The Personal Ad Photo

By Jack Conway

How to look better than you've ever looked before!

Every day I get at least 4 or 5 e-mails from guys who want to know if it's important to include a picture in their personal ad profile.

My answer:

Would you buy a car without looking at it first? Would you buy a house without looking at it first? Hell, would you even buy a new pair of socks without checking them out first?

Of course not.

So what would make you believe that any woman would be interested in you if she can't see you first?

Granted, women aren't generally as superficial when it comes to looks as we are. But it doesn't mean they'll blindly date some random guy without seeing him first.

In fact, you'd be hard pressed to find any woman on any dating site that will even consider your ad without seeing a picture first.

Would you?

Of course, this brings up the issue of looks.

And let's face it - chances are you don-t look like George Clooney. If you did, you'd be too busy fighting off A-list celebrities to read this.

But believe it when I say that even the most unattractive guys can come off as Casanovas with the right photo.

I'll tell you how in a minute.

But first, let me share a piece of information that most men are completely unaware of. A piece of information that can and will make the difference between the kind of photo that make women swoon and the kind that makes them run away!

Reel her in with the right photo

For years, psychologists and university researchers have debated the differences in how men and women view physical appearance.

And now, with the overwhelming success of online dating, many of these early arguments are being tested and verified through the study of response rates on online dating sites.

In fact, a team of marketing researchers in Baltimore, MD recently surveyed male and female focus groups to see what kind of picture would motivate them to pursue a potential date.

This was based strictly on the photograph, and nothing else.

Each participant was given 30 photographs to review. (Each photograph was of a man or woman who would be considered 'attractive' by today's standards) The participant would then say whether or not he or she would date that person - again, strictly based on appearance, and why that decision was made.

In other words, would you date this person? Why or why not?

Here's what they found?

Of all the men surveyed, 92% chose every single photograph. And of the photographs chosen, 100% of the participants based their decision on whether or not the woman was attractive.

Of all the women surveyed, not one chose every photograph. And of the photographs chosen, 61% of the participants based their decision on variables other than whether or not the man was attractive.

Here are a few of the reasons given for NOT choosing some of the photos?

"His smile was weird. It kind of creeped me out."

"He looked really unmotivated. He was just standing there against a wall. I just got the feeling he was a really boring guy."

"What's with the hat and sunglasses? Is he a detective or something?"

"Is this an old prom picture or something? There's no way this is a recent picture."

"Yeah, I'd go out with him. Nothing gets me going like some frat boy with all his buddies at a bachelor party. Sorry, I graduated years ago. I'm looking for a man-not a boy."

I know, I know. It's just a picture.

If you saw a picture of a woman leaning against a wall?would you think she was boring?

Of course not! You don't have enough estrogen in your body to think that way.

But the reality is these are the types of things that go through a single woman's mind when she looks at a picture.

Listen. While trolling through hundreds of online personal ads, women are basically 'scanning' these pictures. And the truth is - you only have about 3 seconds to make an impression with this picture.

That's not a lot of time.

So it really doesn't make sense to post a picture unless it's exactly what's going to attract these women.

In my special report, "A Picture is Worth a Thousand Replies," I go over, in detail how to take and post the perfect online dating photo.

Here is a small excerpt from that report:

At first glance, this may seem like an awful lot to go through for just a few pictures. But it really isn't. And the fact is-in order for your photo to work, you must take the necessary steps to ensure its effectiveness.

Listen, statistically, you have a better shot at more responses with a visually-stimulating picture. That's a scientific reality.

In fact, our most recent data shows that the right photo will actually increase your response rate by 15 times.

15 times!!!

You see, a photo does more than just show someone how you look. It sends a message.

Women read into EVERYTHING! And the picture you show will send them a subliminal message. Whether you want it to or not.

Being that this IS the case. Doesn't it make sense to control this subliminal message with the right photos? Of course it does!

Here's how you can do just that:

The results of a three-year study on personal ad response rates online have shown that there are, with a 4.4% margin of error, three indicators a woman will always read into based on your photo:

1.) Confidence
2.) Sex Appeal
3.) Stability

Now with the right photo, you can actually portray all three - just by following a few simple rules. The rules are subtle-but they do work.

In fact, these rules have proven to be so effective, not only should you be able to instantly attract women to your headline-but you'll also, in many cases - without them even knowing, portray confidence, sex appeal and stability - all in one shot!

If you haven't yet read "A Picture is Worth a Thousand Replies," do yourself a favor and check it out. The link to this report was sent to you with your V.P.A.A. welcome letter.