This begins my series of on online dating apps, online dating services and any online dating platform that I refer my clients to. I’m not a dating service/site, however, working with over 30,000 clients in the past 20+ years has given me some insight into the inner working of the online dating world, with much of what I will share with you anecdotal, demographic and geographic. As an online dating coach, I write my clients' online dating profiles, vet their photos and have long Zoom calls with each, then I help choose what I believe is the right dating site for their needs.
Yes, Sharon Stone tried Bumble!
PROS of Bumble:
1. Terrific for single women who want to feel some semblance of control in their dating life! A definite feminist slant---the woman chooses the men with the left/right swipe and if unbeknownst to her, he has also chosen her, it is a match.
2. Women make the first move. Once it’s declared a match, the women reach out with a Bumble text. If she does not get a response from the man, or she does not respond to the man’s text, the match expires. Time to move on.
3. Lovely, simple mobile interface. My clients tell me how easy it is to use----fill out some simple information, load those photos and pay for 1-6 months. This can be done in under 15 minutes if you are an organized dater and have your photos in a file on your phone.
4. Bumble then makes it fun with an additional 30-40 questions you can answer later such as
· My 3rd grade teacher described me as….
· A fun fact I’m obsessed with….
· I’m a great +1 because….
CONS of Bumble:
1. Depending on your geographic area, they may not be well populated with men/women that you are looking for. I had one client in Idaho and another in Maine run out of men with two swipes. While some clients in Chicago, NY area, Dallas etc. have never had this problem.
2. As this App tends to attract women (men get on here!!!), I hope with the recent IPO that Bumble invests more money in marketing/special promotions to attract more of a critical mass to make this App attractive geographically across the entire US.
TIPS for Bumble:
1. Your main primary photo is all that matters! Make sure it’s an awesome pic, no sunglasses, no selfies, and fun. Of course, I encourage you to add 3-5 more photos but that first one gains you traction and the swipe.
2. Your bio: Keep it to 6 bullet points that describe you. Full sentences not necessary; however proper grammar is always needed.
3. Your membership: Dip your toes in, no full dive here needed. You’ll know very quickly how successful Bumble is in your market the first week. Buy the one-month Premium Membership at $32.99 and you can always roll over for more months.
4. The Bumble Questions: take your time with these and make sure you choose the fun, lighter questions to answer. For example, I strongly discourage my clients from answering these:
· A pro and con of dating me is….
· I promise I won’t judge you if….
Overall, I like Bumble for its simplicity and ease of use. Most of my clients have found good quality dates here too. Now, I have 3 clients married and 8 dating someone seriously through Bumble.
As we head into Spring with weather better in many parts of the US and more and more people vaccinated, the number of singles that will flock to online dating will skyrocket. As I like to say, it only takes one and he/she may be on Bumble waiting for you!
*These are purely my observations on Bumble and I am in no way associated with the company. Stay tuned for next weeks’ review on another online dating app!