How to Land a Date Online
Online dating can be a lot of fun, but how do you get from a chat room to a movie theater? It all starts with your online dating profile and builds from there. To land a real-life date, you have to start with a creative profile and follow it up with upbeat emails and conversations.
If you have been online dating for awhile and you are not having any luck, discover a few tips to finally land that date.
Things You’ll Need
- Digital images of yourself Online profile
7 Steps to Land a Date Online
1. Post your profile online.
According to Topdatingtips.com, the top online sites to post are Yahoo Personals, PerfectMatch.com and EHarmony.com. You want to post your dating profile on a number of websites to give yourself the most exposure possible.
Make sure you have a great profile photo and creative headline that tells the dater something about you. Then, follow that up with a well-written essay that tells potential dates how you spend your time and what things you are looking for in a date. Be sure to be upbeat and optimistic, as no one wants to date a pessimist.
2. Start making contacts.
Once your profile is accepted and published, start making contacts. Create a basic “hello” email that tells potential dates why you think you may be a good match.
You want to comment on shared pastimes and experiences. Don’t focus on the physical, and keep the email friendly and light. Ask some questions to make it easy for your potential date to respond.
3. Avoid using “winks,” as some online daters feel that “winks” are too easy and that online daters use them as a “shotgun” method of making contacts.
Make a good first impression by putting the time in on each contact. Personalstrainer.com suggests writing an introductory email that you can personalize in minutes for each new contact. This saves you time and still makes your first contact unique and individualized.
4. Begin with emails.
Once you have gotten a response email or WhatsApp message from a potential date, keep the conversation going. You want to have at least three good emails before you ask to meet in person so that your date feels comfortable.
Don’t focus too much on yourself, and ask plenty of questions in a conversational manner. Don’t make it sound like the Inquisition, but let her know that you want to learn more.
5. Send pictures.
Exchange photos with your date-to-be, and be sure to include plenty of candid shots of you doing the things you enjoy. This will help your online friend get a clear picture of not only what you look like, but how you spend your time as well.
This helps them imagine spending time with you, and gets them ready for a real date. Author Paul Stevens writes in his article, ‘How to Take a Good Online Dating Profile Photo,” that you should smile and look confident in your profile photo so that your personality shines through.
6. Make the call.
Set a time to make a call so that you can converse “live.” Write down some topics of conversation to keep the call moving along. Don’t get overexcited or nervous, talk slowly and remain upbeat, not complaining about a job or an ex-girlfriend.
7. Make the date.
Do your research before the call to see what movies are playing, what festivals are taking place or what other activities the two of you could do over a Friday or Saturday night. When the call begins to wind down, make the date.
You always want to have a plan so say, “Hey, I hear (name a movie) is playing at (name a theater). Do you want to go and see it with me on Friday night?” Having a plan is key, so have a few options ready before you talk. Stay away from bars or clubs that could be distracting.
Tips & Warnings
Think about your potential date’s interests and make the date that reflects those interests so that she is excited.
Don’t lie in your online profile to get a date. You are better off playing it straight so that when you get that date you don’t have to continue a lie.
