Don’t Be King of the “Hinge Cringe”
Welcome to Online Dating Genius: A blog series brought to you by the online dating experts at your favorite NYC Matchmaking Service, Project Soulmate! In each post, we reveal another online dating profile tip, a.k.a…the “please don’t” in online dating.
If you online-date, you will relate.
The Cringe King
This time, we are warning everyone about what we call the “Hinge Cringe” but as all of you probably know, cringey lines are in no way isolated to Hinge. They are lurking inside too many profiles on too many apps.
If we are being honest, dating apps are filled with roads leading you straight to the most cringy paths. But, believe it or not, there are ways to avoid the unbearably awkward one-liner. You may think you’ve come up with a clever, funny idea, but the only laughter is usually coming from the person on the other side of the screen laughing at you before swiping left.
So, how do you change your ways from painful punchlines to cute comments?
Instead of being in your head and trying to come up with the most clever lines – which almost always end up being painful to read – be specific and true to yourself. The advice we would give is: try hard, not trying too hard!
For example, if an app asks you to describe yourself, avoid a cliche, corny line like “just a hopeless romantic looking for love and trying to enjoy life,” and instead, focus on being specific about what you like (and try not to sound desperate – even if you are).
Try: “…someone who will never say no to a sushi date and loves a good dive bar.”
However, you may encounter a question that’s not as straightforward as this. What are some basics you can follow to avoid the big D’s (we mean the “don’ts”) in online dating?
Be playfully honest.
Now, please take this with a grain of salt: we are not confident that a potential candidate wants to know that your cat recently died or that you struggle with mother-in-laws.
Ask fun questions.
No one wants to hear another person claim “yes” to whether they agree with ‘work hard, play hard,’ nor do you need to know out of the gate whether they prefer their coffee hot or cold. Try asking what someone’s most irrational fear is or what their ideal first date would be!
Be specific.
People claim they “love to travel” or “seek adventures.” However, one person may think that means backpacking through Europe, another going on a bike ride around a park upstate, and another getting up from bed to head to the kitchen for a quick snack. Don’t be afraid to tell people exactly what you enjoy.
To wrap this up and avoid taking this blog down its own “path of cringe,” the most critical strategy to include in your online dating strategy is to be unapologetically yourself! Find that happy medium between not over-sharing and scaring away your match and not under-sharing and attracting people with totally different values and interests.
Remember to make it easy. When you’re in love, people say everything feels simpler and just right, so shouldn’t dating be the same way when you find the right person?
The bottom line to avoid being The Cringe King: In a world full of Michael Scott’s, be a Jim!
Written by Shirin Zauber – edited by Jane Rudes
Shirin is our creative and brilliant Business Marketing Intern here at Project Soulmate.
Jane Rudes is a Communication Consultant as well as the Online Dating Director at Project Soulmate. She is happy to speak with you about your online dating profile and other common online dating woes.
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We pick the best photos for your profile and put together a professionally written summary and prompt answers that will get you more dates. We also offer natural looking pro-photography, coaching and account management services for any online dating account.
Click here for More Info! Or just Contact Us and ask!
Get brilliant online dating tips on what NOT TO DO by checking out our Online Dating Genius posts:
The Bathroom Selfie
The Height Exaggeration
The Hot Chic In Your Pic
The Pet Pics
The Posse Pic
The Not Your Baby Pic
The Impossible Checklist
The Offspring Pic
and
The Sunglasses Psycho
