This sounds simple, but it’s oh, so effective: using someone’s name as soon as you “meet” them creates a sense of familiarity without coming off as creepy. It also shows you’ve actually taken the time to notice their name, instead of using the mindless copypasta approach.

Second, asking a quick question gets the conversation going immediately. Because leaving things at “hey” or “hi” in your first message ALMOST NEVER gets a reply or turns into a conversation on Tinder. (Unless that lucky person wrote “hey” to you, in which case you’re going to get the conversation rolling with this approach.)

Technically the question doesn’t have to be food-related, but first messages about food tend to get a lot of replies, so. ??

You: Mara! Mac & cheese or pizza? Mara: Mac ‘n’ cheese, no question n, I like where your head’s at

You: Hi, Candice. What are your thoughts on adding peas to guac? Candice: Ugh, my mom tries to do this, she thinks no one will notice Candice: It’s as gross as you would imagine You: I’m sorry you’ve had this trial. Sure, maybe it’s fewer calories, but at what cost?

Get-to-know-you games (like Would You Rather or Kiss, Marry, Kill) are awesome for starting conversations on Tinder because they give you a topic to discuss immediately.

Guys are usually told to start Tinder conversations with a joke, but jokes are waaaay less effective than games. When you start a conversation on Tinder with a joke, what is the desired outcome? She responds “haha”? And… that’s it? If there’s any hope of turning that first message into a conversation into a date, the guy has to start a real conversation from scratch after the joke is finished. Continue reading →