How To Slide Into Someone's DMs

Starting a convo with "hey 😏" is such a cop-out. Cupid would be rolling his eyes thinking: "how do they expect the convo to keep flowing?" Come on. Let's strive for excellence people!

If you're dazed and confused when it comes to the art of sliding into one's DMs, here are ten sly and seductive solutions for all you saucy minxes. 

1. Take note of their interests

Exhibit A. You're into Kendal. Her Instagram is poppin' with pics from her surf road trips around Australia in her van. Boom! You've found an interest that you can work with! Whether you ask how she decked out her van, what her favourite surf spot is or if she's got any road trips planned soon, you're guaranteed a response since it's something she's keen on (and who knows, soon she might be keen on you too).

Whether the person you're into froths music festivals, hiking, travels or arts, all you have to do is bring up their passions and you're bound to get the convo rolling.

2. Talk about music

I'll tell you this much for free. If anyone ever opens up a message with "you have the best music taste," they've found the key to my heart. Discussing music is almost intimate to me. Hearing someone's favourite Pink Floyd album is like seeing a piece of their soul. Therefore, music is the perfect ice-breaker.

Everyone has a favourite album, song, new band or recommendation that they could chat about until the cows come home. If you've noticed that the person you're into keeps posting music on their Insta story, get slidin' people!

3. Bring up their pets

Who doesn't love talking about their pets? Come on, this one is so easy. If the person you're into just bought a new doggo, it's time to do the cha-cha slide into the DM.

Chances are they'll probably send you more pics, talk all about how their puppy is scared of mirrors and baths and sooner or later, you'll be going on a walk with the three of you. It's that simple.

4. Be cheeky

"Treat 'em mean, keep 'em keen" is a pretty stupid phrase but used ever-so-subtly can get the attention of anyone.

If the person you're into shared a meme on how they're a Scorpio, slide into those DMs with a bit of cheeky banter by saying something like "ew... a scorpio 😳."

Remember, don't be MEAN. Just be a lil' cheeky.

5. Respond to one of their stories

Cupid basically created Instagram stories so that we could slyly sneak into DMs!

Whether the story is of a hilarious tik tok video, a meme, a picture of them at your favourite restaurant or of a person you know, just comment on it or react to it.

Now you've seamlessly got their attention. It's not solving the Da Vinci code, is it? It's very simple.

6. Compliment them

Perhaps the person you're into is amazing at the guitar or their film photography is bellissimo. Give their ego a stroke and compliment them.

Probably steer away from a "you're hot" compliment. People respond better to genuine compliments about things they are passionate about and work hard for. For the most part, looks are just genes, we didn't work much for them. But practising an instrument three hours a day is something to be celebrated!

7. Bring up how you know them

Whether you once met them at a party, you're mutual friends or you worked with them years ago, just outright say "Hey! You were at Lorelei's gatho weren't you?" Boom, convo opener. You've found level footing. Easy peasy lemon squeezy.

8. Use your inside jokes

If you and the person you're into have an inside joke, find a meme, video or article on the subject matter and sliiiiiiide on in baby. This way to get into those DMs is tried and true. The hard part is keeping the convo going so prepare yourselves!

9. Ask them for tips

"Hey, I'm going away to Newcastle this weekend and know you're from there. Do you have any places that we should hit up?"

Not the most flirty beginner but hey, if you're a little hesitant, this sliding technique is safe and secure! As the convo progresses, that's when you can bring in some top-notch banter and flirty zingers.

10. Just ask them out

Before there was social media, people would meet irl (god forbid) and just ask each other out! There was no "how long should I message them before we go on a date?" or "what should I message them about?" It was EASY.

If you can't be bothered to tire out your thumbs from texting back and forth, be bold and just ask them out. Life is too short not to send it baby. 

Now that I've bestowed upon you some starters, happy sliding gang! Stay safe.

BONUS SECTION: YEAR13'S "SLIDE INTO DMS" FAQ

That's right! Just when you thought you'd learnt it all, it turns out you hadn't... yet.

We've received a bunch of questions about dms (funnily enough, we received these questions through our own dms), and thought we should answer some of the most frequently-asked ones here.

Q: What does 'sliding into dms' mean?

Essentially, sliding into someone's dms involves direct messaging someone through social media in an attempt to start a conversation. This could be a stranger, an acquaintance, a friend, or heck, even your parents.

However, there's a big difference between simply DMing someone, and sliiiiiding on in to those dms. When you do the sneaky slippery slide, it's usually with something a bit more than friendship in mind.

Q: Does sliding into dms actually work?

Aaaaabsolutely. But it's not a sure-thing. You could almost say its... just like real life.

Imagine you're at a party and you don't know many people there. If you singled out every person there, one by one, and tried to start a conversation with them, I reckon you'd be lucky to have a 100% success rate. Some people will already be chatting to someone else. Others won't have the time. Sometimes, unfortunately, people just decide they aren't that interested in a cheeky lil chat with ya rn, and that's okay too.

The trick is to only slide into dms with people you genuinely want to talk to. If you're just doing it for the numbers, well, don't expect them to get too high!

Q: What is the best time to slide into someone's dms?

This one really depends on the situation, and what you're going for.

For starters, I would NOT recommend any time after midnight, especially on weekends. That just makes it look like you only thought of them after your other plans for the night came to an end.

If you're using method #5 above, then do it as soon as you see their story. Think on your toes and come up with something to say on the spot.

If you're going in without a prompt, then I'd say the best time to message them is in the evening, once they've finished school or work and don't have a tonne of stuff on their mind. If you catch them when they're busy they might forget to reply, no matter how smooth your message was!

Q: What does dms stand for?

What does dms mean? Direct messages, my friend. It's how you privately message someone online, so no one else can see what your saying 🙃

Q: How do I respond to someone sliding into my dms?

That one's entirely up to you! If you're keen for a chat, then chat away! Just be careful to figure out what their intentions are, and if yours aren't the same then make sure to let them know!

And if you're not too excited at the thought of a conversation, then you can give them a simple (but VERY effective) "haha", "k", love-heart-react, or - if you really wanna get the message across - just leave them on 'seen'.

Q: Is sliding into a guy's dms different to sliding into a girl's dms?

If you're wondering how to slide into a guy's dms versus how to slide into a girl's dms, then you're thinking about this all wrong. There's no tried-and-true way to slide into anybody's dms. If it were as simple as having one technique for guys and one technique for girls, we'd all have our inboxes flooded with perfectly curated messages all the time!

No, I'm afraid it comes down to the individual you're wanting to message. Everyone is different. Everybody has different interests, different ways of socialising, and different senses of humour.

You've gotta ask yourself, "what would they like" and go from there.

Good luck, and happy sliding y'all!