How to Come Up with the Best Bio for Indian Dating Apps
An engaging bio and about section on dating apps are your tickets to making a good, lasting first impression.
This guide is intended to give the formula to create a standout bio while staying true to who you are at your core—specifically for the Indian dating scene.
Before we introduce what a good bio can do for you, we must answer—What is a bio?
TLDR
Writing an effective bio for an Indian dating app is capturing your true, delightful self, but in a realistic way. After all, the objective is to appeal to the one who really admires you. Be creative and honest about sharing your values and expectations, and be mindful of the tone as well as the content of your words. It helps to use humor, asking questions, owning your personality quirks. Avoid using cliches, perfectionism, people pleasing, oversharing, or being vague.
What Is A Bio?
Well, bio stands for ‘biography’ But just like we call it a bio, not biography, similarly, we want to create a short and sweet ad about what you are – and not your entire life story.
Remember playing those action video games as a kid, where you make you dressed your own character.
You decide how he looks, what clothes it will carry; whether it’d be rugged or a sports jacket, whether it would carry a weapon or just some tripping wires, if it has spectacles or a mustache, you probably even give him a little backstory.
Now, take that concept and apply it to your dating app.
In that respect, a bio is very much like an introductory character screen to other players—only in this case it’s a series of words and not an image you can dress.
"Think of your bio as your time to shine," when it comes to setting up your profile on a matchmaking app.
This is not just another filler about how you look and what you do in your free time; it is about capturing your personality in a few sentences. In fact the fewer, the better.
Because if we’re being totally honest, people don’t like to read about people that they don’t find attractive.
How to seem attractive in your first impression? The article “How to choose the best profile picture for a dating or a matchmaking app?” will tell you all you need to know about mastering first impressions!
So now we know what a bio allows people to get a glimpse of who you are, what you're passionate about, and what you're looking for in a match. Sort of like writing the perfect tweet or Instagram caption summarizing you but leaving them wanting more.
or let's say you're really into hiking and being outdoors. Your bio could be something like this:
"I am that kind who believes a perfect weekend starts with the sunrise hike and ends with the campfire under the stars. Always in the search for the new trails to conquer, obviously on the hidden spots, giving the best view. If you are somebody who would love to be smelling freshness in the air rather than fearing it, we could just hit it off. Bonus points if you suggest a great place for our first hike together!"
This bio does some important things. First, it shows who you are, since it is very clear that you like hiking and being outside.
It shows you’re adventurous, implying activity, which to a person of a similar social character would be very attractive.
Second, it is interactive in that it encourages the potential matches to share with other members of the site their best places that are most favorable to hike; thus, building a conversation starter within the bio.
Finally, it alludes to possibly meeting for a hike, a good way to take it off the app and into real life.
You narrow down from a very large pool based on compatibility: being specific about your love for hiking, you are most likely to narrow down to a person who loves hiking or at least enjoys his or her time outside
That's how important a great bio is. It is not your opportunity to list what you like and don't like, in a way your personal ad, your pitch to possible matches, and it says, 'Here is who I am, and here’s why you should get to know me'. Now that you know what a bio can do for you, let’s what other things are important when starting with writing a bio for a matchmaking app.
Highlight Who You Are As A Person
It’s obvious by now that your bio should showcase your unique flavor.
Witty, reflective, adventurous—these characteristics should come out.
How has culture affected your outlook in life or your lifestyle? Your Interests and Hobbies? Bollywood movies, classical music, or cricket—it won't matter much if you share those interests. They just might help make a difference.
Share Your Life Goals or purpose or mission that you’re invested in: Be it related to career or personal achievements, make the other person understand what you are all about.
Reflect on your values and speak with your match about this; it might help in bringing in matches who share the same life principles.
But more important than what you say, it might be of better value to you to know how you say something. That brings us to finetuning the tone
Fine Tuning The Tone Of Your Bio
The tone matters. Remember, the tone of your bio sometimes can communicate who you are rather than the contents of the bio themselves.
This is probably the most important subject matter given how undervalued or under-discussed it remains.
Words that a person chooses bring out a clear explanation of the personality of a person and what one likes.
Let’s bring in the previous topic of highlighting who you are as a person and see that I am a whole person beyond my hobbies, career, or life goals.
More importantly, how I share them out probably brings more of my real self. From my own life, I can tell you that this is probably the hardest thing to master and get our head around.
Let me share this with you through an example:
A bio says: “An out-of-the-box thinker, and I love to read about all things science and technology,”
This bio tells me the obvious. The person in the context is an out-of-the-box thinker who likes science and tech.
That’s fine, but there’s no personality, no flavor.
Now, here’s another bio: “Will take sugar on my Upma for lunch, and will consume science journals for breakfast.”
Now that’s a bio that stands out.
(For those unaware, Upma is an Indian breakfast dish made out of semolina and is usually savory in taste)
But why does it stand out?
Because of two reasons.
First is the ‘Show don’t tell’ principle.
Instead of telling you what I am like, I show you who I am like and you can decide for yourself.
This makes people want to engage more with you by using their mental faculties, instead of being spoon-fed information they cannot really use.
And the second reason is the tone.
Again, the tone matters. How you say something shows who you really are.
If I can say something with a pinch of humor, people know that I am witty, instead of telling people I am witty.
But the tone of your language or content is not detached from who you actually are. If anything, they both complement each other. And that brings us to our next topic.
The Art of Authenticity
To understand what authenticity is, we must understand what authenticity is not.
So what is not authenticity?
Let’s start with the first one—Clichés.
Clichés are cliches for a reason.
Why? Because it allows people to avoid going in-depth into their own character and rely on others' creativity instead. Except that it has become used, overused, and abused.
Clichés like "I live, laugh, love" don't really tell others who you are on a deeper level. And anyone not living under a rock can tell that it’s been used a million times before.
Or clichés like "loves long walks on the beach" tell me that you’re lazy and lack personal depth.
The second one is perfectionism.
Perfectionism is another word for pleasing everyone.
And to please everyone is to be liked by no one.
If your bio says “Fitness freak, avid traveler, 4X Olympiad winner, and wildlife and forest conservator,” you will always fall into the trap of trying to be the person others want instead of being yourself.
Your innate desire to be liked by everyone and mending your appearance just so everyone thinks you’re perfect may work on Instagram but isn’t going to work well on matchmaking apps.
Remember, Authenticity involves embracing your imperfections and being open about your failures as well as your successes.
The third one is blindly following trends.
Just because something is popularly projected does not mean it defines you.
It really is not authentic to take up every new trend, be it a fashion statement, a type of music, or a challenge on social media, when it does not really resonate with your true self.
Trends are fun to watch, but authenticity means that you hold onto those unique preferences and values that make you ‘you,’ even if they are not the kind of things that are "in" right now.
The following are the examples of bios that you must use ONLY for inspiration.
My idea of a fun Sunday afternoon: Hanging out at a supermarket 😂
Looking for someone who can appreciate vinyl over MP3s, classic cars over modern tech, and handwritten letters over texts. (P.S. I listen to Ghulam Ali and Jagjit Singh to focus.)
I care too much for plants and greens. That’s why I don’t eat them.
Looking for someone who's ready to pack a bag and explore the unknown, or just find the best local pizza.
Don’t text if you can’t go stationary shopping with me when I’m stressed 😅
Looking for someone as comfortable in a pair of running shoes as in a set of slippers, parked on the couch for a gaming marathon
What would you rather choose? Be eaten by a shark 🦈or be mauled by a bear 🐻
Khawa Karpo is the best — place in Bangalore. #IYKYK
Would you rather have a partner who is physically fit, or a partner with a high-paying job? 😉
Eat. Code. Repeat. Damn, I feel like a robot (Jk, I also love hiking and baking the world’s best cookies 🍪)
Dos And Don'ts
Be positive (but not generic positive),
Share your passions,
exercise respect/ cultural sensitivity
and keep the bio both light-hearted and short.
don’t be a cliche
don’t be a perfectionist
Common Pitfalls:
Negativity,
oversharing,
vagueness, or generality.
Bonus tips:
Ask questions in your bio that would lead the user to strike up a conversation
Own your obvious personality quirks or flaws in your bio (like being a few kgs heavy, or having less hair on your head)
Share fun facts in your bio (can get reactions)
Talk to them in the second person (so it feels like you’re talking directly to them and not a larger audience)
Ask people for their suggestions (another way to break the ice)
Talk about what matters to you (shows intention to make a real connection with another human being, not just small talk)
Conclusion
So now that we know what authenticity is not, we can safely say as long as you avoid the strict NOs, you are somewhat safe from indifference. As long as you’re safe from indifference, people will pay attention to you. As long as they pay attention to you, you will receive higher engagement and hopefully a better chance to show your prospective mates that you’re worth their time.
As a parting note, allow me to reaffirm something vague and generic that (should never be used in a bio): honesty is the best policy. Dishonest details never expose compatibility. And don't be shy about turning to friends for advice on your bio. Edit as Necessary: Open to change according to the feedback you might receive or how your life is changing. For now, since most of us are lonely, I’ll be your friend and share some dos and Don’ts, common pitfalls, and tips from my own personal experiences.
Recommended Read: The A-Z guide to dating on dating apps for Indians
Author
Anurag Gulati
Author's Bio
Anurag is a filmmaker turned farmer turned entrepreneur. Originally from Faridabad, Haryana, he loves to read and write on the subjects of relationships, free will, faith, and similar 'delusions' that collectively make us human.
Having written and directed several films before, and then working with farmers in revolutionizing their supply chain, Anurag has now landed on his latest venture called Dahlia, a new-age matchmaking app that uses games to foster purposeful intimacy. His deep knowledge of human relationships coupled with scientific research has helped hundreds of individuals navigate the landscape of modern romance with authenticity and confidence.
