Your dating profile and your sales copy have more in common than you think. Both have about three seconds to grab attention, create desire, and get someone to take action. The difference is that one gets you a date, the other gets you a customer.
After studying thousands of dating profiles and sales pages, the parallels are uncanny. The psychology is identical, the stakes are high, and the competition is fierce.
The profile picture equals your headline
First impressions happen in milliseconds. On dating apps, a blurry selfie gets instantly rejected. In my experience, so too do photos with other women, holding fish, selfies in bathrooms, or any photo older than five years. In copywriting, a boring headline gets scrolled past just as quickly. Both need to stop the scroll and demand attention.
Your headline, like a great profile photo, should be clear, compelling, and impossible to ignore. It’s not about being the most attractive or the cleverest – it’s about being the most relevant to what your audience wants.
The best dating photos tell a story instantly. Mountain-top selfie? Adventure lover. Cooking photo? Domestic and creative. Similarly, your headlines should instantly communicate what you’re about. “We help businesses grow” is the equivalent of a bathroom mirror selfie—technically functional, but utterly forgettable.
The bio equals your value proposition
Dating app bios filled with ‘love to laugh’ and ‘looking for someone genuine’ are as generic as business copy that promises to ‘exceed expectations’ and ‘provide quality service.’
Specificity wins everywhere. Instead of ‘I love food,’ try ‘I’ve eaten my way through 47 different ramen shops and I’m still going.’ Instead of ‘We help businesses succeed,’ try ‘We’ve helped 200+ small businesses increase their revenue by an average of 43% in six months.’
The magic happens when you paint a picture of the experience. Great dating profiles create mini movies in your head, and great copywriting does the same thing. Instead of features, show the transformation. Instead of what you do, show what life looks like after working with you.
Swiping behaviour teaches us about attention spans
The average person makes split-second decisions constantly. Whether they’re swiping through potential matches or scrolling through your website, they’re ruthlessly efficient at filtering out anything that doesn’t immediately grab them.
This brutal efficiency means every word counts. Dating app users swipe through hundreds of profiles in a single session. Web users scan pages in 15-second bursts. Both audiences are looking for reasons to say no, not yes.
Make it scannable. Use white space. Lead with your strongest point. If someone only reads your first sentence, would they understand your value? If they only looked at your main image and headline, would they be intrigued enough to keep reading?
The conversation starter equals your email subject line
Getting the match is just the beginning, just like getting someone to your website is only the first step. The real work happens in the conversation that follows.
“Hey” gets ignored everywhere. Whether it’s the opening message on a dating app or your email subject line, generic doesn’t work. The most successful conversation starters are personal, intriguing, and specific. They reference something from the person’s profile or create curiosity about what comes next.
Great email subject lines work the same way. They’re personal when possible, they create intrigue, and they give just enough information to make you want more. ‘What’s your biggest concern about getting started’ beats ‘Just following up on my proposal’ every time.
Turn-offs that kill your chances
Some things are instant deal-breakers, whether you’re dating or doing business. Recognising these copywriting red flags can save you from losing potential customers before you even get started.
Profile red flags:
- Complaining about previous experiences, “If you’re going to ghost me, don’t bother”
- Being too vague, “I’m easy-going and love life”
- Oversharing personal drama
- Using outdated photos that don’t represent reality
Business copy red flags:
- Complaining about competitors or previous clients
- Being too vague about what you actually do
- Oversharing company internal processes nobody cares about
- Using outdated testimonials or irrelevant case studies
The biggest turn-off in both contexts? Making it all about you instead of about them. Nobody cares about your company’s 20-year journey or your love of hiking. They care about whether you can solve their problem or add value to their life.
Dating app copywriting tips for your actual profile
Since we’re here, let’s make your dating life better too. These copywriting principles work just as well for finding love as they do for finding customers.
Lead with specificity over generic statements. Instead of “I love music,” try “Currently obsessed with discovering bands with fewer than 1,000 monthly Spotify listeners.” Instead of “I’m funny,” share something that demonstrates your humour.
Create conversation starters in your bio. Mention something slightly unusual that gives people an easy way to message you. “I make the world’s most unnecessarily elaborate cheese toasties” is infinitely better than “I like cooking.”
Show, don’t tell your personality. Rather than saying you’re adventurous, share a photo from your last spontaneous road trip. Instead of claiming you’re creative, mention that weird art project you’re working on.
End with a soft call to action. “Message me if you know a better brunch spot than the one in my third photo” gives people a clear, low-pressure reason to reach out.
Your copywriting checklist: everywhere words matter
Your copy needs to work harder than you think. Every touchpoint is a chance to engage or lose someone forever. Here’s where your words are either working for you or against you:
Digital presence essentials:
- Website homepage headlines and subheadings
- About page opening paragraph
- Service descriptions and product pages
- Contact page copy
- Meta descriptions for search results
- Social media bios and post captions
- Email signatures
- Newsletter subject lines and opening sentences
Each of these micro-moments shapes how people perceive your brand. Your meta description might be someone’s first impression of your business. Your email signature could be the thing that makes someone curious enough to visit your website. Your social media bio might be what convinces someone to follow you or scroll past.
The dating app lesson applies everywhere: you never know which piece of copy will be the one that hooks someone. Make every word count, because in a world of infinite options, being forgettable is the only real failure.
The real lesson
Whether you’re looking for love or customers, the psychology remains the same. People want to feel understood, valued, and excited about what comes next. Great copywriting isn’t about manipulation or tricks. It’s about genuine connection and clear communication.
The best dating profiles feel authentic while being strategically crafted. The best business copy feels personal while being professionally polished. Both require you to understand your audience deeply and speak to their real desires, not just their surface-level needs.
Need a professional matchmaker for your copy?
Writing copy that converts is like dating – sometimes you need a wingman who knows what they’re doing. At MasterJack, we’re professional matchmakers who specialise in creating the perfect connection between your business and your ideal customers. We craft the headlines that stop the scroll, the value propositions that create desire, and the calls to action that seal the deal.
Whether it’s your website, newsletters, social media, or sales pages, we’ll help your brand find its perfect match with customers who can’t wait to work with you. Ready to swipe right on copy that converts? Let’s talk.