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Writer's pictureJames Langton

How to get more matches on Bumble

Updated: Jun 22, 2020

Hey! My name is James Langton, I was on the official Tinder most ‘Right-Swiped list, as featured in all major UK media. I am the founder of Dater Help, I offer Dating-App Profile Enhancement and Dating-App Coaching via Zoom. In short, I can make your profile way better and tell you how to interact with matches, everything from sending the first message to organizing a date.  



Your current Bumble profile - what's wrong with it


I’ve read so much stuff online about the 'best ways to get more matches on Bumble' and have to say 95% of the stuff just isn’t correct. 

Crafting the perfect dating app profile is a sweet mixture of understanding digital marketing, understanding people, and having a good visual eye.

If you’re reading this blog post, it probably means you’re not getting as many matches as you’d like. There multiple factors of why this could be, but the quickest and easiest way is to improve your profile. 


This blog post contains no tricks, hacks, or anything unethical. Just a pure and simple way of improving your Bumble profile to gain more matches. 


Creating the perfect Bumble profile 


Here’s a list of the actionable things you can do to improve your profile right now. Before I go any further, I should probably state that you should read what I’ve written above if you haven't already. 

Like you, whenever I read a blog, I just want to get to the bullet-pointed list that offers me advice, but seriously, go back to the top and read it all! It contains some pretty crucial info… 


Your photos 


I’ve put this part first because it’s the main reason why people are swiping left on you, or your profile is so low down on the rankings that people aren’t even seeing your profile at all. 


Your photos are without a doubt the most important aspect of a dating app, not just Bumble. Before anyone has a chance to see how awesome your bio is or gets a chance to sit opposite you in an overpriced coffee shop in a part of town you can’t even afford the rent in. Don’t fall at the first hurdle! Here’s what you should and shouldn't do... 


Do:


. Pick the right photos. Is your shirt untidy? Is one eye closed? Is your hair messy? Look at the photo before you upload it and ask yourself “does this photo portray me in the way I’d want to be viewed by someone?” If the answer is yes, put it on your Bumble profile. 


. Smile! Sounds so obvious, but you'd be surprised at how many people don't smile on their Bumble profile. 


. Make eye contact with the camera. This one is a big one! Mix this with a smile and you're onto a 1st photo winner! 


. Have colourful backgrounds and colourful clothing. When Bumble users are swiping through profiles, you want to have a 1st photo that will grab their attention and spend a little more time on your profile. Imagine you are on a dating app, how quick are you to left-swipe someone. Less than a second of thought! 


. Use high-quality photos that have been taken on an SLR or decent phone. You should be perfectly in focus in the shots! Just about any phone has photos good enough for a dating app. Also, don't over-edit your photos.


. Take your photos in soft light (diffused artificial light or golden hour times). This will reduce harsh shadows and the possibility of you scrunching your face up when you squint because the sun is in your eyes. 


. Have photos of you and friends, but keep this to 1-2 images. Your main image should have you and only you! Not only will people have to work out which person you are in the photo. There are more reasons at play why someone wouldn't right-swipe you when you're with so many other people, but we'll just keep it to the original point. 


. Include photos of you and animals (if you have them!). This isn't a major factor in creating a successful Bumble profile, but it's a sure way to win the heart of many potential matches. 


. Be a friendly face. Waaaay too many people think you have to be mysterious on dating apps, like some kind of inspirational business powerhouse or something. I've read so much stuff online about how you should 'be the dominant male as this is what women want' - this advice is sexist and wrong. 



Do not:

. Take topless selfies or gym selfies. Beach photos are fine, however. 


. Be creepy - seriously, 6 photos of you making direct contact with the camera is a sure way to get left-swiped. It’s possible to have too much of a good thing. 


. Wearing a hat or sunglasses - people want to see your facial features, particularly your eyes. Don't cover them up! 


. Have tons of photos of you and your friends. The occasional photo of you with a friend is fine, but having a photo of 10 of you together is a big no-no. 


. The odd selfie is fine, but don’t make a habit of it. Your main photo should be taken by someone else, or taken on a tripod. 


Your bio: 


If you imagine the user flow of your dating app profile, it’s not hard to understand that a user will flick through your photos before they read your bio. Dating-apps with a ‘swipe’ feature (Tinder, Bumble, OkCupid, Badoo, etc) all work on the premise of gamification. 


What is gamification? Well, according to the official definition it’s this…


“Gamification is the application of game-design elements and game principles in non-game contexts. It can also be defined as a set of activities and processes to solve problems by using or applying the characteristics of game elements” 


Make sense? People go on dating apps because they are like games. You are shown attractive people, and your reward is getting to ‘match’ with them, and speak with them. The playoff is that you could swipe with someone, but not match. It's like a slot machine! 


Dating apps tap into our deep psychological needs, but also tap into our instant gratification hit in the form of dopamine. They then require you to pay for the extra features and taa-daaaa, they’ve got big business on their hands. Do I blame them? Nope, they are business and have earnt their audiences, and created products people love to use. 


I have used dating-apps for a good few years and I think they are a fantastic way to meet people who you would have not came into contact with before. 


What should I put on my Bumble bio? 


Do


. Be positive 


. Include your hobbies


. Your interests 


. Where you have traveled to


. Your ideal first date


. How you spend your free time 


. Include your social media at the bottom of the bio 


. Include what you do for a living/study 


. Include a comment that someone could ask you about as an opening message



Do not


. Make sexual, sexist or overly ‘cheeky’ comments - this is a big one


. Add too many Emojis, it just looks childish 


. Include what you are ‘not’ looking for. Example; “Swipe left if don’t enjoy _____” Many people include something like "Don't match with me if you have kids" and even people who don't have children will swipe-left, as it's quite a confrontational comment to open with. 


. Include a cheesy copy + paste chat-up line that you found on the internet. This is the biggest one! There are self-confessed 'dating-app experts' who will give you lines to copy + paste to send to your matches. Not only is this impersonal, but many dating apps will also reduce your profile ranking as it's seen as a non-genuine interaction. 


. Show off with money or things you own


. List your social media account and nothing else. There's no harm in putting your socials at the bottom of your bio (actually encouraged!) but just having your Instagram tag will make people feel you're just on Bumble to gain more followers. 



So, a quick conclusion!


This has just been a post to tell you the actionable things you can do right now to improve your Bumble profile for more matches. There are many factors for getting more matches such as the complex algorithm Bumble uses and actual interaction with other dating app users, but I will leave that for another post!


See the form to subscribe to our mailing list below? Please feel free to enter your email to be notified when I write a new post! 



If you have any questions about Bumble or dating apps in general, please feel free to email me. 


You also might like a video I made recently...



Happy dating!


James 

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