THE BEST ONLINE DATING TIPS YOU DIDN'T KNOW

Handy tips for taking the plunge in the online dating pool

If you’re keen to give online dating a try, then you’ve probably done your fair share of research already. You’ve looked at the pros, the cons and the many online dating tips there are to be found online.

Hey, you might have even asked someone you know who has been trying out online dating. Whether you’ve asked ‘on behalf of another friend’ or had some straight questions that you wanted to know about, asking other people is a great idea.

You’ve probably also searched high and low on the internet to see if you can get more information. Well, this is one of those really helpful articles where we tell you about handy online dating tips, you apply them and live a happy life with your soulmate after you both just happen to follow these tips.

Does that sound like your kind of thing? Well, let’s get straight into it then.

• First impressions last

We can’t emphasise this enough, your photo has to be the be all and end all of your online dating profile. Think about when you’re going through profiles, you make up your mind within seconds after seeing someone else’s profile photo.

Just by looking at one photo, we get a sense of what the other person is like, whether we’ll be a match and let’s face it as some people might even go that far, how your babies will look.

So, it really is an understatement when we say choosing the right profile photo is extremely important.

Here’s the thing though, you want to show as much of your personality as you can without showing too much. You want to grab attention without looking like a typical attention grabber. Your main profile photo is the initial deal maker or breaker, so the pressure is really on.

Take a moment and look at other profile’s photos. Which photos stand out when you scroll through them, and which make you scroll right pass them. That will give you an indication of what you should go with. 

Make sure you choose a photo that shows you smiling, shows your face and at least your shoulders. If you’ve got a photo where you look awesome and it shows your entire body, even better. 

It’s super important that you use a recent photo. It’s not going to help you at all if you use a photo where you look much younger, prettier and had less wrinkles. When you show up for your first date in person, you’re probably not going to see that person again.

• Making that first date successful

Talking about first impressions… You’ve got to choose when you want to meet the other person. You can either take your time and get to know the person by taking the conversation offline or you could jump straight into it and mark your first time chatting after your match online, by going on your first date. 

It’s completely up to you, as long as you feel safe and comfortable with your decision.

Most people prefer to chat offline first. Share your phone numbers with one another and start chatting on a messaging app like WhatsApp.

This way you’ll really get to know the other person and you’ll soon realise whether you have a lot in common or not. You’ll also get a sense of what it would be to be in a long-term relationship with the other person because you’ll have to keep the conversation going and be good at small talk.

How long you keep chatting through a messaging app before you meet in real life is completely up to you. Once you’re ready to meet, go for it and have fun. 

So, we’ve covered first impressions, but we should actually back up a bit and give you tips on how to write your profile.

• The proof is in the profile pudding   

You’re not selling yourself as a brand, you’re showing you’re human and opening yourself up. You’re not going to be everyone’s cup of tea and that is perfect because you’ll be someone’s cup of tea and that’s what you want.

If you write from your heart, it’s going to show the real you. Don’t think you have to appeal to every single profile out there. You know what you’re looking for and don’t settle for anything less.

With that being said, don’t limit yourself too much because you might just miss out on something or someone else. Just because you know exactly what you want doesn’t mean you shouldn’t be open to meeting other people. 

Meeting people who you never would have had any interest in could either open up your eyes to really appreciate the fact that you know what you want, or it could show you that what you thought you wanted isn’t what you really want.

That’s the beauty of online dating, it’s easier than walking up to a stranger in a bar and because you also have the option to chat before you meet in real life, you have the opportunity to really get to know someone before you make up your mind.

Now that we’ve covered your profile, make sure you take the time to really read through the profiles of potential dates. There might be something in there that really pulls at your heart strings or gives you that feeling that you’ll be able to connect with the person.

There might also be that feeling that even though their looks might be your type, their personality might not match at all. Before you just swipe and let them go forever, read their profile first.

Remember, you want to spend time with this person so being able to communicate with them is key as well as being able to spend time with them doing things that both of you love.

Share your personality for the world to see, because someone out there is really looking for you.