- Podcast host Ilana Dunn gives advice to nerds on her “Seeing Other People” podcast.
- She guides her listeners through transforming their dating app profiles, paying $95 each.
- She shared three tips for making dating profiles better, including how to choose photos.
Ilana Dunn knows dating — and she agrees it’s tough out there.
Dunn, 30, was once the lead content creator for Hinge, a dating app with about 20 million users. Now, she hosts the Seeing Other People podcast, which is about dating in the digital age. It recently reached 5 million downloads and has over 400 episodes.
Its popularity comes as singles complain of “swipe fatigue,” a frustration with online dating apps that has caused headaches for Bumble and Match Group, which owns Tinder and Hinge, and created a rush of new app startups for meetings.
Dunn told Business Insider that she sympathizes with modern lovers who have the daunting task of creating digital personas.
“Dating apps came out one day and never came with an instruction manual,” Dunn said.
There is hope, she added: A few simple tweaks to online dating profiles can help increase the chances of better matches.
In recent years, fans of her podcast have asked for help with their profiles. Dunn began charging $95 to revamp them, helping customers select the best photos and requests and curate how they share the story of who they are.
Dunn shared her top three tips to improve any dating profile.
1. Choose photos that show you doing what you love
Dunn says many lovers accidentally end up with bland profiles because they only choose photos where they think they look good. Alicia Windzio/Getty Images
Dunn said some fans fall prey to an obvious impulse — they only choose photos in which they think they look their best.
“They’re just posting the most attractive photos of themselves, or the ones they think someone would be attracted to,” she said.
It can end up looking like a random, bland collection of images, Dunn warned.
Instead, Dunn recommended finding photos that most effectively reflect one’s interests and personality. For example, Dunn once suggested a friend delete a gym selfie from their profile and upload a photo of a marathon they ran.
Dunn suggested a simple thought exercise: Think about how your friends might describe you to a stranger, then choose the photos that show the most important things a potential partner should know about you.
2. Put an easy dating idea on your profile
Naming a favorite cocktail or coffee spot on your profile can make date planning easier, Dunn said. Uwe Krejci/Getty Images
A common complaint from dating app users is that chats rarely translate into real-life dates. This year, Hinge added a feature that blocks users from matching new people if they have eight unanswered matches.
To encourage real-life plans, Dunn suggests planting a date idea somewhere on your profile, ideally related to food or drink you enjoy.
Sometimes it’s as easy as changing a statement you’re already making. For example, Dunn would change a response to the prompt “The only thing you need to know about me is…” from “I just moved to New York City” to “I’m looking for the best dollar in city”.
“It sends the signal, ‘We don’t have to beat around the bush. We can just get to the date,'” Dunn said.
She added that another strategy is to name your favorite cocktail or coffee order and then ask where you can find it on your profile.
3. Enter one of your answers to a prompt in the form of a list
Dunn mentioned the Jonas Brothers in her profile on the dating app — and that’s why she was matched with her now-husband. Francesco Prandoni/Getty Images
Dunn said more is better when it comes to listing your interests on your dating app profile.
You never know what word or phrase might spark a potential match’s interest, so put it all out there, she added.
Dunn recalled complying with Hinge’s request “I won’t shut up about…” when she was on the date. She initially listed just her dog, Zoe, but then went back and added the Jonas Brothers and Sugarfish, a buzzy chain of sushi restaurants in New York and LA.
Her future husband ended up texting her about the Jonas Brothers. The first dance at their wedding? “When You Look Into My Eyes,” by the Jonas Brothers.
“We’ve now been to 10 Jonas Brothers concerts together,” Dunn said. “We might not have met if this wasn’t on my profile.”
