Whether you are considering taking the plunge in online dating or you are already doing it and not having much luck, it’s important that you understand the key rules that will bring you success.
The rules for online dating for men are slightly different to the rules for women. However, there are five key principles that will help both sexes to receive more messages and go on more dates.
1. Be polite
Treat other people way you would like to be treated yourself. Obviously if you’re an idiot who sends pornographic photos or messages, then you probably do want to receive those back and you are probably a man. So there is no helping you, you are destined spend the rest of your life being a moron.
But for the rest of you, just treat people with respect. Don’t read too much into the messages you receive example. People usually mean what they say and are trying to be polite, so don’t misinterpret or jump off the deep end.
However you perceive people online, they are usually humble polite in the real world, so it’s important to try and take away the fact you need to establish if they are a potential match for you, rather than jumping to conclusions and kicking them into oblivion immediately.
2. Don’t be a stereotype
Flick through the dating profiles and you will see hundreds of people with photos and then banging on about them endlessly in those profiles.
Okay, so you like tattoos. Or muscles. Or motorbikes. Or Star Trek.
Fine, but don’t rave about it too much on your profile, otherwise people will think they shouldn’t bother contacting you unless they are exactly the same as you.
If you like tattoos, fine but do you really want to meet someone who is completely obsessed with tattoos? Another may sound great at the start, is that really a great foundation for a lifelong relationship?
3. Make It All about you
We all love our pets. We all love our kids. Your dating profile is about you.
Nobody wants to see pictures of your kids on your profile, nobody.
You may love your dog, that every photo shows you cuddling it or walking, a lot of people are going to conclude that you will put them behind a dog in your list of life priorities.
4. Master the basics of online dating rules
Make sure you read up about the best messaging strategies, so that you maximise your chances of response.
Make sure your profile headline is engaging and demands attention.
Make sure your profile text hooks people in, gives them some information and allows them to formulate a message to ask you questions based on it.
Make sure your photos show the best of you and convey the message you want them to.
By mastering these basics, you will minimise the amount of time you have to spend on a dating site, which means you may just get out alive with a new partner, rather than giving up because the alternative is to smash every electronic device in your house.
5. Stay positive
Scroll through dating site profile lists and you will see lots of headlines like “going to give this one last shot” or “other any normal people on this site?”.
These are people who are jaded need to take a step away.
Make sure you convey positivity all the time, people will appreciate it and you are more likely to get positive responses and more dates.
You will also make better decisions. If you are getting negative about the whole experience, you may start agreeing to meet people you wouldn’t have considered at the start of the process.