5 Tips For Dating App Photos That Grab Women's Attention
Ditch the selfies! Good tips for dating app photos for guys include raising your arms, do something interesting, and smiling in pictures.
There's no "one photo" that appeals to all women, so you need a balanced portfolio that shows women what you enjoy doing in your free time. The more photos you have, the better!
Zoosk found that profiles with more than four photos get more messages than those with fewer photos. eHarmony found people who had four or more photos on their profile had the most success getting people to initiate conversations online.
What type of pictures should you use? Here are 5 good tips for dating app photos that help your results on any dating app.
1. Show some pride by raising your arms!
A little known photo tip is raising your arms above your head. Women find men displaying pride as very attractive.
Why do women find pride attractive? Pride can be associated with higher levels of masculinity, which in turn show a man's ability to provide and care for his family
How do you display pride? Imagine yourself raising your arms in victory after throwing the winning touchdown pass in the Super Bowl. It's as easy as that.
One study, Happy Guys Finish Last: The Impact of Emotion Expressions on Sexual Attraction, found "men are made most attractive by displaying pride."
Researchers had women view photos of men in different emotional states, including:
- happiness (smiling broadly)
- pride (head tilted up, expanded chest, and arms raised above head in fists)
- shame (head tilted down and narrowing chest)
- a neutral (non-emotional) expression
Women were asked to judge an image of men in different positions. Researchers measured the sexual attractiveness of men based on their emotions in photos.
The study discovered men who raised their arms above their heads were rated most attractive by women.
When women rated the sexual attractiveness of men in various photos, pride was the winner.
You can easily display pride by raising your arms above your head. It's best to take a photo outside, preferably on a hike with a picturesque background.
Men doing this pose are found to be attractive to women.
Once I read the study, I immediately went on a hike so I could take the photo below (as seen on my Hinge profile). The impact on my results was huge as several women liked my photo and even started conversations with me. I recommend adding a picture like the one below to your profile.
Women comment on this type of photo at an amazing rate.
2. Do something fun in your pictures.
OkCupid found that people whose photos portrayed them doing something interesting were more likely to receive messages that led to a real conversation. A photo of yourself doing something fun can prompt women to send you an icebreaker.
You want to show the real you in your profile pictures. Images of yourself engaging in your hobbies, passions, or talents show women what you do in your free time, while also showing what you look like.
Here are a few ideas you could add to your profile:
- scuba diving
- zip lining
- hiking
- sky diving
- racing
- mountain biking
- playing an instrument
- volunteering
- attending a sporting event
- cooking
- coaching youth sports
These are general ideas, but anything you do can work. Even a photo of yourself at work is better than a selfie taken inside your car.
For more fun photo ideas, visit my blog post, What Are Good Action Photos For A Dating Profile? 5 Tips For Great A Pic!
Action photos are great additions to your profile portfolio
Hinge found men are 45% more likely to receive a like on a sports-related photo, playing a game, attending a sporting event, or physical activity. These types of photos outperformed nearly every other type of photo.
Zoosk found adding a vacation photo to your profile can get you up to 6% more messages. 6% may not seem like much, but it's better than zero.
Take the photo below from a profile on Bumble. It's an eye-catcher and stands out.
Add an action shot to your dating profile portfolio
Look at how many women start conversations based on the photo above. The picture does its job; it grabs women's attention and causes many to swipe right and initiated several conversations.
Fun photos are an absolute must because women don't like boring. Some women may strike conversations with you based on your photos. A good diverse portfolio increases the likelihood women respond to your icebreakers.
When you message a woman, she immediately looks at your dating profile. If she sees you have similar interests in your pictures, it impacts her decision to respond.
Photos of yourself doing fun things acts as proof you're not a guy who sits on his couch all weekend. You're more likely to start a conversation when you have a lot of photos showing your fun side.
Don't hesitate to ask someone to take a photo of you doing something fun. Ask a friend to take a quick picture.
Ask a stranger if you must. You don't have to tell people you need photos for your dating profile, "I want a photo so I can post on Facebook" or whatever works.
For more tips on this type of photo, you can visit Photofeeler's blog post, How to Look Fun in Photos.
3. Add a photo with your dog.
According to OkCupid, photos with animals are better than photos of you, "doing something interesting." Another study found 35% of women were more attracted to another pet owner.
75% of women wouldn't consider dating someone who did not like pets. Women find dog owners hot. Owning a dog shows you're protective, responsible, and selfless, among other things. These are all traits women adore.
Add a photo with your dog because it can boost your results.
A photo with your dog can boost results on dating apps, so don't hesitate to snap a picture with your pet. Also, no more than 1 picture of this type is necessary.
I must warn you, use this type of photo only if you have a pet dog. Don't fake owning a dog because there's a new term for people who do this; Dogfishing.
Dogfishing is borrowing a friend or family member's dog to take a photo to use on their dating profile. Do this at your own peril.
If you use a photo with a dog you don't own, women may get upset that you misrepresented yourself. You don't want to start a relationship off on a lie.
Woman on Tinder warning men to not do Dogfishing
4. Show you're sociable side.
You must add one photo of yourself with friends; male friends only. Using photos alongside others shows you're capable of having healthy relationships with people.
Women think, "This guy has a few friends, so he must be OK." A picture with friends acts as social proof; you aren't some loner.
Choose a natural setting and make sure you look happy in the picture. You only need one of these types of photos.
Women don't have time to figure out who you are, so make sure you're in the center of the photo. If you have to write a caption that says, "I'm on the far left"; don't use it.
Lastly, never use photos with women in your photos. Hinge found "standing with a member of the opposite sex is one of the worst things you can do. Even if the person is just a friend or family member, if it looks like it could be a significant other, your likes decrease by 98 percent."
It's a distraction when you use women in your photos. Women looking at your pictures will think, "Who is that? Is she an ex? Someone he likes?"
The last thing you want is taking the focus away from you in a photo. Adding women to your photos does that.
A photo of you with friends shows women you're sociable.
5. For goodness sake, SMILE!
I'm amazed at how many guys don't smile in the profile photos; nearly 40% of men don't smile in their photos. Smiling is THE MOST important thing you must do in your photos and studies back this up.
An analysis of over 86 research papers by The London School of Medicine determined the most effective profile picture is one with a genuine smile, looking at the camera, and with a slight tilt of the head.
Here are a few more facts about smiling in photos:
- Hinge found smiling in photos will increase your right swipes by 14%.
- Match.com found the first thing women look at in a photo is your smile and teeth.
- Hinge found you’re 76% more likely to receive a like/swipe when you smile with teeth.
- Photofeeler compared different facial expressions and found, "The smile always wins."
One of the most important tips for dating app photos is to smile. Women want to know that you are normal and not a creep. A smile a perfect intro.
Smile in your photos!
