Whether or not you peruse the shelves of the local bookshop in hope of participating in your very own off-screen ‘meet cute’ (we have Hugh Grant and that fringe to thank for our outrageous expectations), nobody daydreams about meeting their soulmate by swiping right.
But in the social media age where iPhone-bearing millennials (guilty!) can’t-stop-won’t-stop scrolling, online dating is nothing to be scoffed at.
WATCH BELOW: Bella, Gigi, Kaia, Imaan, Adut And Tyra Just Formed The Ultimate Girl Band
In fact, 53% of Australians know at least one starry-eyed couple who are busy sharing “boy did good” and “this one” posts, all thanks to a few messages pinged over the airwaves on the bus home from work.
So when I was asked if I’d like to give online dating app Bumble a shot a few months back, my newly-single self couldn’t say no.
Since launching back in 2016, Bumble Australia has welcomed over three million users to the hive – all of whom are frantically swiping right in search of love, fun or a summer fling.
But what makes the app stand out from the rest of the tough-to-navigate dating world is that women make the first move.
“For so long there was this idea that the man had to take the lead and ask the woman out, which isn’t empowering for either person, Bumble lead, Lucille McCart, told marie claire Australia.
“Bumble is about flipping the script and giving women the power to make the first move.”
But let’s be frank, sliding into someone’s DMs is no easy feat – especially when you were obnoxiously loved-up long before Bumble even existed *cough*.
So before I embarked upon the challenge, I took one for the team and asked for some top tips on how to curate the ultimate dating profile so you don’t have to.
How to use Bumble Date
Even the most novice of online daters will find the process fuss-free with just a few steps to complete before you’re well on your way to finding love (or a Valentine’s Day date).
Once you’ve downloaded the app from Apple Store (it doesn’t cost a penny), you’ll be asked to select six photographs of yourself.
I’d also like to give a quick shout-out to the verification tool here which helps daters to see which potential matches have proven their online identity. To earn the badge, all you have to do is send a selfie to the Bumble hive and the image will be reviewed by the team.
Next up: your Bumble bio. According to the dating giant, completed bios are 27% more successful in bagging dates than those who stay tight-lipped about themselves.
If you struggle to open up or feel like your fellow commuters are peering over your phone, then syncing up your Instagram and/or Spotify accounts is a quick-fire way to flag common interests.
For those keen to make the most of the app, it’s also worth upgrading to Bumble Boost. By far my favourite feature, it gives users the chance to see who has liked them first – a huge confidence kick before you nervously tiptoe into their messages.
The Spotlight section is also a great addition, as it showcases your profile to more people in the area which is sure to see your dating opportunities grow.
Once you’re ready to meet up with a budding love interest, you can even call them using the app’s all-new video call feature (psst: you don’t have to give away your phone number) to hash out first date plans.
Because let’s be honest, sometimes the great dilemma of whether to grab tacos or check out the local pizza hotspot deserves far more than an indecisive text exchange.
How to build the best online dating profile
There’s nothing more daunting than squeezing your personality into a word-limit-friendly but one-of-a-kind bio so relationship expert, Chantelle Otten, recommends keeping things simple.
“Don’t make it cliché and don’t worry about being open and vulnerable – go with the authentic,” Otten advises. “Think about what you would be looking for and mimic that in your profile.”
McCart also reminds me that it’s important to take full advantage of the app’s filters too in order to say more about yourself without even having to spend hours (read: days) thinking up an amusing bio.
“You can use our Badges tool to easily communicate facts about yourself like your height, star sign, whether or not you have pets, your political leanings and what kind of relationship you are looking for,” she says. “The more information on your profile, the easier the conversations will flow.”
Then comes the whole picture predicament. Should my ‘candid’ supping coffee and looking into the distance shots ever leave the Instagram grid? How many margarita-in-hand selfies does it take to see someone swipe left?
“First impressions come from the first image before people even click on your bio,” Otten stresses. “I don’t recommend a group shot, selfie or filters on your profile.”
“If you’re a friendly person, having a close-up shot of you smiling on your dating profile is a really good way to put your best foot forward,” the Melbourne-based expert added.
But before you screenshot your LinkedIn photo (it was genuinely the only headshot I could find), make sure it’s a photograph from the last three months which really showcases your smile – just make sure to skip the filters.
“I would take away the filters and the FaceTuning apps that blur blemishes and just go with one where you’re looking at the camera,” Otten adds. “Then add another one where you’re doing a hobby to help kickstart conversation.”
Making the first move
So you’ve bagged your first match, hoorah! But there’s no time to breathe a sigh of relief, as you have just 24 hours to make the first move.
When I ask if the go-to “Hey, how are you?” is far too a dull an opening line to retell the grandchildren, Otten recommends taking a slightly different approach without steering too far out of your comfort zone.
“If you want to stick to just opening with a simple ‘Hi!’ then keep it fun by greeting them in a different language or in a more interesting way,” she suggests. “Maybe you could say ‘Ciao’ or ‘Bonjour’ – they’re simple but effective.”
“Or maybe look at what they’re wearing in their profile picture,” Otten continues. “You could comment on what they’re wearing. For instance, you could write: “That hat… winky face”. Then, you’re leading the conversation further.”
Otten also suggests opening with a leading line on the hobbies they like to pursue whether that’s the arts, yoga or… beer pong.
The first date
Once the conversation sees you frantically dig around your purse whenever you hear that familiar shrill of the app alerting you of a new message, then you may be ready to discuss planning a first date.
But how long should you wait before booking a restaurant reservation?
“I really encourage people to go from a digital conversation to real life quite quickly,” Otten advises. “I don’t recommend waiting around as some people don’t know how to translate conversation into real life.”
“If you’re ready and want to meet someone then just cut to the chase,” she continues. “Tell them that you’re not great with chatting over the app and ask if they’d like to continue talking over a drink.”
But regardless of whether you’re newly single or a serial dater, meeting someone for the first time is always going to prove a pretty nerve-wracking experience.
From standing at the bar scrolling through non-existent texts while impatiently waiting for my date to arrive to the worry that they may be a no-show, I asked Otten for some tips on tackling first date nerves.
“Just treat everything that you do in terms of finding a potential suitor – whether that be a lover, something casual or something more serious – with the aim of getting a good story out of it to tell your loved ones,” Otten advises.
“I don’t recommend going on a first date with high expectations – go with the view to have a great time,” she adds. “It’s not about the other person, it’s about how comfortable you feel and how much fun you feel you could have.”
Happy swiping!
Whether or not you peruse the shelves of the local bookshop in hope of participating in your very own off-screen ‘meet cute’ (we have Hugh Grant and that fringe to thank for our outrageous expectations), nobody daydreams about meeting their soulmate by swiping right.
But in the social media age where iPhone-bearing millennials (guilty!) can’t-stop-won’t-stop scrolling, online dating is nothing to be scoffed at.
WATCH BELOW: Bella, Gigi, Kaia, Imaan, Adut And Tyra Just Formed The Ultimate Girl Band
Whether or not you peruse the shelves of the local bookshop in hope of participating in your very own off-screen ‘meet cute’ (we have Hugh Grant and that fringe to thank for our outrageous expectations), nobody daydreams about meeting their soulmate by swiping right.
But in the social media age where iPhone-bearing millennials (guilty!) can’t-stop-won’t-stop scrolling, online dating is nothing to be scoffed at.
WATCH BELOW: Bella, Gigi, Kaia, Imaan, Adut And Tyra Just Formed The Ultimate Girl Band
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