If you feel like the dating landscape is bleak, take comfort in the fact you’re not alone. A recent YouGov poll showed that 46% of people using apps like Tinder and Bumble have had bad experiences, and three in five people find the profiles they’re shown to be unappealing. Combine that with a cost of living crisis and the widespread closure of nightlife venues in the UK, and it’s a tough time for people looking to meet their life partner.

Blaine Anderson is a dating coach who has helped over 3,000 men get out of their dating slump and navigate the modern challenges of finding love. A world apart from the highly dubious world of ‘pick-up artists’, Anderson wants to help men get better at presenting themselves, not simply to pursue sex but so that they can build meaningful, lasting connections. “Dating for men is a marketing problem,” is how she puts it, “… and great guys often suck at marketing.”

Below, she shares her top tips for finding love – from nailing the perfect app profile to mastering the art of texting and meeting people IRL.

They are:

• Crafting the perfect dating app profile
• Don’t spread yourself thin
• Keep the conversation light
• Plan a first date that is convenient for her
• Don’t over text
• Try meeting people IRL