What makes a good first message?

When you're using a dating site to look for people to chat to, it can sometimes be tricky to know how to start a conversation.

You shouldn't worry about this too much though, as even if your first message isn't a masterpiece, there's often plenty of chance to send more afterwards, if it turns out the person you're messaging is interested in you.

It's often tempting to start with a message that says something like 'How are you?' – and although this is a very straightforward start, it can often work to attract someone's attention.

However, it's perhaps not quite as likely to raise someone's interest as much as a more thoughtful message.

It's not worth agonising over things, so if you do just want to simply greet someone or ask them how they are then feel free, but before you fall back on this method, why not think about some other things that might work well?

It's not necessarily about having to be witty or clever (although this can go down well if you're good with words!).

People's profiles are a good place to start. For example, look at the photos and see whether they spark any ideas. Although saying something personal about the appearance of the person you're messaging might not always be appropriate, a compliment will often go down well.

Think about whether you could be a little more thoughtful in your message, though. If one of the pics is a holiday snap, for example, you could ask where it was taken. Or if the person is wearing a footie shirt, you could ask about their team.

There may well be other written information on someone's profile that can spark a message, too.

At the end of the day, if you draw on something the person has on their profile, you'll show a lot more interest and thought has gone into your message than if you send something generic, which could have been sent to or by anyone.