Online dating opens a whole world of new opportunities for those who know how to do it right.
While in 2005 only 44 percent of people believed online dating was a good way to meet someone new, the percentage went up to 59 percent in 2015. One in five relationships today begin via an online platform.
At the same time, people still aren’t too confident about the rules of online communication. One out of five people have asked someone they know to help with the crafting of their online profile or the messages they send to somebody else.
Are you one of these people? If so, you’re probably excited about having a fun flirt online but you’re also worried when it comes to doing it right.
An online flirt is a lot simpler and more casual than meeting someone in real life. Internet gives you a degree of anonymity you should use to your advantage. In order to flirt successfully online and to form a true connection, you’ll simply have to follow a couple of online dating rules.
Make Your Comments and Jokes Relevant
To show someone you’re eager to communicate with them and them alone, you should make a comment or a light joke about an aspect of their profile.
The key here is to pay attention to their details – what they like, their hobbies, goals in life and even their professional affiliation.
Relevance demonstrates attention to detail and a desire to get to know someone better.
Write Naturally!
Will you ever tell someone “hey gorgeous, who put the stars in your eyes?” In your attempts to be original, you can start sounding douchey, canned and stereotypical.
The number one rule of online flirting is to write like you talk.
Be casual and have fun without going into uncharted territories. Keep it light and humorous. Loosen up and image being in front of a person and attempting to chat them up. Get rid of the rehearsed pickup lines, the clichés and the pompous written sentences you believe make you sound enlightened. They really don’t!
Point the Conversation to Something Interesting
If your opening line is “hey, how are you tonight, beautiful,” chances are that you’ll never hear back from them again.
The reason is simple – 99 percent of supposedly flirtatious messages start this way.
Instead, open up with something interesting, something that the other person wouldn’t expect. If you manage to accomplish the goal, you’ll get them interested and you’ll distinguish yourself from everybody else attempting to chat them up.
“Have you been to Australia? I see you like surfing and the waves are one of a kind there” is an interesting way to start the conversation. Not only will you get them engaged in what you have to say, you will potentially identify things you have in common right from the start.
Tease But Don’t Get Lewd
Every person understands being flirtatious in a specific way. While some people are accepting of lewd jokes and inappropriate comments, chances are that you’ll be seen as offensive if you go there right from the start.
Teasing and being nasty or lewd are two very different things.
Teasing is playful, even if there’s a naughty context to it.
A nice comment about one’s appearance with an emphasis on what you like the most is acceptable. Telling them what you’d like to do to them (unless you already know each other well enough) is absolutely unacceptable for a light flirt.
Don’t Overdo the Emoticons!
Unless you’re 15, you should be careful in terms of sprinkling emoticons throughout your texts.
Many people believe that an abundance of emoticons is expressive of emotions. It really isn’t. Rather, such a way of communicating appears juvenile and irritating.
It’s much better to use your words and explain how you feel, what you like another person and where you see the relationship going.
A cute emoticons used every once in a while can add to the playfulness of the conversation. Still, these choices should be strategic and sparse.
Know When to Back Off
The worst thing to do is to keep on pestering someone when they’ve shown you a lack of interest.
An online flirt can go to a dark territory if you don’t know when to put an end to it.
Even if you fancy the person a lot, you should respect their right to put some boundaries or to discontinue the communication altogether.
As a home business owner with limited opportunities to meet people, know that there are hundreds, even thousands of people you could connect with online. Don’t obsess over a single individual – this kind of behavior will spoil the fun for both of you. Take some time to identify people who have similar goals and interests like you. Chat them up, go with the flow and let the conversation evolve naturally. Soon, you will find someone who’s willing to get to know you better and you’ll limit the interactions with other people.
