In the last blog, we talked about the 25 prompts that Hinge says get the most responses on their app. Now it’s time to start diving into those prompts and discuss what you should and should not be putting in your answers. With 25 different prompts on the list, we will break this down into a few different posts.
The best and worst way to answer Hinge’s most popular prompts:
Prompt #1 – The way to win me over:
The thing that makes a prompt like this so effective, is that it gives people the keys to the castle. It says, “If you can do this, I’m yours.” That means that is going to be one of the tempting prompts to answer. It gets right to the point, and it leaves all the ambiguity behind. With that said, it isn’t a guaranteed win. The wrong kind of answer will have people swiping left faster than a shirtless bathroom mirror pic.
DO: focus on the positive. Think about the kinds of people that you get excited about hanging out with. Think about their actions and their outlooks on life. This shows people where you are in terms of headspace. Alternatively, you can have a little more fun and give them a playful challenge (that is based on reality). Something like, “The way to win me over is to be the kind of person who stops and pets every dog when we go to the farmer’s market.”
DON’T: focus on what was missing in your past relationships. I see people use this prompt way too often to talk about honesty, loyalty, and having the ability to communicate. There is no denying that those things are important in a relationship, but they are so foundational to healthy partnerships that mentioning them makes it sound like you are dealing with issues. Also, don’t get too cutesy. If your answer to this prompt is something like, “The way to win me over is by beating me in a hot air balloon race around the world,” you will end up trading your opportunity to start a conversation with someone for an opportunity to try and look clever.
Prompt #2 – My simple pleasures
This prompt shines as a quick way to give people a window into your likes and your personality, but if you give too few or too many details, you will miss out on the chance to have an answer that starts a question.
DO: either focus on one thing or a list of three things. Odd-numbered lists are more aesthetically pleasing than even-numbered lists. With that said, make sure that if you are focusing on just one thing, it isn’t a one-word answer. If your simple pleasure is “coffee,” make sure you talk about the kind you like, if there’s a special place you go to get it, and even what happens to your day when you miss out on it. You will hear these words a lot in the next few blog posts: words without context have no meaning. If it is important enough to mention, give it a little color and detail.
DON’T: give too little or too much. If you give a one-word answer, you are going to look like you don’t care about this enough for anyone to take you seriously. Meanwhile, give them a ten-item list of your simple pleasures, and their eyes will glaze over like they are reading a homework assignment.
Prompt #3 – I go crazy for
This prompt is your chance to take one thing in your life that is really important to you and make it shine. The goal here isn’t to convince them to love this thing as much as you do but to give them enough of a window into why you love it that they’d be interested in talking with you about it.
DO: focus on yourself or an aspect of the person you want to meet. When you do, make sure that you give it context. It doesn’t matter if it’s popcorn or the certain way someone laughs, if you don’t give people more than just the thing on its own, they have no way to connect with you. For example. If you go crazy for popcorn, you might answer the prompt like this: “I go crazy for popcorn, the more butter the better! I know it’s not good for me, but every time I reach my hand into a bag or bow of it, I feel like I’m a 6-year-old at the movies for the first time again.”
DON’T: Don’t make it physical. I have seen people answer this prompt with things like a sexy body, feet, strong shoulders, good teeth, and far more specific things. We all have things about the bodies of the people we like that we go crazy for, but that’s not going to help you get a conversation started with a stranger. It’s just going to make it look like you are only focused on the physical.
Prompt #4 – Together, we could
This prompt can help bring two strangers together in each other’s imaginations. It’s a perfect opportunity to paint a picture that a potential match can see themselves in, with you! But, if you go too big, or too small, with your answer, you are going to miss out.
DO: Aim for something achievable, but not too simplistic. The idea is to give them an idea that can spark a conversation. It doesn’t have to be a big plan that involves travel, it can be something like ice cream. Now, just suggesting that “Together we could go for ice cream” is too simple, something like “Together we could hit up all the ice cream parlors in town until we find who makes the ultimate pistachio!” is something that could actually make for a fun date and a good conversation starter… if they like pistachio ice cream.
DON’T: Go too big or too small. If you go with something too simple like a “grab a cup of coffee,” you will come off as boring and lacking in any imagination. Meanwhile, if you go too grandiose and do something like “Travel the world,” or “Conquer the universe,” there’s nothing real for anyone to grab onto and start a conversation.
Prompt #5 – My most irrational fear
Honestly, this is one of my favorite prompts on all of Hinge. Fear, as long as you don’t go too traumatic, can be a great way for two people to connect. It’s also a great place to inject a little bit of humor or to tease a story that could spark a conversation.
DO: Be honest. This is a good rule of thumb across the board, but you don’t want to include a fear that isn’t true. It will backfire on you. Also, make sure that you give that fear a little context so that it has meaning to the reader. Don’t just say that you are afraid of heights, say where that fear came from. It doesn’t matter if your fear is spiders, deep oceans, or accidentally poking your eye out with a straw, if you can give people context, it will make it much easier for your answer to launch a conversation.
DON’T: Make something up. If you come up with a fear that you don’t have in real life, you are going to look seriously lame when it comes out in conversation. No matter what fear you go with, make sure that you give a little bit of context. If you just post a three-word answer, it’s not going to connect with anyone. Context is the key to making a connection.
Check back in a couple of days for prompts #6-10!
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