Refining the Small Print; Marketing Yourself for Online Romance

[PrinzeCharming]

I wrote this a while ago (before transitioning to Apple products). Do you have any online dating experiences? What works better for you? Meeting someone in person, or through an app, or website? 

 

Edit: Perhaps, this could have been in General Discussion instead. Ha, I see it as my creative work, but whatever. 

 

 

Refining the Small Print; Marketing Yourself for Online Romance

 

The Samsung Galaxy S III Mini blinked a notification signal early in the morning. The digital clock displayed an unreasonable time for family calls. A quick glance confirmed nothing serious. The list of notifications from the latest dating app, OkCupid, were compiled across the screen. New Match. New Match. New Message. A new match is when two people, sober or irrational, reciprocated a swipe to the right without prior knowledge. A person initiates the conversation with a new message to discuss mutual interests, objectionable profile information, or the intent to Catfish them through impersonation. All dating networks, free or monthly subscribed, offer singles a chance to fulfill their romantic intentions with online marketing tools. I will briefly discuss OkCupid's marketing tools and the strategic importance behind the pitch, presentation, and appearance for an effective dating profile.

 

OkCupid, the free dating app and website reaching over one million installs per week, estimates seven million messages are exchanged per day to find true love or the occasional plan cul. OkCupid uses an algorithm of questions and responses categorizing preferred answers to negotiable answers. The users are prioritized from their responses to meet matches with more preferred answers than deal breakers. Members are prompted an option to explain their answers. All questions can be skipped or re-answered at any time. A member must answer at least 963 questions to achieve the highest possibility of a 99.9% match compatibility. The enemy percentage measures the questions that do not meet expectations or preferred responses. It is imperative to understand how to effectively read between the lines, look beyond the compatibility percentages, and market yourself against the competition.

 

The value behind a presentable dating profile lies in the pitch, presentation, and appearance. Men interested in Ms. or Mr. Right Away invest more time into spontaneity through promiscuity without the college degree, stability, or long-term commitment contract. Young men are experimental when they discover their own sexuality, often ignoring sensuality, while young women connect at the emotional and intellectual level. Women are interested in conversationalists with an admirable relationship with their own mothers. Men are often judged and ignored with shirtless photos. Women with children are also commonly swiped to the left. Although it takes a lot of responsibility to accept a mother and her child in a new relationship, young mothers should not be treated as extra baggage. They should be respected and treated as everyone else. The truth behind finding love is within our own self-esteem and self-image. The completion of a dating profile will be more challenging if we cannot accept the person inside.

 

We are selling our personality, characteristics, and ability to love and be loved. The delivery of someone's pitch is the foundation behind the first impression. A weak pitch will attract the wrong attention. We have to choose our words wisely to attract quality over quantity. If we express ourselves as fun, spontaneous, and willing to try something new, we can be misled into thinking someone wants a long-term relationship. This pitch implies vulnerability to one-night stands and short-term relationships. If we immediately set boundaries, like requiring a college degree, having a job or maintaining a lifestyle of abstinence, the stagnant water is filtered. The words we choose to describe ourselves can deliver more information to those willing to interpret. The interpretation of mentioning a position of social work, medical, education or volunteer is easily portraying an empathetic person. A position of authority and law can provide warm vibes of security, strength, and maturity. Asexuality, or more specifically being heteroromantic asexual, can lead to more disclosure because people are overwhelmed with hypersexuals lurking dating websites. You will discover people willing to bond without being too intimate too soon. It is a rare occasion, often referred as refreshing, for someone to step outside the norm of basic profile information. Honesty sells to those willing to invest. The amount of disclosure relies on the comfort of the individual, but reciprocation will occur when the parties are mutually understanding.

 

Knowledge is marketable. You must present yourself as a valuable asset to society. Establish confidence, status, and commitment through the way you present yourself to be someone willing to make a difference. Clearly state your intentions. The presentation is not only what you write about yourself, but what you fill out to complete your profile. Be careful how you fill out the informational boxes. A non-smoker may turn down a smoker, and someone who rarely drinks might find it difficult to be with an alcoholic. The presentation also includes tone and delivery. We might have hooked someone with a pitch, but we still have to sell the product; our love. Grammar is the first thing someone notices on a profile, but the last thing is how we said it. The way we carry ourselves through writing can make or break the deal. Be engaging, but don't be too forward. Don't make yourself sound like a cookie cutter model, but someone genuinely interested in finding compatibility online.

 

A picture is worth a thousand dates you may or may not experience. If you are taking pictures that come off narcissistic, you will attract the wrong crowd. Do not include extra people in your photos. Your friends or family may hinder your future potential, and you may end up as the pass to connect to someone else. Lastly, be yourself and take pride in what you see. Don't use photo editing software to sell something that isn't there to show. This is misleading,  dishonest, and extremely distasteful. Take pride in who you are, what you have to offer, and how you compete with the rest. You know you deserve to be more than just a selfie in a bathroom. Make sure your pictures are not too revealing but emphasize on important facial features. Bring out your dimples, small imperfections, and a positive attitude. If they are not willing to accept these minor details, they are not worthy of your greatest potential.

Edited September 9, 2018 by PrinzeCharming