Launched in just 2012, Tinder was the first dating app designed for young people to slice through the online dating stigma. What was once seen as a practice that only the socially inept engaged in has now been used by more than 40 million Americans.

With 38% of its 40 million users being between the ages of 18-24 and another 45% of users between the ages of 25-34, it’s clear that this app is a favorite among young-ish lovers. But just because this is the preferred app for people your age doesn’t mean that you’re succeeding.

Part of receiving no likes on Tinder could come down to its gender makeup: 38% female, 62% male. With such odds stacked against you, you’ll have to step up your game if you hope to attract fellow swippers. Here are 8 tips that will ensure a substantial increase in the number of matches you receive.

1. Make Sure You’re Using The Right Application

Maybe Tinder just isn’t the app of choice in your city or state. As of 2018 Tinder was the most popular dating app in 27 states. Clearly Tinder is America’s most beloved app, but you’re not swiping for lovers that live anywhere in the continental US. Maine’s favorite app is POF, while those in Oregon prefer Bumble.

Every state has its own preference. Before investing time into any one application, find out which app is most popular in your state.

2. Date Within Your Demographic

Let’s review Tinder demographics once again. 83% of users are between the ages of 18 and 34. If you’re aged 40+ Tinder might not have the age group that you’re looking for. Here are some apps to consider based on the ideal age of suitor you’re searching for:

30s: Elite Singles

Elite Singles sounds self-aggrandizing but what’s important is that it caters to established professionals in their 30s. The majority of Elite Singles’ users are 33-50. The app attracts users that are seeking a committed relationship.

40s: Match.com

Launching in 1995, Match.com was the most used website for online dating. It was initially geared towards older users and its target user demographic hasn’t changed since. 36% of its users are between 39-53 years of age with 44% of its users being single parents. Did I also mention that love guru Helen Fisher is the Scientific Advisor for Match.com?

50s: eHarmony

If you believe eHarmony’s website, the application is to thank for 4% of all U.S. marriages. Like Match.com, eHarmony has been perfecting the science of online matchmaking for quite some time (18 years).

60s: OurTime

OurTime caters to only users 50 and over. OurTime might not have the cleanest design or most unique features, but what it lacks in looks and tech it makes up in its demographics.

3. Get a Photo Makeover

All online dating applications are superficial. They reduce humans into a series of pictures and catchy opening lines. Tinder more than others places significant weight on a user’s photos.

Due to the interface, each user is reduced to a number of cards. As of writing this, the app doesn’t require swippers to look at another user’s bio. With a written bio pushed to the side, even more importance is placed on one’s photos. Revamping profile pictures is the quickest way of going from no likes on Tinder to being match-rich.

Here are some things to keep in mind when selecting new Tinder photos:

• Smile without teeth. A Hinge study found that photos of men that didn’t show teeth received 43% more likes than those that did.

• Candid shots receive 15% more likes than posed shots according to a Hinge study.

• Selfies are easy but they’re also 40% less likely to be liked than non-selfie photos. That number gets worse if selfies are taken within the bathroom.

• Biological anthropologist and Scientific Advisor to Match.com, Helen Fisher says the magic number for online dating photos is five.

• Men are 45% more likely to get a match when they post a couple of sports photos. To be clear, only ‘manly’ sports such as contact sports received a sizeable amount of likes on Hinge.

• Black and white photos are surprisingly 106% more likely to be swiped right on than their multi-colored counterparts.

• Wear a different outfit in every photo… duh.

• Include no more than two group photos. Just make sure you don’t start off your profile with a group shot.

• International travel photos get 210% more likes than non-travel photos according to Vox

And don’t forget to ditch: shitless photos –no matter how photoshopped your abs look- gun photos (unless you want to attract gun-lovers), arms crossed shots, landscape shots that don’t show your face, photos of you with your ex or a blurred out companion, shots that make you look douchey (sunglasses), drug shots, or photos that make you look unhappy or just flat out lame.

Phew. If these are too many rules for the casual online dating user, there is a shortcut.

Photofeeler.com is a photo review website that allows you to post photos and have them ranked by anonymous reviewers. Photos are ranked from 1-10 in three categories: intelligence, trustworthiness, & attractiveness. Reviewers can also provide notes on each photo. Throw up a few pictures to test the waters. Only use photos that score at least an 8 in any one of the aforementioned categories.

If even Photofeeler seems like too much work, why not ask a couple of girlfriends what their thoughts are? Send the same photo to a few friends and tell them you’re thinking of using it for your Tinder profile. Or order the first round of beers and request that they comb through your photo library, selecting only the most attractive photos.

Maybe you’re just not the photogenic type and don’t have a deep cache of photos to choose from. Why not schedule an online dating photo-shoot? If this seems like a bit much you can always just be a bit more cognizant when photo opportunities arise and ask someone to snap one of you.

4. Hook Her With A Nabokov-worthy Bio

There are two keys when it comes to writing your Tinder bios. One is to not be basic and the other is to give her something she can latch onto. If you’re thinking this means writing a list of things you like followed by a bunch of emojis, you’re wrong.

The line above is from a real Tinder profile. It’s just one line but it checks off every box that a profile needs to in order to be successful. Puppies is a topic that just about anyone can contribute to.

Not only does it give her something to latch onto and connect with, but it presents this information in a fun manner. The profile owner could have just said, “dog lover” like so many other users. Instead, he added just a dash of wit to his profile and turned his interest into a bio worthy of a female user’s attention.

Let’s check out a lengthier profile.

Just as the profile is laid out, the bio works on three different levels. The user talks about his impressive professional career in the first line. If you have an impressive career, why not let other daters know about it? The second line gives the reader something to sink their teeth into. Who doesn’t love traveling and exploring. What makes the line worth keeping is of course the joke about colonizing. The last line is a continuation of the second and also works because it’s a second status symbol that gives the female user a conversational topic to sink her teeth into.

As these two bios show, there’s no reason to write an essay for your bio. Make it brief, humorous, and give her the chance to connect with you by writing about your interests.

5. No Likes On Tinder? Be Authentic & Specific

This tip isn’t as much concerned with getting matches as it is with what happens after a match has been made. Tinder is a dating application. It might look and feel like a game, but the ultimate objective of using the application is to date women IRL. It can feel tempting to hoard matches like trophies, but this bump in confidence is shallow and won’t get you a girlfriend.

You can lie all you want on your profile, but what will happen when she agrees to go out with you and realizes that you’ve lost 3 inches and gained 25 pounds in the span of a few days? Honesty will save you both time and money. Not only will dishonesty leave her disappointed, but yourself as well. Writing that you love Harleys because it’ll make you look cool will attract bike-riding Harley lovers. There’s nothing wrong with such a woman, but is she what you’re actually looking for?

When writing your profile, heed the fetishized mantra of every creative writing professor since Henry Miller, “show, don’t tell.” If you can, paint a picture of what it is you love, if not, at the very least be specific. Everyone loves Netflix. Fact. So don’t be redundant and tell her something she already knows.

Give her a visual to latch onto by telling her that you relax by sipping on chai and watching Planet Earth. Don’t just tell her that you’re into traveling like every other lame Tinder profile. Instead, list a favorite destination and tell other users where you’d like to go next while casually inviting them along.

6. Set A Swipe Goal

Is it possible that you’re receiving no likes on Tinder because you’re just not swiping often enough? Finding a meaningful relationship should be a goal worth pursuing. That means investing the time to find a mate through online dating. Swipe right on at least 20 women every day. If you find yourself matching with too many women or feeling burnt out, reduce the number of times you swipe right.

At first, message even women that you might not care to hang out with. Doing so can be seen as practice. You’ll learn what opening messages yield responses, how to carry out a digital conversation with a stranger, and how to segue into scoring a date IRL.

7. Download 4 More Apps

The goal behind the goal isn’t to kick ass on Tinder, it’s to find a partner. Improving your Tinder game is helpful in this endeavor, but even more beneficial is casting a wider net. Each application caters to a certain sexual preference, demographic, and style. There is a wide range of awesome apps out there that aren’t anything like Tinder.

Of all the applications my clients have used, I’ve heard the best feedback about Hinge. Hinge is a truly unique application because it only connects you with users that are friends with your Facebook friends. It also requires that users scroll through a written biography filled with stimulating prompts in order to view users’ photos.

8. Hire A Dating Coach

Consulting with a dating coach (like moi) is a shortcut to success.

Who has time to use trial and error to find the right partner? I did as a college student, but as a full-blown grown up, I can tell you, ain’t nobody got time for that.

It’s not that fun throwing spaghetti at the wall and hoping something sticks.

Working with an expert, especially one who has actually gone on A LOT of dates (100 to be exact) I can help you how to avoid the common mistakes that keep hindering you from finding the right relationship. You’ll also have swifter success with the guidance of an expert who can provide direct feedback about factors that are often subconscious and difficult for non-dating coaches to articulate.

Upon joining an app for the first time you’ll be given a boost that exposes you to more suitors. This is why it’s so important to hit the ground running. You’ll want to have the most competitive photos so you don’t get swiped left on by 95% of the users on the app and consequently be bogged down for a low ELO score.

Working with a coach will help protect you against this fate. It also helps to have a messaging strategy, which can take a few training sessions to fully master. A coach can speed that up to so you’re not just saying “how was your weekend?” to every babe you match with.

To be transparent, even when you solve you issue of getting no likes on Tinder, you’ll then need to know now to convert these matches to actual dates. You’ll then need to learn how to interact with them on the actual date and how to communicate with them between dates. You’ll also need to learn how to stay out of the friendzone before doing the deed, escalate sexual tension, and keep your mind right during the tumultuous ups and downs of dating.

If you’d like to take advantage of having a coach by your side, feel free and book a new client 1-on-1 Skype session with me today. During our session we’ll talk about your Tinder woes, diagnose your dating background, create an action plan, and see if my 3 month coaching program will work for you!