Single folks, today is your day!
It’s summer (apparently), it’s not 2020 (thank God) and it’s officially the busiest day of the year on dating apps.
According to Bumble, Sunday January 3 will be the biggest day on the app as Kiwis look to find some summer love. As the warmer weather settles in, Kiwi’s interest in dating starts to blossom, with ‘dating season’ ramping up in late November, running through to early January with the first Sunday of the year typically being the peak day.
In 2020, the number of messages sent on Dating Sunday (January 5 2020) was more than 16 percent higher than the daily average, accompanied by a 14.5 percent increase in matches. During the busy period between Christmas 2019 and Valentine’s Day 2020, more than 7.2 million messages were sent amongst the Bumble community in New Zealand alone.
So, today is most definitely the right time to jump on your phone and start swiping, says Lucille McCart, Country Lead for Bumble in New Zealand.
“It’s the perfect trifecta. With New Year’s resolutions, post-lockdown excitement and Valentine’s Day coming around quickly, peak dating season is nearly here and it’s a great time to find a potential match,” she says.
“Now is the ideal time to refresh your Bumble profile if you’re looking for love this dating season.”
So, here are her best tips for making the most of your swiping today – and good luck! (And if you’re after a, er, thoroughly unscientific review, read Kelly Bertrand’s dating app rankings here to find the app that’s right for you!
Dating app top tips from the experts:
Showcase your authentic self through your choice of photos
This is the first thing your match will see. Show off your smile and your eyes and don’t be afraid to show a flavour of your personality. A big thing to avoid is heavy filters, silly faces and sunglasses – these things can be really distracting or misleading. Also make sure the first photo is just of yourself, you don’t want potential matches to be confused as to who they have matched with!
Your highlight reel should show potential matches who you are and what you love. If you love adventures, include pictures of yourself outside. If you love the beach, snap yourself enjoying the waves. If friends and partying is your vibe, let them know that.
Remember you can also link your Instagram account to show even more about yourself
It’s all in the bio, so make it pop!
By filling out the “About Me” section in your profile, you can increase your chance of matching. Tips for your bio include keeping it short and snappy, write about your hobbies and interests, highlight three things that make you unique, use humour and lead with positivity.
Timing is everything
While there isn’t a bad time to get on Bumble, the most active day is Sunday, and peak time period is 7pm – 11pm on any given day.
Say it with an emoji
An emoji says a thousand words! The top three most-used emojis in Bumble New Zealand women’s profiles were 1) 2)
3) ????. For Kiwi males, the top three emojis were 1) ???????? 2)
and 3)
Get your first move right
Bumble’s research has found that you’re less likely to get a match if you just say “hey” when kicking off a conversation.
Try opening with a cute compliment, followed by a question to keep the ball rolling eg. Hey, great taste in music! What’s the best concert you’ve ever been to? Or try showcasing your confident self eg. Your smile is captivating, hopefully it’ll make an appearance on our first date?
The best way to win someone’s heart? Make them laugh! eg. Alright, I’m here. What are your two other wishes? Or Make a thoughtful observation eg. Wow, you definitely have a way with words. What’s the last book you read?
