If one of your New Year’s resolutions was to put yourself out in the dating scene more, dating apps are becoming a more popular way to meet people, according to Bumble Canada.
The dating app said nearly 20% of the country’s population is on Bumble: It saw 2.4 million new users join in 2019, a large jump compared to the 1.9 million users who joined the year before.
In a phone interview with Daily Hive, Bumble spokesperson Priti Joshi said 40% of romantic relationships in the US are started online.
“That in particular is a pretty big behavioural shift,” Joshi said, talking about how people are looking to online dating to meet their potential “love of their life.”
Joshi said in the past, people had a “negative stigma” associated with the concept of being on online dating platforms.
“But, I think what it has turned into is a lot of platforms, Bumble included, have started to create really great features that basically allow you to learn more about the potential match or the potential connection and make an informed decision,” Joshi said.
“We’re in the era where knowledge is power, and I think users are starting to get excited by that,” Joshi said, adding that online dating also gives you an opportunity to meet more people that you may have never been introduced to before.
To help you create buzz around your online profile, Bumble has a few tips to consider.
Checking phone/Pexels
Profile picture
“Pictures are so important!” Joshi said.
You should have an up-to-date photo that shows your personality and best shows your favourite personal characteristics.
Joshi said it’s best to choose photos that show you in your element; for example, “If you enjoy travelling, include a photo of you in a really cool place that you’ve recently travelled to.”
“Pets are a really big hit in our community,” said Joshi, so if you “authentically” own a pet, showcase their cute face too!
Use as many photos as you can; Bumble has data that indicates if you use three to six profile pictures, you increase your chances of matching with someone by 31%.
She also to include at least one photo of just you, and to make sure that it’s clear who you are if you include group photos.
Bio
By filling out the “About Me” section in your profile, you increase your chance of matching by 13%, according to Joshi. “So it’s worth it.”
Joshi said writing your bio is something fun to do with a friend because they’ll help you narrow down what it is you’d like to get across in the app by talking about it out loud and help you identify all of your great characteristics.
“It’s important to be you,” Joshi said. “It’s important to have a little bit of seriousness in your profile and your photos even, if that’s who you are,” and if you’re a “silly person,” so to say, “to showcase that.”
“It’s basically things that are hooks. Things that are able to entice somebody to then swipe right, and say, “Oh hey, I noticed x,y,z, about your profile. I’d love to learn more.'”
Joshi said that you should always state what you’re looking for as well; for example, if you’re looking for a relationship or not so that other users can identify if you’d be a good match.
Profile badges and advanced filters
Joshi said assigning Badges to your profile increases your chance of matching with someone by 55%.
“Those Badges can tell all sorts of information about your height, it can tell information about whether you drink or you smoke, it can also tell information about what your astrological sign is,” adding that the most popular badge is Pets.
Joshi said this information helps you make a decision about the other person. “You know, ‘Is this person somebody who can be interesting to me because they believe in the same things I do?’ or ‘They believe in the exact opposite of what I believe in, and maybe that’s going to be a wonderful match.'”
You can also use Advanced Filters for the information included in the Badges. Joshi said that it allows you to create an “almost personalized list” for potential matches “and create a little bit more of a more personalized and curated experience.”
Safety tips
While online dating is becoming the new norm in meeting people, Joshi said safety for Bumble’s users and community is very important.
She said if there is any type of inappropriate behaviour happening, such as with photos, language in profiles, “or imagine someone is abusing or harassing you or leveraging hate speech, for example, in direct messages,” you should block that user and report them.
“We expect everybody to be kind and to really respect one another, and at the same time we expect our users to hold one another accountable and to make sure that if someone is misbehaving, they are reported,” Joshi said.
Joshi said Bumble also encourages people to be “photo verified” to avoid being “cat-fished.” Joshi said, once your photo is verified, you’ll receive a blue check mark that indicates that Bumble confirmed your photos are you, and you can have comfort in knowing others have been verified as well.
Before meeting a match in real life, Joshi recommends speaking with that person beforehand, either through voice call or video call, within the app so that you don’t have to exchange phone numbers right away. “That way you can feel safe and confident and comfortable in who it is that you’re meeting with.”
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