepreneurs.
Of course, there is no foolproof recipe for portraying oneself as irresistible. Rad fell back on the cliché of “being yourself.”
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With the flood of photos we’re served online these days, between Facebook (FB) and Instagram and everywhere else, Rad said he believes that people are “better than ever before” at interpreting the intent behind images. And that fact has some surprising consequences, too.
“Model photos don’t work on Tinder,” Rad said, refuting the wide-held perception that people using the service are only looking for good-looking mates. “They just don’t work.”
“Put a monkey on your head,” he said. “Whatever your passions are, that gets the best response.”
Correction 10/14/16 (5:35 P.M.): A previous version of this story misquoted Tinder CEO Sean Rad. He said that smiling in a photo is “better,” not “bad.”