Guys, let’s be real. When it comes to online dating, it’s a bloody war zone.

Littered with landmines, unspoken rules and constant rejection, navigating the uncertainty of finding ‘the one’ on a dating app is… perilous.

From curating your photos to crafting the perfect bio, it’s a lot of hard work, yeah?

And unfortunately for us, the most important part of the whole process also happens to be the most frightening…

The bit where you have to… talk… to someone.

With the introduction of Bumble - the app removing the stigma of online dating by putting the ball in the woman's court - us ladies are now forced to face this fear head on in our quest to find love.

But rather than seeing this as a spiky rose bush filled with thorns you have to fight through, think of it as an opportunity to take charge and showcase your dazzling personality.

*crickets*

OK, so making the first move isn't the easiest thing in the world, especially if you're shy at the best of times. The 24-hour countdown ticking in your ear can also be nerve-wracking.

That's why we've come up with a concise list of killer opening lines to break the ice before your match disappears into online oblivion.

1. The straightforward one.

If the thought of starting a conversation is scarier than your bank account before pay day, ease into it with a fairly straightforward opener.

Rather than burdening yourself with the pressure of coming up with a funny joke or searching the internet for a quality pun, go in with a simple question.

Here's some examples to get you started:

"Hey, so what's the best thing that's happened to you this week?"

"What's the most humiliating thing that's ever happened to you. Be honest..."

"Hi, so I was just wondering... if you had to choose between being alone forever or never eating cheese again, which would you pick?"

Keep things light and open-ended - the idea is to start a dialogue in which it's impossible to answer 'yes', 'no', or 'good'.

And whatever you do, avoid asking 'How was your day?'. After receiving a 'good', you'll then have to answer the same question when it is inevitably asked back to you. It's awkward for everyone.

2. The funny/punny one.

When it comes to opening with a joke, we firmly believe the cheesier, the better.

While pick-up lines can comes across cringey in real life, online it's a different story. Add a couple of emojis and even the lamest of Dad jokes become witty and endearing.

These are our personal favourites:

"Are you keen for a coffee, 'coz I like you a latte!"

"Are you by any chance Dutch? Because AmsterDAYUM."

"You make me hotter than a leather bus seat in the middle of summer."

"You're so fine, I'd complain about house prices with you forever."

"If two vegans have a fight, is it still considered 'beef'?"

3. The unspoken one.

In 2017, daters are now armed with an internet's worth of media to communicate. In other words, you don't have to be a wordsmith to convey your witty personality.

We all know a meme speaks a thousand words, so crack out the giphy keyboard to send your match an image that says what you wish you could.

Try *these on for size:

*Hilariously relatable gifs via Giphy.

4. The thoughtful one.

Taking cues from a person's profile is an easy entry point into a lighthearted conversation.

For example, if their profile picture includes a dog, you could say:

"Hey so I know we just met, but I was wondering if your doggo might be free on Saturday morning for brunch?"

One Mamamia staffer once had a guy play this card on her (she had a sun, wink kiss face and dancing girl emojis in her profile). It went something like this:

"From your profile I can see you enjoy hanging out in the sunshine, kissing and dancing...

What a coincidence, I too enjoy the sun, kissing, and after a few drinks, dancing. We should combine the three and make a night of it this weekend."

No, they didn't end up together, but years later it still brings a smile to her face. And it gives her the confidence to go for gold when approaching a guy now.

When it comes to making a connection, the most important thing to remember is to not take things too seriously.

You are not performing life-saving surgery. The fate of the free world is not resting on your ability to craft the perfect opening line.

You're just a girl, sitting in front of a smart phone screen, asking to be loved. No big deal. After all, life's too short not to make the first move.

What's your favourite opening line to use on a dating app?

More dating advice for empowered women over at Mamamia's love hub The Buzzword!

This content was created with thanks to our brand partner Bumble.