How Tinder Made Me a Better Copywriter

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The best place to practice your copywriting skills isn’t in newsletters or on social media channels like LinkedIn.

It’s on Tinder.

Tinder’s an online dating app where users see potential matches in their area. On Tinder, you’ve got just a few seconds to make an impression. If a user likes your profile, they swipe right. If not, they swipe left — and that potential match is gone forever.

My time on Tinder taught me how to communicate with one of the pickiest audiences in the world: single people looking for love (or at least a fun night out). It showed me how to write a great message that would catch someone’s attention and was worthy of a “swipe right.”

I’m a copywriter who’s worked with some of the largest brands in Europe, but the stakes at work never felt as high as when I wrote my Tinder bio. 

And I truly believe this: If you can write for Tinder, you can write anywhere. 

The lessons I learned writing on Tinder have made me a better copywriter. But you don’t need to download the Tinder app and create a new profile to improve your copywriting skills. You can piggyback off my fieldwork (and avoid an awkward conversation with your partner about that new app on your phone). 

Here are seven secrets I learned on Tinder that — guaranteed — will turn your copy game up a notch. 

1.) Dare to be different

The first time you log into Tinder and start to swipe, you’ll notice some trends. Many people pose in similar ways or re-use the same one-liners. (The most popular bio of all time, according to Tinder: “Here for a good time, not a long time.”) Ask yourself this: What are most people doing on the app right now? Now, avoid exactly that. 

On Tinder, that means avoiding all-too-common phrases like, “I love food, music, and traveling.” Sure, maybe you do love food, music, and traveling — but so do hundreds of millions of people on Tinder. You should dare to be different from everyone else. Zig when everyone else zags.

In copywriting and on Tinder, your goal isn’t just to be better — it’s to be unique.

That’s why you should try something much more original (and yes, I know that’s easier said than done). Something that grabs your reader’s attention and makes one think, “Holy guacamole, what is this? I’ve got to read on!” 

Here are some examples of original Tinder bios I’ve stumbled across over the years:

• “I am not looking for anything serious… Only a husband and 5 children.”
• “If you can laugh at yourself, you should swipe right 👈 That is the path that leads to a match. Well, I’m right-left blind. If you’re not laughing now, you should swipe left 👉 (May be out of pity).”
• “I’m good in bed. Last night I slept 9 hours.”

Why do these examples work?

Because they break conventions. You’re reading something you didn’t expect and seeing something you might not have seen before.

So, you should conduct a little audience research to see if you can spot any trends. Once you understand what everyone else is doing — Everyone else has a photo of them on a hike! Everyone else is using a joke in their bio! — you can plan how to make your profile different.

As a copywriter, I do the same thing. The research phase is crucial to understanding what competitors in the space are already trying. Once I understand what the majority is doing, I can differentiate my message from theirs.

2.) Kick-start the conversation

All copywriting aims to create something that the audience will read and interact with. Maybe they’ll even pause to consider or even question it.

On Tinder, you can’t just strike up a conversation with a stranger. Both parties need to swipe right first — but you can take a step to trigger that desire to chat.

That’s why on Tinder, you should:

• Write something surprising that not everyone will agree with, like, “I actually don’t like sunlight” or “I simply don’t get the hype about chocolate.”
• Make your profile interactive. Tell users, “Guess the location in my last photo, and I’ll buy you the first round of drinks.”
• Give the reader a reason to ask a question by withholding some information. Don’t tell them everything; never waste precious space by sharing too much information before they’ve expressed interest in you. Cut the details out for now. Instead, anticipate the three most common critical questions your audience may ask and prepare good answers. 

The overarching goal is to write something that evokes curiosity and ignites the conversation.

As a copywriter, you can use that same strategy to get four to five times more comments on your blog posts, articles, and social media posts or replies to your newsletter. Use your copy to start the conversation — give them a prompt, or ask a question — and then be ready to engage once your audience replies.

3.) Not everyone will love you (and that’s OK!) 

If you’re already considering downloading the Tinder app — for research, of course — you should know that online dating is cutthroat. You’ll be judged on your most surface-level attributes.

And guess what? There is no point in trying to make everyone like you. As the saying goes, “If you aim to please everyone, you’ll please no one.”

This is true in both the copywriting and Tinder universes. Your goal shouldn’t be to build the biggest possible audience — your goal is to reach the right audience.

That’s why you should narrow down your target audience. Speak directly to those you want to connect with and accept that there will always be some who won’t be attracted to you or your copy. The more you narrow your target, the more you can write something that appeals to the right audience.

It’s a good thing if everyone doesn’t love you — that’s called branding. 

As a former boss said about my work, “If no one gets angry, irritated, or provoked by your copy, it’s simply because it’s too boring.”

So at the risk of getting someone angry or irritated, I’ll say: “He was one genius motherf***er.”

4.) Pass the bio test 

Short is ideal on Tinder — well, at least when it comes to bios!

No one wants to sift through a wall of text. They’d much prefer the shorter bio. (Some might disagree, but tip No. 3 teaches us that is a good thing.) So just like in marketing copy, conciseness is a must. 

You might be thinking: But Simon, at work, I need to create long, tedious reports that are thousands of words long. I can’t condense that all into a few sentences!

Point taken. You might not be able to trim it all down to just a few words, but you can still take the Tinder bio test.

What’s the bio test? Tinder gives you 500 characters to tell potential matches everything about you. Everything you are, everything you care about — you’ve got just 500 characters to share it with the world.

So when you’re writing copy to deliver a great first impression, challenge yourself: Can you deliver your core message within the Tinder bio character limit? Setting the limit at 500 characters helps you hone your core message. It naturally forces you to be concise.

One real-life copywriting example: If the team at Disneyland took the bio test, they wouldn’t waste characters telling you about all the new rides or attractions at the park. They’d simply say, “We’re the happiest place on Earth.” When it comes to making a great first impression, clear and concise copy beats clever and creative every time.

5.) Tell a story 

Whether you’re writing on Tinder or in the corporate world, there’s one thing we humans simply can’t resist: a great story.

Storytelling lowers people’s defenses and opens their ears, eyes, and hearts. When you tell a story, you start to grab their attention.

Tinder taught me that people often don’t care about your achievements and rewards, not even when they are nicely arranged in bullets like on your resume. People on Tinder don’t want to go out with someone’s LinkedIn page — they’re looking for the real person behind it. Telling your story is the fastest way to show them the real “you.” 

So start by:

• Sharing something personal.
• Providing something the reader can recognize, relate to, or imagine.
• Describing the next step together in your relationship.

As you start to tell your story, you’re laying the foundation of a relationship with that person. They’re learning more about you and starting to think about how you fit into their lives. It’s a first step — and it’s an important one.

6.) Vary the way you express yourself 

On the one hand, you need to show consistency between your text and images — otherwise, it will raise a red flag for your audience.

For example, you can’t say you’re a vegan who eats organic and cares deeply about animal welfare — and then have a profile pic of yourself hunting pheasants or holding the giant fish you just caught.

On the other hand, you should also vary the way you express yourself. For instance, challenge yourself to try a new format, genre, context, or a completely new angle.

On a dating app, that might mean leaning into new formats, like using video to show off a new side of yourself or audio to reply to certain questions.

When you’re writing copy, you might want to read it aloud and record it in a new format.

Let’s say you’ve already published something — an article, a guide, a report — as text. You may want to record it and publish it as a podcast. Or how about capturing it on camera and creating a how-to video to share on YouTube or in short episodes on Instagram and TikTok?

Those new formats give you a broader portfolio showcasing your work in a different way. And, like on Tinder, your audience might like seeing you from a new angle.

7.) Show, don’t tell 

The challenge on Tinder is conciseness without bragging or being boring. Telling a potential match “I’m funny” is, technically, about as concise as you can get — but it’s also remarkably dull. 

Or imagine writing a bio that says, “I’m a creative type who comes up with exciting ideas!” If you’re reading that, wouldn’t you think, If you were really so creative, wouldn’t you have found a more creative way to show that? 

That’s why you should show your qualities in your copy rather than tell people about them. 

And how do I do that, Simon? 

You do it by:

• Writing like a human — One simple tip, whether you’re writing for a Tinder match or your newsletter: Try to write like you speak. Before you hit publish, read your copy out loud. It’ll help you spot if your writing has gotten a bit too robotic. (If you’re looking for four other tips for writing like a human, this guide should help.) Provide concrete, vivid examples that ignite the reader’s imagination. The best copy gets the reader thinking — they’re taking what you’ve said and playing a movie in their heads based on your copy. They’re imagining the full picture of you, not just seeing words on a screen.
• Think about how you structure your sentences — Some of the best writing in Tinder bios uses a joke-like structure: set up, then punchline. That format works nicely for other writing, too. You don’t have to be funny — you can also think about setting expectations first and then driving home the message.

A few final takeaways

You’ve made it to the end, and you deserve some kind of medal. (Or perhaps a Premium Tinder subscription.)

To recap our seven lessons:

1. Dare to be different — Research what others are doing, and then make sure your copy stands out from the rest.
2. Kick-start the conversation — Whatever you share should prompt the reader to take the next steps and start a conversation with you and your work.
3. Not everyone will love you (and that’s OK!) — You’re not writing for everyone. Pick a specific audience, and make sure you’re talking just to them.
4. Pass the bio test — Keep editing until you can say what you need in 500 characters or less.
5. Tell a story — Storytelling drives attention. Use your story to start building a relationship with your reader.
6. Vary how you express yourself — Use different formats — audio, video, and text — to share your message differently.
7. Show, don’t tell — If you’ve got something you want to share, don’t just tell your readers about it. Show them what you mean.

A good copywriter should be able to apply these lessons to every part of their strategy. One easy place to implement some of these tactics: The sign-up page for your newsletter. Look at your page and ask yourself: Do I pass the bio test? Am I showing why my newsletter is worth signing up for? Am I speaking to a specific audience? Is it clear how my newsletter is different from others?

If the answer is “no” to any of those questions, you’ve got an opportunity to improve your copy to drive more newsletter sign-ups.

Personally, I use these copywriting tips on a daily basis. But I’m no longer using them on Tinder — because I met my lovely girlfriend there. 

So thank you, Tinder. 

Thanks to our sponsor

The stories you’re reading on inboxcollective.com are made possible thanks to the generous support of our spring sponsor, Litmus. They’re an all-in-one marketing platform that empowers you to build, test, review, and analyze emails more effectively than ever so you can get the most out of every send. Learn why 700,000+ professionals trust Litmus to make every send count.