There you are, finally checking out the Tinder App. Jumping into the dating world is always tough but getting Tinder to work for you is even tougher if you’re a guy. Being on the Tinder App Swipe LeftTinder App is like a balancing act; if your Tinder profile is too bland you won’t get any right swipes and if it’s too cutesy you won’t get any either. You need to balance between the memorable and intriguing and the weird or boring.
Will they like what you have to offer? Will they find you attractive or repulsive? I’m sure these questions have come to mind when trying to craft the perfect Tinder profile or start a conversation with your potential date. Not to worry, your match is out there. No matter how much swiping you need to do. Eventually, you’ll find the right one for you.
Here’s a pro tip: the best Tinder online dating profiles right-off-the-bat make your potential date intrigued by what they’re reading or seeing. So, instead of making your bio a wall of text, you can have brief points and leave the rest for conversation. It’s easier said than done, though.
Thankfully, you can learn how Tinder works, get the best profile going and learn how to navigate the dating app by using these excellent tips.
Table of Contents:
- How Does Tinder Work?
- Your Basic Profile
- Your Advanced Profile
- How Tinder Openers Work
- What if These Tinder Openers Don’t Work?
- Conclusion: How to Make Tinder Work for Guys
How Does the Tinder App Work?
Tinder is a dating app, and unless you live under a rock, you probably know what Tinder does. In case you don’t, the basic premise of Tinder is to find dates by swiping right or left when you come across a person’s profile. Left means you’re rejecting them, and right means that you are interested in them. If you and the other person both swipe right, then it’s a match! Either of you can start a conversation anytime. Tinder is excellent because you can start conversations on the app, then move off the app onto your phone and make calls, FaceTime, or texts, and (hopefully) meet in real life for a date. There are some steps to take to make sure your Tinder profile is engaging, good enough to find a catch.
When creating your Tinder App Profile, there are a few things to keep in mind so that you stand out from the very crowded field. I’ve broken this down into the basics and the more advanced techniques we use for our clients.
Tinder is pretty straightforward to use …I mean anyone with at least one thumb is halfway there ….but there are some basic and even advanced techniques to do to maximize the effectiveness of your profile and attract the right people to you. I’ll go over the basic and advanced techniques we use for our very own clients so you get an idea of all the things you can do to succeed at the Tinder App.
What Does Your Profile Photo Say About You?
Age: 42
Ethnic: Black/ African descent
Attraction: 9.96 out of 10
Emotion: Happy
Results: Great Dating Photo
Your Basic Profile
The Tinder App generates about 1 million dates each week and is one of the most popular dating apps. So if you’re looking for love, turning to Tinder can be a great way to meet that new special someone.
But with so many users, it’s easy to get lost in the shuffle. Your special someone will overlook your profile if you don’t do it right!
Pick the Perfect Photo for Your Tinder App Profile
First impressions matter more than we think. Moreover, we tend to make up our minds about someone within the first few seconds of meeting them.
To make a great first impression, you’ll need to choose the perfect profile photo.
As you may recall, there are seven factors that go into taking the perfect headshot:
- Appropriate clothing.
- Engaged, confident eye contact.
- Chin placement.
- A great smile.
- Shooting from the right angle.
- Relaxing.
- Adding a bit of makeup.
It may sound like a lot of effort to put into a single photo, but not everyone scrolls past the first image.
And if they do get past your first image? Well, you’re not in the clear yet. You’ll want to include another four or five photos of similar quality.
Avoid unflattering angles, group shots, selfies, and filters, as these can either be confusing or unflattering.
Write an Interesting Tinder App Bio
Tinder is full of bland and boring bios that ultimately say nothing unique or interesting.
You may like long walks on the beach and romantic picnics, but so does just about everyone else on Tinder. Instead, focus on the things that make you stand out from the crowd.
Grab a potential match’s attention with a unique headline.
Check out these hilarious Tinder App profile examples and notice how they all played up aspects of their personalities. People have used everything from puns to fake Yelp reviews to create interesting bios.
You can — and should — use similar techniques in your profile. The more you stand out, the better.
Ask for Help
If you’re truly stumped and can’t come up with a clever profile or take a good photo, there’s no shame in asking for a little help. It’s better to humble yourself for a little while than to live without finding your perfect match.
Ask your friends to help you out. You’d be surprised at how many of your friends would be happy to help you out.
In fact, you can even combine this tip with the previous tip. Have each friend “review” you and include a few notable facts about you.
It’s clever, plays up your highlights, and you won’t sound egotistical for talking yourself up. It’s a win all around!
Send the First Message on the Tinder App
You only get one chance at a first impression, so your first message to a match has to be a good one.
Don’t try any cheesy pick-up lines. Instead, try something fun and unique. Start out with a joke or ask them to come up with the cheesiest pick-up line possible. It’s fun, engaging, and a bit of a challenge.
Or comment on something you noticed about their profile. Maybe you attended the same school or like the same band. These may seem like small details, but they’re a great way to break the ice.
Along those lines, don’t overthink it. You’re on Tinder to meet people, after all. If you’re always waiting for someone else to send the first message, you’ll be waiting for a long time.
Don’t be afraid to make the first move. Ditch the mind games and be upfront. You’ll find it’s way more rewarding.
Be Patient
Waiting for your new match to message back can be excruciating. You might have a million different scenarios running through your head about how they matched with you by accident or how they’re probably just a bot.
And while it’s true that the Tinder App has a huge bot problem, that doesn’t mean you should jump to negative conclusions.
Yes, waiting is hard. But that’s part of the experience. Don’t wait by your phone for a response. Get out and live your life. If it’s meant to be, your match will message you back eventually.
Let the Conversation Evolve Naturally
The great thing about messaging through Tinder is that you can take your time crafting the perfect response. While you won’t want to keep your match waiting, you still have plenty of time to think things through.
However, a conversation is an art form, and taking the right approach can either guarantee Tinder success or an immediate “unmatch”.
It’s best to let conversations flow in a natural manner. If things fizzle out, it wasn’t meant to be. And that’s okay.
Don’t bother spamming a match with messages. You’ll only push them away and appear clingy.
Conversely, don’t jump into things too fast. Asking for a date after two or three message exchanges or making inappropriate advances and requests are bad ideas.
Be on your best behavior and don’t rush things. Your matches will thank you.
It’s Okay to Swipe Left
As strange as it may seem, some people do, indeed, swipe right on everyone they come across. This may mean more matches, but it doesn’t guarantee quality. It’s also a great way to run out of ‘likes’ if you’re using a free account.
To be blunt, it is ok to swipe left on many profiles you see. Swiping left is not a moral failing on your part but more of an admission that not everyone deserves your time or that they did not bother to put any real effort into their profile. They deserve to get the left swipe.
Don’t feel obligated to swipe right on every profile you see. Be thoughtful and take your time viewing each person’s profile before making a decision.
Though this could mean fewer successes, it also results in stronger, more authentic matches. Trust your gut and be selective.
But, as we’ve noted, quality is always better than quantity. Don’t worry about the number of matches you get. Instead, focus on the profiles that really interest you.
If you want to go one step further, then check out my advanced tips next.
Your Advanced Tinder App Profile
Second, when creating your advanced Tinder profile, you want to use pictures that show off your full body so they know who they will see when you meet in person. If you only show some headshots then people start to worry about what you look like in real life.
Don’t overcrowd your profile photo with friends; otherwise, they won’t know which person you are. Try to keep your profile pic of only you (a pet is also a great addition to your profile). Don’t lie either – make sure you fill out the appropriate age and name.
Next, you need to fill out your bio. Tinder only lets you fill in a small amount of text. And in a sea of thousands to millions of people, you need to stand out with what you say. Here’s what you can do to liven things up:
Creatively Use Songs
If you geek out over certain bands or songs, why not use it in your Tinder profile? For a bit of humor, you could use a clever song title or lyric. Or maybe there’s a song you live by – use a few song lyrics to show off your fav. You could also ask them to guess what your favorite song is by listing out keywords to get them to guess. Relate it to how you live your life so your potential date will be curious to determine why that song is your motto.
Play (Good) Games
Being playful, you could initiate a game of two truths and a lie. Don’t get too deep with these, be playful. For instance, you could say something about your physical appearance, an experience, or something about a pet or your career. Your potential date will be prompted to message you to figure out what the lie is.
Trigger a Response
Another way to generate unique interest is to start with a hypothetical question like “If you could really sell your soul to the devil, what would you sell it for?” or “What would you do if you found out you had 24 hours to live?”
Or play Would You Rather. For instance, “Would you rather always be 10 minutes late or always be 20 minutes early?” or “Would you rather be covered in fur or covered in scales?”
It sparks conversation, and your potential date won’t be able to resist answering your quirky questions. You’ll start a back and forth, and in no time you’ll be setting up an enjoyable date.
Be Positive
Look, we all have deal-breakers. However, if your Tinder profile is full of No’s and Don’t’s, you’re merely turning them off. So, try not to list your deal-breakers on your profile. Instead, have an organic conversation that leads to you discovering what their life is like.
Asking general questions opens up the possibility of finding out if they check the boxes you look for. Instead, share your interests like skiing or making art, and see if your potential date responds to that. You may have things in common right off the bat.
Make a List
Pros and cons lists make it engaging for your potential date to relate to you. So, why not list these features before the conversation starts? You could list out your pros and cons like this:
- Pro: Cat guy
- Con: I’m overly experienced in cuddles
- Pro: I make the best steak fajitas in the land
- Con: That’s all I make
- Pro: Karaoke king
- Con: I’ll make you go onstage for a duet
You In Emojis
Get your potential partner to figure out a story through emojis. For instance, you could say about me: and list out emoji’s that best describe you. Then, ask them to figure it out. Or, list out your first date in emoji. Getting creative will prompt curiosity from your potential partner.
Share an Unpopular Opinion
Share a bit of sass in your bio by prompting a debate. Maybe your potential partner will agree. For example: “Unpopular opinion: not all water tastes the same. Every brand of water has a different taste. Prove me wrong.” Or, “Tomatoes add zero taste to sandwiches. Prove me wrong.” Keeping it quirky and lighthearted, and not political or with profanity can spark a fun conversation that could lead to more.
List Your Favorites
If you prefer to be specific, why not list the best of the best when it comes to your favorite things. Don’t be generic like your favorite colors, or you like dogs. Get more specific about what makes you happy. For example, you could say, “Laying on the couch binge-watching Game of Thrones, bonfires, chocolate chip cookies, Frank Sinatra tunes, my Goldendoodle.” Hopefully, someone stumbles upon you who have the same interests.
Most Likely To…
Use your interests and quirks in a game of most and least likely to. For example, you could list, “Most likely to go sky diving and least likely to wake up before 8 am” or “Most likely to binge Tiger King and least likely to win at tic tac toe.” Have fun with it! Again, the point is to be a conversation starter.
How Tinder App Openers Work
In most cases, you’ll have to be the one to make the first contact with your Tinder partner. “Hello” and “Hi” are merely dull and go nowhere 70% of the time. That’s why you need to have a creative Tinder opener.
Have Something Ready
Conversely, you can use one of these fun bio tips for your opener. Start a game of would you rather. Have a go-to line ready to go for when you want to spark a conversation. That way, you give the conversation a direction to go in, and it sets you apart from the rest.
It also removes the burden on the other side of figuring out a conversation starter. I’m sure the other person has others messaging them, so you need to stand out and increase your chances of getting a response on the dating app.
Gifs
Using a GIF to start a conversation is not only creative but will garner a response compared to the usual conversation starters of “How you doin’?” GIFs as Tinder openers are great because the animation is eye-catching and elicits an emotional response. There’s some subconscious connection between feeling and reading that increases the chances of engagement.
What if These Tinder Openers Don’t Work?
If you don’t get a response, don’t be discouraged. There could be a million reasons why you don’t get a response. That means it’s not intended to be, for now at least. You could try different approaches from this list and see what works for you. Remember that in the end, kindness can go the longest way.
Conclusion: How to Make Tinder Work for Guys
You know you want to get the very most out of your Tinder App Profile and following these basic and more advanced techniques is just the way to do it.
While everything here is fun and games, have your goals in mind. Tinder gets a rap for being a “Hook-up” app and it might be well deserved if you choose to use it that way. However, there are plenty of people that just use the Tinder App to find interesting people to date and hang out with in a more casual way than spending time creating long profiles and answering a million questions like more traditional dating sites. Of course, there is plenty of evidence to say that people find their ideal match on the Tinder App as well.
You just need to have clear goals before you jump on any app, especially Tinder with its reputation. Are you looking for hookups, dates, or relationships? Either way you want to make the right first impression and have a standout profile that will attract the right people to you. After all, it’s not like you are marketing yourself to the world, and you want to attract the right people or anything…no pressure.
About the Author:
Claire Bahn has over 15 years of working as a personal branding expert helping clients build authority and influence through their online profiles and social media accounts.
Her background includes branding, public relations, Social Media, and marketing, as well as, entrepreneurship. She has a passion to help executives, entrepreneurs, and influencers strategize and create their best personal brand.
She is currently the CEO and Co-founder of Online Profile Pros and Stratus Branding. Ms. Bahn recognizes that first impressions are made online and the fastest way to achieving your goals is by taking command of your personal brand through your online profiles and social media. She started Online Profile Pros and Stratus Branding to help individuals create, maintain and protect their personal brands so that they achieve the authority, influence, and trust the need to succeed at online dating or their job search.
She’s been featured in numerous publications and news outlets including Forbes and Entrepreneur magazines.
Ms. Bahn is a former model and actress, appearing in national ad campaigns for major retailers. An avid fashion/lifestyle blogger she’s a recognized influencer. Ms. Bahn holds a BA from the University of Texas at Austin and currently lives in the Hollywood Hills in Los Angeles, CA with her 2 red miniature pinchers, Beau and Trixie.
