Here’s the basic truth about Tinder: Your profile photos are 90% of your success in getting matches. Your profile text is the other 10%. If you have bad photos, you will not get matches. Period. Your profile is the only information your potential matches have; they don’t know that you’re rescuing orphan kittens or have a degree from CalTech, unless your profile says so or your pictures show it, and what your profile pictures show is far more important than what your profile text says. (Of course, once you’re paired, your speaking skills kick in; read this TechJunkie article on how to start a good conversation on Tinder.)
Bad photos equal bad results; If you don’t have good photos, the simple truth is that no one will get a chance to give you a shot. Many people try to get the Tinder system to work by carefully sorting their profile pictures. Tinder makes it easy to reorder your photos; All you have to do is tap and move photos to control the order in which Tinder will display them. You can arrange your photos in the order you want; some people do clever things with it, telling short stories in a series of related pictures. However, from experience and research it is clear that the order of your photos is not so important; When someone looks at all of your photos, they will likely match you. They made this decision from your first photo. (And you might want to check out this TechJunkie article on how to take a great photo.)
So instead of worrying about the order of your photos, you should worry about which of your photos is better and make sure it’s your first photo. So how do you know which photos are the best? You can run a series of tests with photo review sites or post your profile on Reddit for feedback/teasing, but the easiest and most effective way to find out which of your photos is using Tinder’s own built-in Smart Photo feature. Smart Photos lets Tinder do all the hard work for you. Here’s how.
Tinder Smart Photos
In 2016, Tinder introduced ‘Smart Photos’, an algorithm that studies the behavior of people looking at your profile pictures. The way it works is simple: Every once in a while, Smart Photos shows potential matches a randomly chosen picture from your profile. It then compiles information about how often each of your profile pictures gives you a positive match into a database. Then, most of the time, when it’s not collecting data, Smart Photos will show possible matches to the photo that gets the most right swipes first. It’s basically choosing which of your images looks best by looking at how often each image gets a match. All this is designed to give you more movement while using the app.
There are a few downsides to doing things this way. Smart Photos depends on actually swiping some of your potential matches to the right to generate data. If your pictures aren’t good or don’t show you at your best, potential matches still won’t swipe right, and Smart Photos can’t gather any information. Also, at first, Smart Photos shows various images to possible matches to generate data. This means that some of these potential matches will see lower images (if any) rather than the ‘best’ one. This could result in you losing at least a few potential matches. (You can read more about how Smart Photos works here.)
That’s why it’s so important when using Smart Photos to make sure all of your images are at least pretty good. That way, no matter what picture is shown, you’ll at least do your best.
How to be successful on Tinder with awesome profile pictures?
Your personal profile is clearly important in any dating situation, but – reality check – no one will look at your profile without looking at your pictures. If you have a profile written by Shakespeare and your photo looks like Quasimodo, then you’re going to have some problems. The sad truth is that instant gratification is king. This means that the only thing that will keep it long enough for someone to read your profile is your profile picture. This makes your appearance, or at least the visual representation of your appearance on Tinder, more important than in the real world.
Here are a few tried and tested tips for great profile pictures.
Smile and look happy
We are naturally attracted to happy people, so looking happy in your image will make a huge difference. It’s okay to mix it up a bit and get some moody or “model” shots where you look thoughtful, but make most of your shots cheerful. And smile!
Throw away the hat and glasses
You might think you look cool on the street in your baseball cap and Ray Bans, but the sad truth is no, no you’re not. Even if you somehow do, it still won’t appeal to Tinder users. Data from the company itself is very solid – there’s a 15 percent reduction in right shift for eyeglass wearers, whether it’s prescription lenses or sunglasses. Covers increase damage. If you wear a hat, your chances are reduced by 12 percent.
Include travel footage
If you’ve traveled the world, show it with some travel pictures. According to Tinder’s sociologist, profile pictures that show you in an exotic or different location show potential matches where you have an adventurous personality and are curious about the world. These features are welcomed by almost everyone, especially women.
include cute animals
If you have a cute pet, highlight a photo of it with it. Don’t borrow a random puppy for a quick selfie, but if you have a dog or cat, posing with it can seriously increase its slapping potential. Again, according to Tinder’s sociologist, people who own animals are seen as caring, caring and considerate of others as well as themselves. If you don’t have a pet, don’t borrow it – when they find out that Fido is your neighbor’s dog, it makes you look like a manipulative person. Instead, find a place where you can be with an animal and at the same time not treat it as your own – for example, a petting zoo. It will be obvious that this isn’t your baby goat, but aren’t you and baby goat cute together?
Avoid group shots
Group shots are not only ineffective at presenting you, they also make people think you’re trying to hide something. People can’t tell which person you are in the group shot, especially if it’s your only photo or if the other photos are group shots. Nobody comes to Tinder because they like to play Sherlock Holmes. Group shots are poisonous. Delete them. No one will swipe right unless they can clearly identify who they are swiping for.
Hold Snapchat
There’s nothing wrong with a little Snapchat flair to spice up a photo, and if your self-image requires fluffy dog ears and vomit rainbows in your profile photos, who are we going to argue? However, if each of your profile pictures is digitally altered, your potential matches will start to think you’re hiding something… because you are. You give the impression of dishonesty and superficiality if you don’t include at least one reasonably sharp shot that shows pretty well how you actually look in everyday life. Is it better to have a hundred matches and ten dates who turned you down because they didn’t like the way the person showed up, or ten matches and a date with someone who truly loves you? to look? your call.
Outdoor and Indoor
Shooting some from the outside and some from the inside is good to show that you are not a cave dweller OR a sun worshiper. In fact, in general, showing too much variation in your poses and activities in pictures can give a clear signal that you are a complete (and complex) person, not just a stereotype.
show your hobbies
As long as your hobbies are socially acceptable and not too niche, it’s fine to show them on your Tinder profile. If this shot involves doing your hobby with a big grin or a happy face, all the better. It shows personality and gives insight into your life. Just choose the shot carefully based on these other tips.
There was a time when you would spend an age rearranging profile photos on Tinder. Which one goes first? Which one shows you the best? Who is likely to object? And such that. Smart Photos has eliminated that. Now all you have to do is make sure that every profile photo is good and that each one shows you your best.
While not perfect, it forces everyone to up their game as much as the images. Too bad we don’t have the “Smart Profile Text” feature so we can test different approaches with our words as we do with our pictures!
Do you have any other great tips to improve your Tinder profile picture game? Share them with us below!
