I hate to say this but if they’re not texting you, its probably because they’re not interested or you’re drier than California in 2014. Thankfully, being good at texting is easily done as long as you are willing to apply the following key concepts to how you text.

Before we start, there are several traits of a good texter. One is that they have a voice to their messages. You are able to read their texts and you can hear their voice saying it out loud. They are also able to continue the flow of the conversation. Finally, they respond within a reasonable time. By keeping this idea of an ideal texter in your mind, you are able to see what you can improve when texting.

Integrating Your Personality

If you feel like you’re interesting in real life and yet it isn’t translating to the screen, it’s because you’re thinking about it too hard. Just type out exactly what you would say if there was a face to face conversation. Load up your text with your words.

For me, personally, I like to use “uhhh” to indicate that I was thinking about it for a bit. Since I treat the text as if I was talking to them in real life, I type out exactly the same thought process. It makes the messages more personable. It adds depth in ways that is hard to put in text.

Extending words like “Sooooooo” or “reeaaaally” shows emotion and dialect in such a way that is easy to understand and makes texting more fun. For example, if you were wanting to convince your friend to go get some food, “So I was thinking we should really get some food” does not convey as much as “soooooo, i was thinking we should reeaaaally get some food”. Now obviously this was an exaggeration but creating slight nuances to your texts to allow for more emotion and depth improves your texting game so much.

In the same area, putting all caps and added periods creates the same effect. Now, while this does help your texting, don’t continually do it. Make sure to use it in scenarios that complement and emphasize your message. If you do it all the time, it ruins the effect.

Avoiding Repetition

This right here is called the conversation killer. Now, its good to keep the same personality but you have to create deviation in your responses. If someone is able to know EXACTLY what you are going to say, why would they text you? The answer is, they won’t. Repetition creates boredom, which is the exact opposite of what you want in a conversation. It shows that you are one-dimensional, even though you probably aren’t. It’s like speaking to a robot. Might as well call you Siri.

To avoid this, just check your texting. If you aren’t self aware that you are being repetitive, check if you use the same phrases or responses wayyyyy too many times. Next, think to yourself, what else would I say that isn’t that response but still gets the message across. Creating these nuances are so important to keeping the conversation fresh.

Keeping the Conversation Going

If you literally don’t take anything else from this article but just this chunk, I’ll be so happy. Like literally, this is the only thing you NEED to do. The bare minimal of texting and yet there are so many people that mess it up. This step takes you from a bad texter to a good texter.

All you have to do is, after your response, add a question or statement that the other person can respond to. For example, someone texts you “Hey, what did you think about Frozen 2.” If you just respond with “It was great”, congratulations, you just bought a one way ticket to LeftOnRead City. If you want to keep the conversation going, you have two options. After saying, it was great, you can ask them how they thought it was or you can elaborate on your opinion. Both options give them something to reply to.

If you feel like the conversation is going stale, ask them a question. Open it up to new topics. Keep this cycle going and it’ll maintain the flow. However, if the conversation naturally comes to a stop, don’t be scared to let it die. Restart it at another time with new things to talk about and it’ll keep the conversation from being repetitive.

Emojis??

Emojis aren’t needed for great texting. You can still be a great texter without using them. However, that being said, they can introduce a whole new element of expression. When sprinkled in at the right time and context, it can make your messages more vibrant and with another layer of depth.

Like what I said previously in “Integrating your personality”, make sure not to overuse emojis and use different emojis for different situations. Use them as a way to complement your message, not as a substitute for the message. They are a tool, not a crutch. We all know that one person that just uses the laughing emoji continuously.

Conclusion

Go out there and hype up your texting game! Improving the way you text may not help you gain the interest of others but it certainly will help to not lose their interest. Being boring is one thing but being dry just means that you’re not applying certain concepts that will showcase your personality.

Here are just a few reminders that I couldn’t cover in the topics above.

  • Punctuation is pretty cool, especially commas in a long message. It creates a breathing room for their mind, meaning that they won’t have as hard of a time reading your message.
  • Sometimes, being a better texter just means quantity>quality. The more you have to say, the more someone can respond to.
  • Regarding the previous tip, you can tell how interested someone is by the length of their response and how long it takes for them to reply. Longer responses and shorter response time are the best, while the opposite is the worst.