I donât have to tell you that we live in a fast-paced world. Dating sites and apps are ever-changing, as are the norms and etiquette around them.
Hereâs what you need to know to get your dating game 2024-ready.
Dating App Dos:
Dating App Tip #1: Do make it personal.
Find something from your matchâs profile and ask about this in your first message if you can. The key here is to ask something that doesnât seem routinely asked while still being fun to answer.
Showing you took the time to review their profile will start you off with brownie points. And everyone loves brownie points!
A few other ways you can add some personality to your messages are:
- With GIFs. I wouldnât recommend solely using a GIF, but including one in a messaging sequence is a fun way to show people visually how youâre reacting to their messages. Tinder claims that sending an animated GIF as a first message makes you 30% more likely to get a response.
- With emojis. Itâs hard to tell sarcasm, banter, and interest over text; and itâs especially hard when you have never met in person. Adding an emoji or two as you message back and forth can really break the ice. But, thereâs still a level where it becomes too much:
Dating App Tip #2: Do use photos that show your personality (and not just how sexy you are!)
Attractiveness drives a majority of the decisions on dating apps, but personality hits the ball out of the park.
Coming off as your true self is ideal because youâll minimize disappointment and maximize true connection. Test your pics on Photofeeler to see if your photographic first impression is sending the message you want!
Dating App Donâts:
Dating App Tip #3: Donât lead (or answer) with negativity.
If you want to insult a potential date and yourself at the same time, send a message that says, âYou seem too attractive to be on a dating app!â Letâs just take a pause to reflect here on why that doesnât really land.
*cue three seconds of reflection*
So, youâre not too attractive to be on a dating app, but you want a date with meâŚ? Weâre lost. Are we out of your league? But we matched with you? Make it make sense.
There are a few other siblings to this rule:
- âIâm super lonely.â
- âI donât normally do online dating, but Iâm giving it a chance, I guess.â
- âHow are you going to impress me?â
Or this gemâŚ
Dating App Tip #4: Donât block your face with Snapchat and Instagram filters.
Thankfully, we all attended the funeral for the dog face Snapchat filter two years ago. Now, weâre playing against the final bosses of filters because the skin-smoothing, eyelash-adding filters seem so oddly real.
See, filters like these cover a lot more of your face than you think they do. The scientific explanation is that youâre familiar with your own face, so you can fill in the blanks easily. Strangers, however, just feel like they canât see you. (Maybe youâre hiding something?)
Showing up for a date looking like a totally different person is only a setup for disappointment at the end of the day. Lead with authenticity to be met with the same. Youâve gotta love yourself without the filters before anyone else truly can.
Dating App Tip #5: Donât only use professionally taken profile pics.
Got amazing photos taken? Awesome! Definitely put those to use. However, be sure to sprinkle in some regular pics as well.
See, dating apps and sites have a âfake profileâ problem. There are bots⌠Thereâs the catfish pretending to be someone theyâre not⌠People are becoming more leery of this all the time.
When all of your pictures are professionally taken, your profile is more likely to raise red flags. People want to be able to jump into the scene with you, so if all your photos are in your favorite blue shirt, standing in front of a tree, youâre not giving enough diversity and realness.
All that said â I hope you enjoyed these new dating app etiquette doâs and donâts. Test your shots with Photofeeler, then rinse and repeat to see more matches and better messages rolling in!