The 21st century’s take on the self-portrait is overused and heavily criticised in some circles, but it can be an empowering expression of confidence even in later life!

Selfies have earned an unfair and negative reputation in the online dating world. We’ve got 5 reasons why selfies make great dating profile photos and everyone should at least consider them as part of their dating plan. Don’t miss out on this powerful online dating tool!

We all understand that photos are important if you’ve got an online dating profile. How many times have you clicked on a potential matches profile and gone straight to the photos and closed the profile because something in the photos turned you off? It’s important to make a good impression and have attractive photos that compel someone to read your profile and want to take the next step. It’s our experience that selfies can be an important part of that formula but shouldn’t be exclusively relied upon!

First, let’s clarify a few of the selfies that we’re not talking about:

Do not post half-naked selfies taken in the bathroom mirror or on your bed!
Do not post selfies taken with your sunglasses on!
Do not post selfies with poor lighting or bad photo quality!
Phew, now that we’ve got those out of the way, it’s time to talk about why selfies should be part of your online dating profile photo strategy.

1. You can take a selfie until it is great. You can take it over and over to get the perfect image that captures all the critical elements such as: eyes, a great smile, a flattering angle, clear image, good lighting, and some cleavage if you’re a woman or your shoulders if you’re a guy. Most of us are not going to ask a friend to keep taking a photo of us a hundred times until we get it right. When friends take photos you often fall into the trap of “it’s good enough.” Profile photos should not be just “good enough.”

2. You’ll get more profile views. You can put a new image in your profile every few weeks, which keeps your profile fresh, new and getting more clicks. Try out different colors and angles and see what gets more views or likes.

3. You’ll be more attractive to matches. You can make sure to post a recent and accurate photo of what you look like. Matches want to know your photos are recent. Put the date in the description, like “Enjoying a summer day June 2014.” In online dating, most people are very suspicious that your photos are old and misleading. When you date your photos and they are recent that builds trust and attraction. They know what they see is what they are going to get when they meet you in person.
4. It’s more private. You don’t have to tell people that you are online dating if you take some of your photos yourself. Not everyone wants to share their dating life with others. It’s better to post selfies than old or bad photos if you’re not sharing your dating life with a friend who can help take great photos for you.

5. Selfies are free! It’s free to take selfies if you have a phone with a camera or camera. You can take as many as you want and it does not cost you anything. If you don’t want to pay for professional photos, selfies are a great budget alternative.

If you’re using online dating sites to meet potential matches, it’s worth considering selfies as part of your photo plan so you can attract more potential matches. But remember to also include other great photos like full body recent images and images of you out doing fun activities as well as the selfies!