According to Pew Research Center, 15% of adults say that they use or have used a dating site. dating apps are growing in popularity, especially Tinder.
Tinder is a dating/hook-up app you can download on your laptop or your mobile device for free.
For the younger crowd, Tinder is synonymous with dating, finding one night stands, or just looking to find someone to hang with for whatever reason.
For those who haven’t tried using the app yet (or those who need to brush up on their Tinder skills) this article is a basic guide with some extras thrown in.
Perhaps you’re a novice when it comes down to using the Tinder dating app, but you’ve struck out in your search for the ideal date or the perfect one-night invitation.
Here’s the 4-1-1 on how to get started if you’re new to the Tinder game or you need to brush up on your Tinder skills.
On your mark, get set, go...the 4-1-1
So you’ve decided to try your luck of the draw using the Tinder app. If you’re new to this dating app and don’t know where to begin, the app can be a bit intimidating; especially when it comes to meeting complete strangers.
Let’s begin with your profile.
Read Our Complete Guide: How To Find Someone’s Profile On Tinder
It all begins with a great profile pic…
Your profile sets the stage for who will be interested in getting to know you.
One thing you should know is that Tinder largely superficial.
In the Tinder world, people simply swipe right or left on a photo depending on if they are interested in getting to know a person.
Simply put; the women on Tinder are basing their interests on mainly your looks.
Does this mean you need to look like a movie star? Not really, but it’s important to upload a flattering picture of yourself.
Tinder is all about first impressions, and in a moment you’ll see why. When it comes to this dating app, imagine that you are a new bar with lots of singles.
Meeting someone on Tinder is much like meeting someone at a bar. Initially, the person you gravitate to is someone you are physically attracted to, then it moves on to some type of conversation.
When you go to a bar to try to meet someone, you try to look nice. Therefore, you Tinder picture should look nice too.
Begin with a good headshot.
A smile goes a long way too! With so many filter apps it may be tempting to pimp your picture...DON’T! You can filter the picture a little but if you do it too much it will be really obvious.
Adding a beard, square jaw, and a completely different hairstyle is totally misleading.
Remember, the point of using the Tinder app is to meet someone right? The picture you have on your profile needs to be the real YOU, not some fictitious character from a romance novel.
DO…
DON’T
Dating Tip: Many women love animals. If you have a dog or a cat try including them in your profile picture. If you don’t own a cute pet (snakes aren’t recommended), perhaps a friend can loan you one of theirs for the head shot.
Once you get the perfect headshot (hopefully it’s not one next to a car) let’s move on to adding a variety of pictures to spice things up.
How Many Pictures Can I Put On Tinder?
Dating Tip: If You’re Going To Date Online, Date Safe. Read Our Guide On How To Catch A Catfish
Tinder allows you to post 6 images; so it’s smart to take advantage of that.
The images on your profile should reveal what you’re about and what your interests are. Again, let me remind you that first impressions are everything, so take your time and post pictures that are eye-catching and portray your true essence.
Some great examples would be pictures of you doing what you like to do; fishing, hunting, dancing, cooking, or simply relaxing by the pool. Another helpful pic posting tip-post recent pictures.
Posting a photo of you that is 25 years old will not help you land the babe of your dreams if you actually plan on meeting her in the flesh.
Popular article: How Do You Know If Someone Is Attracted To You?
Next up...the bio
Although the bio is optional, if you’re trying to meet someone it would probably be in your best interest to take a little time and write something that will get noticed.
Once you’ve moved past posting a good profile picture, it’s time to charm your love interest.
Even though you’re allowed up to 500 words, we suggest keeping your story short and to the point. Keep your bio short, light-hearted, and friendly. If you’re the funny guy, go for it. Most women love a witty sense of humor!
Speaking of being funny; your Tinder bio is not the place and time for complaining. You surely won’t meet the woman of your dreams by whining or complaining about ex-girlfriends. Chances are even slimmer that you’ll score for a night.
Tinder’s New Feature - “Tinder Picks”
Tinder has now added a feature where they keep tabs on what you swipe on (such as those who have an interest in sports or perhaps a musician), and then they pick people for you based on what interests you.
These picks will be called “featured profiles”. You will also need a Tinder Gold subscription in order to see your featured profiles.
Additionally, this feature is only being tested in certain countries and available for only iOS at the moment (they are currently making an App for Android).
As your creating your profile, please make sure to be honest about your interests so your dates are more likely to be successful.
The last thing you want to do is attract someone who thinks they like you; but actually they are interested in a fictional version of you, regardless of if they are using the Tinder Picks feature or not.
Next Up:
How Not To Message A Woman On Tinder
You may need to learn the art of “messaging”. This is where some of you are screwing up.
Let’s say someone that you find very attractive looks at your bio. You get excited. But before you send her a message, think about what you are going to say.
Do not...again; DO NOT reply with a message that reads “Hey baby”, or “SUP”! Don’t be that basic bro that everyone rolls their eyes at.
A little class can go a long way; even if all you want is a fun night with another adult!
It's all about the opening line. Men...it’s time to up your game, with style! So, for those of you who are doing some fishing on this app...here’s some great bait that will hook your dream fish. But, before we reveal some dope open liners-let's talk about swiping!
What’s The Deal With Swiping Left or Right?
Let’s talk about swiping. If you’re new to Tinder then this may seem a bit confusing. Tinder’s objective is to make everything easy and quick, much like speed dating.
Here’s how they manage to make dating extra easy. If you see a pretty face you’re interested in, you swipe to the right. If you notice someone you’re not particularly attracted to; you swipe left.
Note that if you have the free version of Tinder it’s quite tempting to swipe too quickly. Slow down because the one you swipe you will not see that face again. Don’t become too eager to swipe left, and that also applies to swiping right.
Only swipe right if you’re truly interested. Swiping right on every pretty face will not only become chaotic for all involved, but it may a total waste of everyone's time. With that being said, let’s move on to
How To Message Girls On Tinder
To understand what works when messaging your potential match, you need to know what doesn’t work.
Let’s begin with those annoying lines such as “Hey”, or “Hi”. C’mon guys...really? These open liners are not only generic, but they are B-O-R-I-N-G! If you want to find that match you need to put a little effort into it, or else no woman is going to bother looking your way let alone respond to you.
If you have no idea what to say or up your game, do some online research, or ask your friend who writes for a living. You can also take the simple advice below and remember to be yourself through the whole experience. If your disingenuine, it will show.
Start by making the message ABOUT HER.
Ask your crush about something that you notice on her profile. Maybe she also has a dog in her picture or is playing the piano. Perhaps she mentions what she does for a living, or loves cheese (but who doesn’t love cheese). Either way, don’t make it all about yourself.
If you want to be real smooth, try to say something positive about yourself while talking about her.
For example:
“I noticed a picture of you hiking on your profile and that you mentioned that you love nature. That is very cool. I also love nature and my favorite place to hike is the Great Smoky Mountains. What’s yours?”
This will get her more interested than if you said “What’s up? You’re cute!” You could send that message to 100 girls in less than an hour.
A more personalized message will showcase your personality as well as let her know that you took time to see who she was before dropping her a message.
Make sure to send a few messages before asking her to hang out to not sound too desperate. If you are open to a relationship with this girl beyond one night, don’t be too available.
Additionally, don’t try to hang out with her every night right away. You want an air of mystery when you first start dating each other. This is a special time in your relationship that you will never get back again.
Now That You Have Our Dating Advice...
We think you get the idea.
Now that you have a few examples of how to talk to girls (basically you treat them like human beings, and act as if you are interested in getting to know their personality) it’s time to stop sending lousy messages and start impressing the ladies.
Good luck lovebird!