Build an unbeatable profile.
No matter whether you're on Bumble, Hinge, or Tinder, building your profile can be a complete mind f*ck.
As if downloading the app didn't already cause you enough anxiety, now you've got to be funny enough, smart enough and enticing enough to lure a swipe in the right direction.
Should you start with a joke? Is posting a festival pic first too basic? Next minute, you've shed your pyjamas, put makeup on and are trying to find some 'good light' at 9pm to take a selfie.
Tinder already helped us out by revealing some pretty great dating profile hacks - but if you want to know what really makes men stop and consider your profile (and avoid a total meltdown), we've got the lowdown...
Eye contact and smile
It's no surprise that photos are the first thing to catch attention, which is why dating experts recommend uploading as many as possible, with two as the minimum.
"When it comes to photos, variety is key. It’s good to have a mixture of close, medium and full-length shots to show the different aspects of how you look," says Claire Stott, Badoo’s dating expert and psychologist.
"Facially, research has shown that women are deemed most attractive when they give eye contact and look flirty, so why not give that a go. It can also be nice to have one photo with friends - it shows that you’re likeable! But keep it to one, as lots of group photos are confusing. Other ‘donts’ are cutting someone out obviously from a photo (...we all know it’s usually an ex!)."
One or two selfies is fine, but Eugénie Legendre, dating expert at happn' says to avoid posting too many 'especially if they are quite similar or filtered.'
Don't be afraid to be funny
"It helps you to stand out amongst all the other profiles and shows you’re not taking yourself too seriously, which is attractive", says Claire.
Keep your bio short
Fast facts tend to work better than long sentences.
"Online daters whatever the gender will generally prefer a short text, easy to read and enough info to make a decision," says Eugénie.
"Don't forget that you want to leave some mystery and not necessarily cover all aspects of your personality and interests before dating", adds Claire. "Furthermore, the more information you give, the more chance someone will find fault with it - people are extra-sensitive to turn-offs in online dating."
If you're worried your bio is becoming too long, try to illustrate your daily interests with emojis, which coincidentally is another stand out for men when perusing dating profiles.
But make sure you still include facts
Once you have a guy's attention, you want to make sure your profile includes something he can turn into an ice-breaker, advises Eugenie.
This way, if you 'match', the conversation can be started a lot easier and you won't have to wait around too long.
You could even consider adding your own 'ice breaker' in your profile, by adding a question at the end, such as 'If you'd like to chat, message me with your favourite movie.'
This article originally appeared on Glamour UK.
