Don’t underestimate the power of your headline.  Next to your photo, it is one of the most powerful marketing tools of your online dating profile.

A good headline can draw crowds of people, even if you don’t have a photo.  A bad headline however… can make you all but invisible.

In no particular order, here are the 10 worst headlines out there… so common and boring that people don’t even see them as they skim through ads.  Use these and fail.

Number 10

HEADLINE: “Insert funny headline here.”

WE THINK: “Wow, people are still using this tired old line?”

This wasn’t funny years ago, and everyone has seen it dozens of times since.  Be creative. If you’ve seen it somewhere before, it’s old news.

Number 9

HEADLINE: “Clever headline #28492”

WE THINK: “Ugh, at least it isn’t ‘Insert funny headline here!’”

This lame old headline just won’t die.  Do you really want something this boring and unoriginal to be the first thing people read about you?

Number 8

HEADLINE: “how abot diner and drniks”

WE THINK: “You can’t even spell properly in your headline? Is our first date going to be at Chuck E Cheese?”

There is NO excuse for spelling errors in your headline, and yet it is so common.  First impressions are everything, and your headline counts.  The “dinner and drinks” headline itself is also overused.

Number 7

HEADLINE: “Love to laugh.“

WE THINK: “So? Who doesn’t?”

People write this as if it makes them unique… but have you ever known anyone who didn’t enjoy laughing?  Although this headline intends to display value by making you look special, it actually reduces your value by showing that you are average.

Number 6

HEADLINE: “I’m looking for someone special.”

WE THINK: “Wow, I’ve just been hanging out here waiting to show myself to someone who was LOOKING for someone special! Now that you’re here, I’m saved!”

Because you are looking for someone special, does it mean that the truly special people should come check you out?  Nope.  No one cares what you are looking for, they only care what they are looking for.  Use your headline to build your own value.

Number 5

HEADLINE: “Hmm, I don’t know what to write here.”

WE THINK: “Stumped already? Our first date is going to suck.”

If you can’t think of your own headline, you’re either heavily medicated and should not be out dating or you lack any thought processes at all.  There is no excuse.  None.  Steal something off the front page of Yahoo if you have to.

Number 4

HEADLINE: “I’ll fill this in later.”

WE THINK: “Too lazy to even write a headline? I can’t imagine how much fun our relationship will be…”

If you can’t be bothered, why should anyone else bother with you?  Seriously, laziness is one of the biggest turn offs there is.

Number 3

HEADLINE: “One last try…”

WE THINK: “One last try… because you’ve struck out so many times already?”

Showing weakness or failures is never a great way to get anyone attracted to you.

Number 2

HEADLINE: “Single and looking.”

WE THINK: “Really?  On an online dating site? Shocking.”

This redefines redundant, and tells the reader nothing more than that you are exactly the same as the other 50,000 people reading the site that day.

Number 1

HEADLINE: “Hello,” or “Hi.”

WE THINK: “Nice to meet you, I’ll be going to read some INTERESTING headlines now.  Bye!”

This is definitely one of the most common and boring headlines out there. It is completely uncreative and lacking any effort. People won’t even see it listed amongst the other interesting and funny headlines out there.

And there you have the top 10 most useless online dating headlines.  These also fail as subject lines for first emails.  The rule is, always be interesting, exciting, funny, or fascinating.  Never, ever be average.

Happy dating!