It can be difficult to date nowadays, with the work grind making things even tougher. It’s hardly surprising that over 50 million people have taken to Tinder, all looking for the opportunity to find a casual hook up, companionship, or their soul-mate.
With 10 billion matches made, Tinder will no doubt be the answer when you ask an umpteen number of your coupled-up friends, “So how did you guys meet?”
The appeal is that you can find someone with your interests, who you quite like the look of, without having to drink copious amount of alcohol for Dutch courage.
If you already have an account but haven’t managed to get past the “Hi, how are you?” small talk stages, or you’re tempted to get yourself out there, here is how to be the sexiest singleton you can be, and stand out from the crowd:
1) Photo’s
You are allowed six, giving you the opportunity to show yourself in several dimensions, and in no way makes it acceptable to post six near identical selfies. Show in your pictures that you have some character. You could do this by posting different aspects of your life: one of you in front of the Taj Mahal, one of you sipping a cocktail in Marbella, one of you walking the dog, a respectable selfie glam shot of that time you dressed up for that black tie event, etc. Try to get an authentic smile in there too, as nobody pouts 24/7. Avoid hiding your face (men showing only their six packs for example), and don’t cover your face with tons of makeup and use crazy filters to make yourself look better.
2) Bio
Any profile without a bio should be a red flag – are they simply lazy, or do they have something to hide? Maybe they are only after one thing? However, if you’re looking to find out about someone’s personality then their bio is a good way to start. Be open in your own bio, and outline what you think is the most important thing for people to know about you. It shouldn’t be an essay though, or a copy of your CV, so try not to boast too much. Detail what it is you’re looking for from the dating app, and make sure you are memorable.
3) Be real
Don’t claim to have more hobbies than you do, or try to come across as cool and edgy if you are a bubbly chatterbox. Love is about finding someone who likes you for exactly who you are. You don’t have to note down every embarrassing moment you’ve encountered since adolescence, but give an inclination of what kind of person you are and, better still, get your humour out there. Think about it, when you’re browsing, you are more likely to investigate further if you see images of somebody participating in a shared interest, so always be yourself if you want to meet that special person.
4) Keep it interesting
Online chatting can flop pretty quickly, and though it takes two to tango, you putting the extra effort in could bring out more in your potential match. You could certainly try and keep things fresh through storytelling. It is an excellent way to show them what a catch you are, as stories allow you to cast yourself in a positive light. Not only will it spark conversation, it will hopefully in turn allow them to open up to you and reveal more about themselves. This is a win-win situation and will hopefully make it easier for you both to work out if it’s worth taking this tinder talk offline.
Hopefully you will soon be in a position where a conversation is going rather well, and you need to think about moving it off Tinder and into the real world. This is the obvious yet daunting next step, and important as only face to face interaction will really tell you if this is a potential match.
If you’re hesitant, meet at your favourite lunch jaunt, and if nothing else, you already know that you match with that latte and eggs benedict. Meeting in the daylight is less intimidating, and who knows, if things go well you could be attending a candlelit dinner for date number two.
