As we all know, pics and profile content are king with online dating. I've been doing it for years but I can't help but wonder if my pics could use room for improvement.

Obviously I want to make myself look as good as possible, but there's more to it than that. Obviously, nothing is more lame than a guy with 4 "selfies" and nothing else. I want to have pictures that show I have friends and social value. But honestly I don't have many nights out with "the guys" and most of my RL friends are women. And I know it's a big "no no" to post a picture of yourself with another woman on a dating site.

Are there any general guidelines for pics to enhance response rate? The other night I went out to the bars with a couple of people specifically to get a picture for my profile. I volunteer at a daycare and have a lot of cute pictures of me with kids and babies but does that seem a little bit like I'm trying too hard? Also, what is the consensus on pics with pets? Does a picture of me and my dog project that I have no friends?

As far as profile content, is a long winded and thoughtful profile bad? I really hate to be the generic "I'm a fun guy looking for someone who is laid back and cool!" profile but if that is what works best, I may bite the bullet and do it.