When it comes to finding success with online dating, a lot rides on using the right dating app conversation starters. Unlike a real-life date, here you don’t have the opportunity to make an impression with your personality and inherent charm. Words are all you have to pique the interest of a potential match and take things forward. Not only do you have to steer clear of cringy or creepy vibes, but also say things that’ll make the other person want to talk to you more.
Taking a leaf out of their profile, asking the right questions, choosing your words wisely – knowing how to open a conversation on a dating app can be a tricky balance to strike. A few actionable dating tips can help you devise a strong strategy for online conversation starters that work.
Related Reading: Real-Life Incidents That Show The Threats Women Face In Online Dating
How Do You Introduce Yourself In Online Dating?
Anyone who’s been on a dating app knows that saying ‘Hello!’, ‘What’s up?’ and ‘How are you?’ doesn’t cut it any more. There’s something about the anonymity of dating apps that makes people rather difficult to impress. The right introduction to open a conversation on a dating app can go a long way in keeping a potential interest curiously hooked. Here are some tips that’ll sort out the ‘how do you introduce yourself online dating’ dilemma for you: 
1. Dating app conversation starters- keep it simple
Since a lot of people struggle with ‘How do you introduce yourself online dating?’ question, the hesitation often comes in the way of them starting a conversation. As a result, they miss out on an opportunity to make a connection. If you can’t seem to find the right words, keep it simple.
You can open a conversation on a dating app with just – ‘Hey! I’m Nancy’ or ‘Hello! This is Mark’.
2. Add a personal touch
Another simple way to grab the other person’s attention while introducing yourself on a dating app is to acknowledge them. Just add their name to the basic ‘hello’ message. For example, ‘Hey, Mark! I’m Nancy.’
3. Throw in a quirky twist
If humour comes naturally to you or you have an inherent quirky side, use it. That way you’ll never have to worry about how do you introduce yourself online dating. You could try something like:
‘Bonjour, Mark! This is Nancy. And that’s all the French I know.’
or
A classic knock, knock joke:
‘Knock, Knock’
‘Who’s there?’
‘Nancy’
‘Nancy Who?’
‘Definitely, not Drew.’
4. Pick up something from their profile
Talking to a person about something they like is a surefire way to take the conversation forward. So, before you start a conversation, spend some time perusing their profile. Pick up on their interests and weave it into the introductory message. Whether you want to know how to say Hi on Bumble or Tinder, this is a tried and tested trick you just cannot go wrong with.
”Hey, I see you are a Netflix regular. Please tell me you have binged on Money Heist.’
or
‘Hey, I see you love wine and cheese. What a coincidence! My friends and I are going to a tasting festival next week.’
5. Use your adjectives wisely
As much as you’d like to believe that words like ‘gorgeous’, ‘handsome’, ‘pretty’ or ‘sexy’ are bound to play to the other person’s vanity and get them interested, more often than not these don’t work. In the online dating world, these are viewed as sexual innuendos. That means they’ll make you come across as creepy or clingy.
So steer clear of the following:
‘Hey, gorgeous!’
‘Yo, sexy!’
‘Hola! You’re a pretty chick.’ or ‘Hey! You’re a handsome hunk!’
Related Reading: How to identify breadcrumbers in online dating!
How Do You Start A Conversation On A Dating App?
So, your match has responded and you’ve exchanged pleasantries. Now that you have made your introduction count, what next? It is crucial to tread equally carefully from here on too and build upon the foundation you’ve laid rather than decimate it with carelessness. Here are some dating app conversation starters tips that work like a charm:
1. Get to know them better
If you’re looking for Tinder conversation starters (that work well on Bumble, Hinge, OkCupid and the likes too), we’d recommend starting with getting to know the other person.
This is a great way to let someone know that you’re genuinely interested in knowing the person behind the profile.
Here are some great get-to-know-each-other online conversation starters that work:
- Where are you from?
- Where did you grow up?
- How long have you lived in Seattle?
- So, you’re a Texas native. I take it you’re a football fanatic too?
- Did you grow up in Boston? Must have been a fan of those Honeycomb Creamery’s scoops!
Related Reading: Men want to do these things secretly to the woman they love
2. Compliments are solid dating app conversation starters
Surprise, surprise! The good-old practice of lavishing a crush (or a match, in this case) with compliments still works. You just need to know the right words and the right way to say them, so you risk putting the other person off. Worse still, once they say thank you and you have nothing to follow it up with, you’re inviting awkward silences into the conversations. These compliments are the perfect online conversation starters that work:
- Wow, you went skiing in the Swiss Alps. You must be quite an adventure lover.
- That Thanksgiving meal looks delish. You must be a fantastic cook.
- Catching the bad guys for a living must take a lot of courage.
Here’s what not to say:
- I was going through your pictures, you have a sexy body.
- That mole on your neck is so inviting.
- I wonder how handsome you look without that shirt.
3. Hobbies and interests make good conversation starters for dating
This one is on the lines of asking a person about their growing up years. Talking about hobbies and interest qualify as good conversation starters for dating for two reasons – first, it lets the other person know you’re interested in them and not just getting into their pants; and second, it offers a great opportunity to find commonalities. Here’s how to use hobbies and interests as Hinge, Bumble or Tinder conversation starters:
- What kind of food do you like?
- 500 Days of Summer or Notting Hill? Or Avatar or Inception?
- What sitcom did you grow up on?
- What is the one book you’ve read more than once?
- For which stand-up comedian’s show would you front-row tickets?
Related Reading: 15 cute things a girl does when she really loves you
4. Talking in hypothetical helps to keep the conversation going
You have made it past the two dreaded dilemmas – how do you introduce yourself online dating? and how do you start a conversation on the dating app? Pat yourself on the back.
But now comes the tricky part of keeping the conversation going. Hypothetical questions are a great way to make that happen.
Here are hypotheticals you can use to move forward from dating app conversation starters:
- Five celebrities that’d feature on your ideal dinner party guest list.
- What would you do if you never had to work?
- Define your dream holiday.
- If you had a get-out-of-jail-free card, what would you use it for?
- If you were the first person to set foot on the moon, what would you’ve said?
- What would you say if I asked you out on a date?
5. End on a promise
Since this is your first conversation with someone you’re interested in, you must focus on doing it right and getting out in time. It’s vital to end your first conversation before you both run out things to talk about. At the same time, you shouldn’t do it abruptly. Sign off with a promise to pick up from where you left off. Here are some tips to close your first online date conversation:
- This was fun. Let’s catch up soon.
- I have an early morning tomorrow. Let’s do this again soon.
- It was fun talking to you. I look forward to more.
- Have a good night. Talk soon.
With the right dating app conversation starters, you can evoke intrigue and interest and set the foundation to take things forward. Keep using these tips and tricks until you’re both comfortable enough that conversation just flows. When that happens, ask them out on a real date.
Don’t text your ex – Messaging is the easiest trap to fall into!
I thought he was taking me out on a romantic date but he took me to a vegetable market instead
