Hey! My name is James Langton, I was on the official Tinder most ‘Right-Swiped' list, as featured in all major UK media. I am the founder of Dater Help, I improve your profile for more matches and engagements on any dating app. Check out the profile enhancement service here and I also offering dating-app coaching here.
First off, I’d just like to state how much I love Hinge. It’s currently owned by Match Group (owners of Tinder, POF, OkCupid) but don’t let that put you off, it’s completely different. I’ll save the complex stuff for another post, but explained simply the algorithm matches you with other users who have Liked similar profiles.
Before I wrote this article, I had a look at what else was around on ways you can get more Hinge matches and it came to no surprise I found many articles like this…
“Hinge HATES HIM! Find out how this man got 30,000 Likes on Hinge in 20 minutes!”
(well, not that exact article, but you get the point).
Guys, dating apps use algorithms and they are not stupid. Becoming a genuine user who is engaging and has a fantastic profile is how you get more matches, on any app, not just Hinge.
Today, I want to give you some quick and easy tips on actionable steps you can take right now to be shown more profiles of the people you’d like to match with, and actually match with them.
I feel this blog post is a slight clickbait, so I’ll explain…
Hinge is a hybrid app, it’s kinda like a swipe-app (Tinder, Bumble, etc) but Hinge gives you a select choice of 10 profiles a day on the free version which you can ‘Like’ to try and match with. This updates every day at 4 am where you are given another 10 profiles you can choose to match with.
The only way to truly get ‘more’ matches is to pay for the app, you can pay for an unlimited amount of Likes, but this does not mean you will get more matches.
Instead, we have to turn this back to yourself and what you are doing right/wrong…
1. Your photos
Like any dating-app, your photos are the most important factor in attracting the matches you want. You could have the most amazing bio which is jam-packed full of info that someone will be dying to match with you, but if your photos aren’t up to scratch, they’ll simply Unlike you. You will have fallen at the first hurdle.
We offer a profile enhancement service where we select + retouch your photos to be used on dating apps, but here are a few tips you can do for yourself…
. Make eye contact with the camera
. Smile
. No selfies
. Keep your damn shirt on
. Use a quality photo (seriously, nothing taken on a potato camera)
. Colourful background
. Alone in the photo, not with your friends
. No sunglasses or hats
2. Engage with a comment
This is the best way to match with a profile you have been shown. Notice they have 3 profile prompts? You need to respond to these.
There are 80 questions for a Hinge user to respond to, so their answers will be something they feel strongly about.
There’s no right or wrong way to answer here, so just relax and respond however you feel. Hinge uses fantastic prompt questions that make people answer light-hearted questions that they’ve put thought into.
Would I go as far as to say you should be answering profile prompts instead of comments on their photos? No, not always. If you see something in their profile that you really like (their outfit, location, or an activity they are doing) you can still ‘Like’ one of their photos and talk about that as your opening message. Just stay away from complimenting someone’s physical appearance. This goes for all dating apps, not just Hinge.
We've created an online course to help you create the perfect dating-app profile, keep conversations alive, gain more matches + turn matches into dates
3. Write something controversial - update your Hinge prompts
Hinge lets you answer 3 prompts. Here are the 3 you profile prompt questions that receive the highest conversions (messages from other users) that I have found from my own data and those of others.
The biggest risk I’ve taken
This is a fantastic one because if you are favorable to risk, you can list the biggest risk you have taken… “I climbed up Mt.Everst in shorts”. If you are risk-averse, you can make a quickwitted comment about it, an example would be “The biggest risk I’ve taken is touching a bench to see if the ‘wet paint’ sign was true”. Something funny and friendly is always a great one to use here!
Do you agree or disagree that
An example, my Hinge bio says “Do you agree or disagree that Nutella tastes horrible”. 70% of my messages are from other users commenting “WHAT!? How do you not like Nutella!?” and then we get into a conversation about it, which leads to a great conversation.
Make sure it’s something that is true, everyone has at least one thing they dislike that everyone else seems to love.
It should be something super controversial that is not offensive. Here are a few things it could be about…
. Is there a movie you disliked that everyone loves?
. Is there an activity that everyone loves that you dislike?
. Is there a food that everyone hates but you love?
. Is there a strange place you want to visit?
. Is there an artist that everyone hates but you love? (ABBA, btw)
I know the best spot in town for
Ah, this is my favourite. This is a fantastic way to organise the first date, too!
Keep this one really fun and entertaining. It should be somewhere that you and your match could go on for a first date.
Do you know the best place to play mini-golf?
Do you know the best place to get ice cream?
Do you know the best hidden independent coffee shop that serves those amazing iced mocha drinks with cream on top?
Do you know of an independent burger restaurant where the chef is a sponge and the owner is a crab?
4. Go off-app sooner rather than later
Having a conversation on a dating app that is going nowhere is a sure way to get unmatched or ghosted. The constant back and forth of how your day is going and what your interests are and general small talk makes you just ‘another’ profile on a dating app. You’re not going to get any dates from this.
Instead, try to speak to your match on another platform pretty soon after matching. There are no ‘set limits’ for this, but maybe after 10 messages back and forth would be a great time.
“How do I ask my match to go off Hinge?” I hear you ask.
Here’s how…
“I don’t use Hinge that much btw, is there any chance we could chat on Instagram? Here’s my profile @__________”
Or
“I don’t use Hinge that much btw, is there any chance we could chat over Whatsapp? Here’s my number ____________”
See? That wasn’t hard.
Instagram is actually a fantastic platform to go on after a dating app as your profile will have more photos of you, your hobbies, and interests posted, and you can chat via DM on a platform many people use hourly. But if you don’t feel comfortable having your match on socials, it’s fine to give them your number so you can chat there. No more getting buried by other dating app users messaging your match! Once your profile has slipped below the fold on their match list, you’re gone forever.
We recently worked with Martin to select + retouch his dating-app photos. We also wrote him a new bio. Check out what he had to say...
Here's his main photo we chose + retouched, among others for his profile:
Check out our profile enhancement service here
5. Don’t worry about quantity, worry about the quality
Did anyone else get flashbacks to high school when you asked your teacher “How many words should I write?” and the answer was “quality not quantity” but they actually meant 3000 words? Me too.
But seriously, speaking with a match, getting to know them online, and then having a phone conversation or a video call and then finally meeting them for that oh-so-amazing date is your aim here. There’s a fine line between not showing enough interest and showing too much.
I have so many people come to me explaining that they’d like more matches, and my first question is to ask them 'why?', when in fact what they actually want is better interactions with their current matches and actually go on dates.
I’ve said it before but I’ll say it again, always remember that you are dealing with a real person on the other end of that phone! Nobody wants to be treated like ‘another user on a dating app’, they want someone who is interested in them and is willing to put in the effort to get to know them.
Keyword? Effort!
Pay it, it gives the highest return on investment on dating-apps.