Meghan Kitz peruses online personal ads from time to time. All too often she reads, ``I'm a nice, sweet, funny guy.'' Boy, does that make her cringe.

``Can't you think of more creative things to say about yourself,'' the 21-year-old from Albany wonders.

As online dating rapidly infuses the singles scene, many personal ads have gone from ho-hum and cliche-filled to catchy and witty.

``There are so many people out there in the online dating world,'' says David Evans, president of the Boston-based http://www.ProfileDoctor.com, which evaluates your profile and suggests improvements. ``If you sound like every other profile, and don't make an effort to stand out, people are much more likely to pass right over you.''

A tip from Evans: Lose the ``long walks on the beach,'' ``looking for a Prince (or Princess)'' and ``I can easily go from sweats to an evening gown.''

Think of your personal ad like any other kind of advertisement, says Kathleen Roland, director of dating with Match.com.

``Most people are modest and don't want to seem like they are selling themselves,'' she says. ``But in a way, you have to think about it as a type of marketing.''

Major companies like Jeep, Pepsi and Macy's don't throw campaigns together. They think about their target audience, plan on how to best reach that group, then devote 100 percent to marketing the product. Your personal ad should be no different, experts say.

``Be specific,'' says Alex Rossi, a 22-year-old from Troy. He has never dated someone from a personal ad, but checks them out occasionally. ``I want to know details about you.''

Don't just say, ``I like to have fun,'' Rossi says. Whether it's playing soccer, shopping or bungee jumping, tell what you like to have fun doing. Or, if you're a big dining-out fan, and you're looking for a local match, list a specific restaurant you enjoy.

Or, Joni Buccos, a personal-ad reader (who doesn't answer or place them) suggests using a unique or fun quote from a book or song you love or relate to would really catch someone's eye. Say, for instance, you're a Dave Matthews Band fan. Work a few words or a line, obscure if you like, from one of his songs into your headline.

``That would probably make people who were more like you, or more compatible, contact you,'' she says, ``rather than just those people who would respond to anyone.''

Buccos hates when ads start out on a negative note, like ``I never thought I'd resort to this kind of thing.''

Another problem, says Rossi, is people waxing poetic about how great they are and giving a false portrayal.

To break out of that, have a friend or family member -- someone who knows you well and isn't afraid to be brutally honest -- assess the ad.

``It's so hard for a lot of people to write about themselves,'' Roland says. ``You don't want to exaggerate or be insincere. You want to be compelling and interesting and engage someone and have them want to write to you.''

Above all else, be honest, says Douglas Raybeck. As a cultural anthropologist with Hamilton College in Oneida County, he has done extensive research and published studies on the art of the personal ad.

If you're looking for a long-term commitment, say that. Want to enhance your social life? Make that clear. And, well, if you're just looking for sex, you might as well put that out there, Raybeck says. Being honest saves everyone time.

It worked for Kitz, who found a happy two-year relationship. She attributes part of that success to her forthright profile. She made it clear she was sick of games and was looking for a relationship. Basically, she says, she put it all out there, not wanting to give the wrong impression.

For those really brave and open souls, there's always Esquire's Brutally Honest Personals (http://www.esquire.com/brutal) where people totally put it all out there. ``I fear intimacy and often create drama,'' reads one ad. Another: ``I'm lanky, ridiculously in debt and almost always stoned.''

Those tasty descriptions are each accompanied by a photo -- a crucial part of online personals, says Roland.

``Ads with photos are viewed many more times than the profiles without photos,'' Roland says. Include photographs of when you are out with friends, traveling on a vacation or in different rooms of your house. More photos create a more comprehensive picture.

And, please, please, stay away from those glamour shots, says Rossi. When a woman is all done up, you don't get a feel for how she looks naturally.