NAILING YOUR VERY OWN DATING PROFILE (Swipe Right, Chat, Repeat)
Get Snap Happy
First, make sure your photos are on point. If you’ve only surfed a day in your life and that was at Surf School when you were in Year 6, probs don’t upload a photo of you with a surfboard in tow. You’ll end up attracting people you really have nothing in common with if you’re dishonest about your likes and dislikes. Secondly, make sure your photos aren’t just attempts to make yourself look like Gigi Hadid. Let’s be honest, unless you’re poking fun at yourself no one really likes looking at your selfie, especially if it’s 90% cleavage. It’s totally lame, and you’re worth more than that. Upload photos of yourself doing what you love, and if you happen to look your best while doing it, more the better!
Nail Your Opening Line
For the love of god, don’t open a conversation with “Hey, how are you?” They’re likely to reply with “Good thanks, how are you?” and it’s going to be as boring as waiting in the doctor’s surgery when all they have to read is 3-year old magazines #soyesterday. Look through the person’s photos and think of a fun, witty opening line that will make them sit up and take notice of you. Also, I’m sure I don’t need to tell you this but don’t open with anything dirty either…it’s just plain weird.
#Banter
If your banter isn’t up to scratch as of yet, it will be after a week of using Tinder. Small talk can get dull very quickly so it’s important to have fun with the person you’re talking to, tease them a little and generally have a chat that gets you tingling in your lady parts. If you come across as the fun-loving gal that you are, you’re more likely to reel in a good dude who’s funny, smart and up for a laugh.
Avoid the Creepers
A good rule to follow when using Tinder is to only meet up with people who you have mutual friends with. It’s pretty easy to suss this out when using the app as it even shows when someone is mutual friends with one of your friends, so you’ll likely have at least a distant connection with most of the people you’re swiping past. The easiest way to stay safe is to hit up your mutuals to make sure the person you’re meeting up with is a) not a 60-year old creeper utilising someone else’s photos (unless you’re into that) and b) generally a good dude. Everyone’s heard a Tinder horror story of meeting up with someone who looks nothing like their photos/is 20 years older than what they made themselves out to be, so if you want to be extra safe ask the person for their surname before you meet up so you can suss them out on social media.
Have fun!
Most importantly, don’t take the process too seriously. With thousands of people to scroll past and talk to, don’t take it personally if someone doesn’t reply to your message or strike up a conversation with you. Go with the flow and if someone tickles your fancy, by all means meet up with them but don’t use Tinder as a means of desperately searching for a boyfriend/a one-night stand as it’s likely to go sour very quickly. Also, avoid using Tinder after midnight on a Saturday as you’ll probably wake up on Sunday with 20 messages from Glen who has a beer gut and still lives with his Mum…just sayin.
