You have all the recommended dating apps with you. You browse through them. Swipe left. Swipe right. Scroll up. Finally, you have found somebody, say cute? Sort of amicable looking? The profiles ‘Matched’. The detail of the person also gets a tick yes to take it forward. Now the huge step, to start an online dating conversation. How do we do that?
All the tags of a good conversationalist don’t seem to make sense now. Here you are lying there on your back a tangled bundle of nerves, staring at the ceiling. ‘How do I start? What do I speak about?’ No Fret! Read more to know how to strike an online dating conversation right.
Online dating conversation needs to be cheerful and fun. In the initial few minutes, it may seem unnerving. You may be on pins and needles, so to say. It may not start the way you expected it. Just go with the flow. Be organic. Be the best you always are. The more confident you are with yourself, the better and natural you will be. Remember that it is OK not to continue the chat with someone who is not your interest.
Table of Contents
Small Talk
How small should a small talk be, in your online dating conversation? A small talk should be limited to speaking about the main characteristics about oneself. Post/ send messages which are funny. Avoid sending links of music and videos or those which take a lot of their time. Messages of reading material too are most often left unopened versus funny, cheerful messages. Have a reason why you are contacting someone you hardly know. Let them know even if it is just for connecting with them.
The Profile picture
Images are great online dating conversation starters. Take a look at the profile picture. Get to know the interests. If it is a vacation, you can start your conversation asking about the background details. Share your thoughts and interests with the same. You can comment, compliment or ask questions about the images. You can recommend a cuisine you tried recently. Be cautious not to seem interrogative, though.
Getting to know
You can get to know a person only by asking questions. Right? They do not float around with LED lights fixed about who they are! It is also a knack to ask questions without sounding like an Officer. One of the many ways is to pose a question in a scenario. For instance, “You are on a vacation. Which place would you pick? A place famous Historically or Geographically?” You could use this to propose a date too! Ask the right questions without seeming nosey.
Ask for opinions
All of us love to advise and give opinions. In case you are looking for tips on starting online conversation with a guy, remember this. All guys like to feel they are a Tarzan to the rescue. They want to be treated as if they can swing the vines across and swoop their Jane to a safer plain. So, it is a good idea to ask for recommendations for say some new web series, maybe. You can ask advice about how to fix-it at home. Asking opinions make guys feel interested. If there’s a topic of a hobby. Ask about it. Express your interest or even disinterest in it. It sets a pace for discussions on a lighter note.
Throw up…challenges
Are you OK with challenging yourself? So, if you are now settling into a free flow conversation, you can probably continue with throwing some fun challenges. Everybody loves challenges. You can come up with three guesses to your favourite game/food/getaway. You can play ‘Unmatched’ if they fail to answer correctly. You don’t have to do it, though.
Sense of humour
Guys like girls who have a sense of humour. The degrees can vary with each person. They like the company of girls who are not afraid to feign being a geek or don’t take themselves too seriously. Try blabbering out some out-of-context sentences or narrate an incident which is completely unrelated to whatever you are talking about. You can cherish some guffaws there for a start. Another icebreaker could be talking about embarrassing moments of childhood with a flavour of humour in it.
Play games
Games have a way of cracking boredom. Get started with a fun game. For instance, a question such as “Would you rather…?” / “Have you ever…?” / “I have never ever…?” this will give an insight of the fun side of your guy. Be prepared to get it turned flirtatious too! Another fun game is to give him a set of emojis to decipher the answer. Rummage your GIFs. Or post a random emoji. This is very surely going to strike a conversation.
Give a Compliment
We all love to hear nice things said about us. Hands down. A compliment works wonders. Speak nice about his interests, hobbies, or looks. Complimenting on physique and fitness is a sure way to lead a conversation. Ask him his routine of a work-out. Probably, a kind word regarding his humanitarian work, if any. Beware of the hair-line difference between a flatter and a praise. It is OK to be a little flirtatious. You could go ahead and put-up GIFs or emojis in this regard. Try some cheesy one-liner. If it works, good for you!
Starting an Online dating conversation can be intimidating. But if you keep in mind that it is a conversation you are having like in any other group of friends or acquaintances, it will be less nerve-wrecking than it appears to be.
There is nothing like ‘need to say the right thing.’ This will only get you tight-lipped. Keep the conversation in a natural flow. Maintain the flow like you would with any other guy. It is not about being articulate with your words. Keep it respectful. It is about how you say what you say!
From sharing her views on blogs in MoTA to being a blogger in it, Lakshmi Srinath has been writing her thoughts since 2010. Thanks to a persuasive face-reader, she took Content writing on to a next level since August 2021 with a certification in the same, from Henry Harvin Education, India. When she is not among her thoughts and words writing content, you will find her pursuing her hobby in art or gardening or just gossiping the latest on insta, with her daughter. She staunchly believes that mental wellness leads to physical wellness. Lakshmi lives in Pune, India with her daughter and husband.