Going online to find love is very much standard practice these days, and OkCupid has grown into one of the most popular dating websites in the world.

With it’s fun undertone and fantastic search functionality, OKCupid is a fantastic choice for finding love online but once you’re on OkCupid (or any other another dating site) finding “the one” among so many is a huge challenge.

In today’s blog, we look at some ways you can boost your OkCupid profile and improve your overall experience.

Timing is everything!

There are certain times of the day and week when people are more likely to be on social media. These times (and a bit of common sense) can also be applied to dating sites.

During the regular weekday, most users probably aren’t logged in to OkCupid because they’re at work. Evenings after work but before bedtime are when you’ll see the most users online. As for the best times to start sending messages, between 7 p.m. and 12 a.m. and on weekends, are probably the times you want to focus on.

Like most social media sites, people are more likely to use OkCupid when it’s on their phone. So download the app and get going!

Actually communicate with other people!

This seems like a no-brainer, right? You’re on OkCupid for dating; obviously, you socialise. You’d be surprised, though, how many of my friends complain they can’t find someone on the site, and then when I say, “Well, have you messaged anyone?” they reply, “No, they’re supposed to message me!”

Although it may seem like “putting yourself out there” is different on an online dating site, that mindset won’t help you connect with anyone. Look at it as the same as “liking” a post on Facebook or re-tweeting on Twitter. If something in someone’s profile gets a response out of you, send them a quick message saying so, or favourite them. You’d be surprised what even the minimal amount of effort can achieve.

Take the time to fill out your profile (in full!)

Those profile and personality questions are there for a reason (other than relieving your boredom on a quite Wednesday afternoon at work). The more you fill out, the better able you are to present yourself. Complete your profile. Answer the questions. The more information you give out about yourself, the better the site is able to match you with someone.

Likewise, you’ll also seem more attractive to other users. No one wants to connect with a blank void. Plus, the search tool on OkCupid, like all search tools, favours those with more information than those without. How are you supposed to show up in someone’s search results if you haven’t written anything down?

Struggling to write your dating profile ad? We can do it for you!

 

Add the profiles you like to your favourites!

You know the old Twitter trick of following a bunch of people just to get followed back? While it’s not the best way to build out your “brand” on Twitter, it does up your numbers. You can apply a similar method to OkCupid. Use the ‘Quickmatch’ tool and favourite a bunch of profiles that pique your interest (and, if you’re really keen, message them). The more you favourite or message, the more responses you’ll get.

If you don’t like the users who respond to you, change it up. Alter your profile or the answers to the personality questions. Try messaging people out of your standard profile box. Change your pictures or your username.

You’d be surprised how just altering a few key things changes your matches, views and connections.

Your photos will make the difference between success and failure!

All social sites are optimising for less text and more media. Though OkCupid hasn’t exactly gone the Facebook route of making pictures the most prominent aspect of a profile or page, it is true that the more pictures you add to your profile, the better sense people can get of who you are.

Users look at photos, and dating apps such as Tinder are built upon the fact that people are more likely to respond to pictures than words. OkCupid has a clever feature which allows you to connect your Instagram profile, therefore making it easy to update the photos on your profile…just make sure you don’t have anything on there that you don’t want to show off on your dating profile!

 

It’s not just about you…

This may be difficult piece of advice to follow when you’re filling out a profile that is all about you. However, that doesn’t mean you should go on a self-promotion marathon. Instead, when filling out your profile, include the web page to bands you like or a blog you enjoy. Maybe add the link to a YouTube clip you think is incredibly funny.

When you message a person, actively ask about him or her. Don’t start interrogating, but it’s always a good idea to end on a question — most of the time, it guarantees a response.

In short, a dating website is like any other social media site. The more time and effort you put into it, the more engaging it can be. In this case, following these tips will likely result in success on OKCupid (and any other dating site for that matter!).