The 4-step Hinge funnel: find & fix your bottleneck
Benchmark your Hinge funnel stats and start troubleshooting
Clients who use Hinge effectively land 1-2 first dates / week.
If you’re swiping, matching, and messaging but not getting to actual dates, you may have a conversion issue somewhere in your funnel.
The good news? Just like a job application or sales pipeline, we can diagnose where the drop-off is happening and fix it.
The 4-step Hinge funnel
Here are rough benchmarks based on my work with clients:
👉 Find the earliest step where your numbers drop below target—that’s your bottleneck. Let’s troubleshoot each step.
1️⃣ Not seeing enough profiles?
📊 Target: ~200 profiles reviewed/week (30 profiles for 15 min/day)
🔍 Troubleshooting:
Taking too long to review profiles? Set a 15-minute timer to prevent overanalyzing and burnout.
Filters too strict? Slightly expand age range, distance, or height preferences to see more viable matches.
Getting stale matches? Sometimes deleting and recreating your account can reset your pool (last resort after optimizing everything else).
2️⃣ Not commenting on enough profiles?
📊 Target: 20-40 comments/week (1 in 5-10 profiles)
🔍 Troubleshooting:
Filters too restrictive? Experiment with swiping on people who seem kind but don’t fit your usual “type.”
Struggling with what to say? Use my NSA (Name, Share, Ask) Hinge opener formula (or check my winning comment examples for inspiration).
Only liking but not commenting? Always comment—they have higher conversion rate and can help you identify people you actually are excited about.
Mindlessly swiping? If you’re reviewing a ton of profiles but not leaving comments, you’re not increasing your chances. Engage with intention.
3️⃣ Comments aren’t turning into matches?
📊 Target: 2-4 matches/week (1 in 5-10 comments)
🔍 Troubleshooting:
Low match rate? Your photos or prompts may need work. Try an A/B test (swap one photo or tweak a prompt).
Comments not standing out? Make a specific, thoughtful comment about their profile. (Again, NSA opener formula helps!)
4️⃣ Matches not turning into dates?
📊 Target: 1-2 first dates / week (1 in 2 matches)
🔍 Troubleshooting:
Conversations fizzling out? Ask questions that get data on intellectual compatibility (values, lifestyle, perspectives), per the 4 pillars of compatibility.
Afraid to be upfront? Hardballing—sharing your relationship goals early—helps filter for goals and emotional compatibility (responding with ROC → Respect, Openness, Care).
Taking too long to propose a date? If you’ve established basic compatibility across the 4 pillars (G-PIE = Goals, Physical, Intellectual, Emotional), move forward:
Direct approach: "Would you like to grab coffee on Saturday or Sunday?"
Soft nudge: “I love what you said about [X]! I’d love to hear more in person sometime :)”
📌 Homework: Find & fix your weakest link
If you’re not getting 1-2 first dates per week, you may have a leak in your Hinge funnel.
📝 Tonight’s task: Identify your weakest link and run 1 experiment for the next week:
✅ Not enough profiles reviewed? → Speed up without sacrificing quality.
✅ Not enough profiles commented on? → Loosen filters and engage thoughtfully.
✅ Not enough matches? → Improve your profile and comment strategy.
✅ Not enough dates? → Optimize your messaging and move things forward.
Let’s shift dating culture from “Apps don’t work” to “I’m constantly improving my funnel!”
Love,
Joyce ❤️🔥