BOOM! Your heart’s hit your throat. Logging on to your dating account, you’ve spied a new first message, and the opening line is a killer. Something about beauty, and your photograph, and how you seem to have a lot in common…
What to say back? It’s not as maddening to think about a reply as it is the first point of contact – which we’ve talked about at length – but, for some, it’s an equal struggle. Crafting your first reply to an online dating message might be easier with the following advice:
No straight-up sarcasm
A good sense of humour can do wonders for a relationship, and sharing sarcasm is actually an awesome way to bond if you have the same disregard for small talk and ‘romantic’ tables for two in restaurants.
However, don’t ever try and do it off the bat, in the very first reply. The other person will have to get to know you before they see through those icy words, recognising that you don’t literally mean whatever comment you’re making. Irony is indelibly hard to pull off when online messages tend to be taken at face value.
Embrace enthusiasm
Taking compliments goes against our nature. If you’re lucky enough to be given one, expressed eloquently and with real passion, there’s a tight line to walk between acknowledging their sentiment and staying hard-to-get. This second point is crucial, because you don’t want someone to stop impressing you, right?
If they’ve taken the time to comment on your eyes, body or even amazing online dating profile, embrace their compliment and think about how you can return the feel-good favour. In doing so, you’ll appear confident and self-assured, which can only be a good thing.
Respond in kind
Good manners are hard to come by. The internet, for all its perks, can encourage lewd behaviour more readily than an actual life situation. If someone is messaging you crude and execrable things, you have every right to ignore them.
But the opposite is true for a potential match who’s taken care with their words; don’t pass over their questions, thoughts and opinions as if they’re white noise. Been asked where you are in that beach picture? Well, it’d be a shame to keep them in the dark. Indulge their curiosity, and show your interest by coming up with a few questions of your own.
They say that bands struggle with the Difficult Second Album; after an awesome debut, the follow-up has huge expectations to meet. We like to think the second message – your online dating reply, crafted with considerable verve – shouldn’t be crippled by the same sort of pressure. Just stay calm, clear, and focused on what the sender was trying to articulate, and decide how you will encourage another bout of breathless typing.
Finding that response should be easier with these tips in mind. FreeAndSingle is a 100% free dating platform, and we’re constantly on the look-out for helpful hints to set your romance on fire. Join us today, and stay tuned for more juicy dating advice…