Article Subject: Dr Dato’s series on online dating etiquette - Part 3 - Opening message with other members

Dr. Dato’s Brief:

Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4, Part 5

Messaging is an important aspect of online dating and getting this right is all important in getting the attention of female or male members that have caught you eye.

Some of the insights we have gleaned from the Jumpdates database of members activity is that the quality of the message is key to get a higher rate of response. For example, introducing yourself with an opening remark such as ‘hi’ as opposed to say ‘how are you’ has a profound effect on the replies. However, keep in mind that the usage of words is all in the matter of context, for example if you are already engaged in a conversation, ‘hi’ is perfectly acceptable. What we are talking about here is the opening line to a new conversation with a member.

Like all other email applications that we use today, we generally open the email after viewing the ‘from’ and the ’subject’ line, so it is imperative that the subject line has something of interest. A simple ‘hi’ may do the job for some people but to be more effective, try some catchy lines such as ‘Wasn’t the weather dreadful today?’, ‘You will be astounded when you read this..’, ‘Hmm, you are into salsa dancing’, I think you get my drift.

Speaking from the men’s point of view, if you target a woman who happens to be very good looking then you can assume that she will be inundated with many messages. The trick is to sound unique which will create a sufficient interest or buzz for her to open and read your message.

From the women’s perspective, it is generally a good idea to view all the incoming mail, because you may find that a ‘hidden gem’ lurks underneath those unassuming messages.

Try not to be too dismissive and base your opinion on just the mail alone, because a profile description will never be able to replace the face-to-face meeting which can be very different from each other. Like all communication with other people, try to be courteous as possible, I am sure you would expect to be treated in the same manner.

be unique and courteous in your opening line in online dating

Tags: dating advice, dating and messaging, dating etiquette, dating tips

This entry was posted on Sunday, February 20th, 2011 at 8:07 pm and is filed under Online Dating Tips. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.