Getting a conversation going on a dating app requires three things: good pictures, a good bio, and a good opening line. This last one is actually the most difficult, as you won’t know what your match will find funny, interesting, or intensely boring.
The first message you send is incredibly important, as this will decide whether or not your match will reply to you.
Your match may have matched with dozens or hundreds of other people, so you can’t just send ‘hey, how’s it going?’
They’ll have loads of other messages exactly like that.
You need to be better.
Breaking the ice online can be hard: you don’t know this person, what they’re like, or what they’re likely to respond to.
But online dating has been around for a while, and there are some tried and tested ways to send a first message that will get a reply, and that get conversation started.
How To Get More Replies On Dating Apps:
Make Observations About Their Profile
If something in their photos or bio caught your eye, mention it. It could the places they’ve been, their style of clothes, anything that sticks out to you could be worth mentioning.
Whatever you comment on will reveal a little bit about your personality: are you the kind of person who notices little details? Did you choose to talk about something big and obvious? Remember, you don’t get a second chance at first impressions.
Whatever you say, making an observation proves that you’ve paid attention to their profile and engaged with what they’ve put in there, rather than just sent out a generic message that could be to anyone.
If you see something you have in common, definitely lead with that - it creates a connection, and can lead to hours of conversation, which is exactly what you want.
Make Jokes
If there’s nothing that stands out in their profile, opening with a joke is always good.
Being funny is a universally attractive trait, and everyone likes a laugh.
Setting up a joke that requires them to reply to get the punchline is also a great way of getting the conversation going, involving them straight away.
There are millions of jokes out there you can find, but try to keep it tasteful.
Ask Questions
If you don’t want to start with a joke, you can ask them a question. A question naturally invites a response, so if you ask a good one, chances are you’ll get a reply.
This question can be about anything, their opinion on something, their most liked or most hated food or movies, or what their perfect first date is (this one is good for obvious reasons).
This is also a useful tactic because it will help you get to know more about each other, and whether you’d be a good match.
If this person loves scary movies and you hate them, that might be a sign that things won’t work out. If something like that doesn’t bother you though, it might not be that big of a deal.
Read more about the kinds of questions you should ask on a dating app.
There are millions of people on dating apps now. Your message needs to stand out, and breaking the ice with interesting conversation shows you’re someone worth talking to.
Read more about how to start a conversation on a dating app.
Read our top tips for online dating.