But what good is sending a message if you can’t even get an initial response? We’re sharing 7 online dating message tips that will actually get you somewhere. You’ll want your first impression to do just that—make an impression. Statistics show that the 3 most popular ways to greet someone in an online dating message were actually bad beginnings.

These top 3 intros to avoid include “hi,” “hey,” and “hello.” Sorry if these have been your go-to’s, but it’s time to switch things up.

For this discussion refers to your first message in online dating.

Writing the online dating first email is the area where I made the biggest mistakes for the longest period of time when I was dating online.

As we all know, people normally like compliments, but when they’re used as pick-up lines, before you’ve even met in person, they inevitably feel…ew.

Besides, when you tell a woman she’s beautiful, chances are you’re not.

No traditional greeting at least earns the reply rate of 27%.

Overall, more informal standard greetings did very well.