As much as we’d like to believe the opposite is true, image really is everything and the image you project to others could make all the difference in your dating life. First impressions are extremely important in all your encounters, personally and professionally. At first encounter, it takes seven seconds for someone to form an impression of you. Imagine that, SEVEN SECONDS.

This means that when someone sees you they will immediately make a judgment about you – good or bad. This judgment will overshadow the rest of your encounter with them. What this means is that when you’re dating you really need to care about what impression you’re giving off. You can do this effectively when you participate in personal branding when dating.

Personal Branding When Dating: Why You Should Care

So, what is personal branding? Personal branding is creating an image for yourself that personifies who you are to others, mainly through how you present yourself non-verbally and verbally, including your appearance. Personal branding can make or break you, it can also help you stand out from the crowd ensuring dating success. If you’re looking for love, you want your personal brand to reflect what you’re looking for.

The other person has to be able to see you fitting into their life. When thinking branding think about your favorite product (like Dom Perignon Champagne or even Coca Cola) or place (like Las Vegas or even McDonald’s) and what makes their brand memorable and keeps you coming back. That’s what you want when thinking of personal branding.

How To Create a Personal Brand

Creating a personal brand is easy when you know who you are and what you’re looking for. You need to know what you’ve got to offer a partner. You need to be who you want to date. Think about what you want people to see when they look at you, what do you want them to think, what first impression do you want to make?

Here’s how to create a personal brand that will bring you positive results:

• Care about your appearance. Always put your best foot forward. It doesn’t matter if you’re good looking or more on the plain side, overweight or skinny … what matters is how you carry it off. Wear clothes that look good on you and accentuate your positive attributes, in addition to having good hygiene and grooming practices. Looking good also makes you feel good and the confidence you project will be like a magnet to others. Ask yourself what statement do you want to make with your clothing, etc. Read: Why Appearance Matters When Dating.
• Non-verbal behavior is key. It’s not only what you’re wearing but how you act that makes an impression. Studies were conducted by Dr. Albert Mehrabian to see how people communicated. He found that 7% of messages is conveyed through words, 38% through tone of voice, and 55% through nonverbal communication such as facial expressions, eye contact, body language, etc. So that’s 93% of communication is conveyed non-verbally. Ask yourself how you portray yourself non-verbally? Read/Watch: Body Language: Reading Between the Lines When Dating (with Video).
• Know Your “Thing”. What do you want people to associate with you? Is there something you want to be known as an expert on? Do you support certain lifestyles or causes? Think very carefully about your identity. It could be linked to your career, your talents, your passions or your experiences. Pick something and go with it. This will also always give you something to speak about and makes you more interesting. Ask yourself what’s your “thing”, who are you?
• What’s Your Value Added?  What makes you stand out from the crowd? What makes you different? How can YOU enhance another person’s life? You need to know this in order to market yourself effectively. Every single person (even you) ask “what’s in it for me?” when meeting someone. You may think you’re special but you need others to see that in you. Ask yourself what’s your value added in someone’s life?

Think of it this way – you’re a “product” that you’re trying to “sell” in a highly competitive environment – you NEED to date competitively both online and offline. Knowing who you are and what makes you different will give you that competitive advantage. I challenge you to look at what personal brand you are projecting now and think about how you need to adjust it in order to attract the love you desire.

READERS: What are your thoughts on this? Do you make good first impressions when dating? Share your thoughts in the comments below!

Your Sister in Dating Bliss,

Single Dating Diva

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