In her new book SPIN YOUR WEB: HOW TO BRAND YOURSELF FOR SUCCESSFUL ONLINE DATING, online dating strategist Damona Hoffman aka Dear Mrs D reveals the principles of developing and presenting a personal brand and leads readers through each step of the online dating process. Online dating newbies and veterans alike will learn how to date in a completely new way by creating a unique strategy to market the ultimate product—themselves.
Here she offers Stacy Knows readers some tips from her book:
It all begins with the profile and the photos are the most important part of that. Think of the 3 C’s particularly in your primary photo: Color, Context, and Creativity. You are coming up in a scroll of people who, on the surface, seem very similar to you. So pretty pictures are out – compelling photos that call attention are what you need.
Also trim down that profile! With mobile apps on the rise and more than 50% of online daters viewing profiles on their smartphones, your profile-novel doesn’t stand a chance. Try capitalizing important words (not every one, just the important ones) and using short, pithy sentences to stand out.
Then get offline as quickly as possible. All of the catfishing stories you hear are about people who didn’t really know the person they thought they were dating. If you haven’t met face-to-face, he’s not your boyfriend…yet.
What are the benefits of bad dates?
No date is wasted time. They help you learn more about yourself, what you want in a mate, and often give you an amazing story to tell. As long as you keep that first date short and sweet, even a bad date can be a great experience.
Rules for offline communication
Meet in a public place. Even though most of the people you meet with will be normal, you have to protect yourself. Sounds like a no-brainer but when you start vibing that cute guy who sent you those amazing ab pics, sometimes caution gets thrown to the wind. No matter how nice he sounds or how cute he is, meet him there.
Don’t play the end of the relationship in the first act. Don’t you hate it when you want to see a movie and someone tells you the end before you go into the theatre!? It’s a huge bummer on a date if you talk about kids, marriage, and other seriousness too early on. Get a couple of dates in before you pop those questions.
Tell your date how you like to communicate. With so many modes of connecting: Facebook, text, email, land line, tweet – it becomes confusing if you’re not speaking the same language in the same way. If you prefer for him to call you rather than text, let him know. Some women prefer to keep to 140 characters or less until they get to know a guy, so don’t assume he’s blowing you off until he’s been told about your communication preferences.
For more advice to get you online dating like a pro, visit DearMrsD.com and claim your free video “The Biggest Online Dating Mistakes You’re Problem Making and How to Fix Them!” Match.com, JDate, and HurryDate are just a few of the dating sites that recommend Damona “Dear Mrs D” Hoffman’s new book Spin Your Web: How to Brand Yourself for Successful Online Dating. Pick up your copy now at Amazon.com!
