Online Dating Minute – Social Dating and All That Jazzed

The secret to a successful online dating site is a combination of social dating, mobile dating, matching, and a critical mass of members. Jazzed, created by eHarmony appears to be successful at combining all four.

The social dating site announced their official launch today with over 500,000 members and more than 250,000 mobile downloads of their iOS and Android apps.

In an exclusive video interview for the Online Dating Minute, I spoke with Grant Hosford, Senior Director at Jazzed, who shared a behind the scenes look at the dating site, including what inspired eHarmony to create a social dating site, as well as describing some of their features.

In addition, you can connect with Jazzed_Kate, their official Twitter account with over 16,000 followers who provides dating advice and customer service.

Are you ready to start adding your social networking sites such as Facebook, Twitter, and Netflix on your profiles? Are you interested in joining a site to expand your social network and meet more friends?  Your comments and thoughts are welcome.

Julie Spira is known worldwide as the leading online dating expert. She provides dating and relationship advice on CyberDatingExpert.com, where singles and couples share their online dating stories. Connect with Julie on Twitter @JulieSpira and at Facebook.com/CyberDatingExpert

Valentine’s Day Advice – A Conversation with eHarmony [video] Part 1

In my exclusive interview with Dr. Gian Gonzaga, Senior Director of Research and Development at eHarmony Labs, you’ll hear about how singles and couples should celebrate Valentine’s Day.

Did you know if your photos are on your online dating profile, you’re 8 times more likely to get a response? Find out what the magic number of photos you should post and if you should post photos of your pets.

Learn more about the new book, the eHarmony Guide to Dating the Second Time Around, find out if you should propose on Valentine’s Day and more on Julie Spira TV. And don’t forget, eHarmony is offering their Free Communication month through February 28th.

eHarmony’s Valentine’s Advice – Ask the Cyber Dating Expert Show

Ask the Cyber-Dating Expert

What an honor and pleasure it was to feature eHarmony on the Valentine’s edition of Ask the Cyber-Dating Expert Show.

Dr. Gian Gonzaga, Senior director of research and development took time from his busy media schedule and book tour for this exclusive 30-minute radio interview.

Find out his online dating tips and relationship advice for Valentine’s. We know it’s stressful and your expectations are high.

You’ll hear about their new book the eHarmony Guide to Dating the Second Time Around and we’ve got 10 signed copies that we’re giving away on Facebook, so I hope you like us to enter to win.

We talked about when and how to introduce your children in your new relationship, what makes a good date, and if you should say “I Love You” on Valentine’s Day for the first time.

You’ll be surprised to find out that both men and women want the same three things.

Here’s the list:

1. Funny
2. Smart
3. Adaptable

Did you notice that sexy and hot aren’t on this list? So ladies, be flexible and enjoy the show!

Win an Autographed Copy of the new eHarmony Book

As part of our Irresistible Valentine’s Celebration and in anticipation of Dr. Gian Gonzaga’s appearance on Ask the Cyber Dating Expert Show, 10 lucky readers and listeners will win a signed copy of the eHarmony Guide to Dating the Second Time Around.

If you’re looking for a love that lasts, you’ll want to participate in this fun contest. All you need to do is Like our page on Facebook, and comment on the wall about your most romantic Valentine’s Date ever. Winners will be selected daily from now until Valentine’s Day.

Don’t forget to tune in to Ask the Cyber Dating Expert Show on Saturday, February 12, 2011 at 2pm/EST, 11am/PST at blogtalkradio.com/cyberdatingexpert.
Join in on the fun, share your online dating stories and win a rare autographed copy of Dr. Gian Gonzaga’s book during our Irresistible Online Dating Celebration.

*Winners will be notified privately and must be in the continental U.S.

Reading Room – eHarmony Guide to Dating the Second Time Around

It’s with great pleasure to add the eHarmony Guide to Dating the Second Time Around to the Cyber Dating Expert Reading Room.

The book, edited by Dr. Gian Gonzaga, Ph.D, director of research and development at eHarmony Labs gives proven methods to finding a love that lasts. Many people are finding themselves single after a long term relationship or marriage. Whether through divorce, death, or a painful breakup, this book will give you some exercises and tools as you jump back into the dating scene. Like the online dating site eHarmony, the book is focused on serious minded singles who want a long term committed relationship or marriage.

For those of you starting over again, it’s a terrific guidebook to evaluate what you want in your relationship at this stage of your life. You’ll reflect on past relationships on what worked, what you didn’t like, and will take inventory of your personal life.

In addition, I’m delighted that Dr. Gonzaga will be my featured guest on the Valentine’s edition of Ask the Cyber-Dating Expert Radio Show, scheduled for Saturday, February 13, 2011 at 11am/PST. He’ll be talking about the book in more detail, so I hope you do listen in.

Valentine’s Edition of Ask the Cyber-Dating Expert Show with eHarmony

Ask the Cyber-Dating Expert

Join me for a very special edition of Ask the Cyber-Dating Expert Radio Show where my guest will be Dr. Gian Gonzaga, Ph.D, senior director of research and development at eHarmony.

Gian is the editor of the new book, the eHarmony Guide to Dating the Second Time Around. We’ll be talking about dating during Valentine’s Day as well as learning about relationship issues covered in his book.

“This book aims to help you understand yourself better and equip you with all the tools needed to find a relationship that’s better, stronger and more satisfying that your last,” commented Dr. Gonzaga.

“As the director of eHarmony Labs I’ve come across many people looking for love again after a divorce, bereavement or the end of a long term relationship. The people we meet in our labs are often ready to find love again but are unsure about where to start or how best to put themselves ‘out there’.“

Tune in on Saturday, February 12, 2011 at 2 pm/EST, 11am/PST to learn more about dating, love and romance in a Web 2.0 World.

Listen to internet radio with Cyberdating Expert on Blog Talk Radio

eHarmony Becomes More Social With New Activity Feed Feature

In a plan to continue to be more social media friendly, eHarmony has just announced their new service called “Your New Activity Feed” to help you while looking for love online.

Broken down into four simple categories including Communication, Photo Updates, Profile Updates, and Who’s Viewed Me, users can enhance their experience by seeing who is active on the site. Some of these features are in line with Facebook profiles, which online daters are so accustomed to. The new photo updates will always pique someone’s curiosity. Knowing that someone recently viewed your profile gives you a quick advantage to responding to someone who is more likely to want to communicate with you. (see photo screen shot).

In their email, eHarmony provided a “Quick Tip,” which I’ve been teaching singles for quite some time now. “If you want a great way to get your matches to take a second look at you, update your profile or post your latest photos and you will go to the top of their feed.” Refresh and renew your profile if you want to have more success with Internet dating.

In honor of Valentine’s month, eHarmony is offering their free guided communication service through the end of February. Click the link below to sign up and take advantage of their special offer.

Get to know your matches better with FREE Guided Communication at eHarmony through February!

Dating Advice at the 140 Characters Conference

It was an honor to once again take the stage at the 140 Characters Conference to talk about dating, love, and romance in the real time web. Along with some of my favorite social media friends, we united as we shared our hearts and souls,  with not just the attendees in Hollywood, but with the rest of the world as the event was streamed live for others to enjoy.

On day one of the tw0-day event, 140 founder and curator, Jeff Pulver welcomed everyone to the Music Box Theatre on Hollywood Boulevard. We learned about social media and education, heard from singer Michele Branch, became immersed in real-time news gathering trends where Twitter is 30-minutes ahead of the Associated Press, and enjoyed a live performance from Andy Grammer.

On day two, I attended the Book Author’s Panel led by Imal Wagner and the Writers Panel with Debra Eckerling from Write On Online. Catching up with Chamillionaire was once again a treat.

Jason Pollock and Julie Spira at 140 Conference

My presentation was held in the afternoon.  I was introduced by Jason Pollock, who shared some of his online dating experiences from many years ago on JDate prior to going on stage. I spoke to the crowd about the importance of authenticity in your online dating profile.

“Everyone wants to love and be loved,” I said.  I added, “Love never goes out of style and yet technology changes on a daily basis. It’s my goal to marry love and technology to help singles find love online.”

I shared my personal story about going from a popular rock-and-roll DJ to an Internet executive, while in the middle I sadly had my heart broken. I created my first online dating profile over 16 years ago to heal my wounds during the days of the slow dial up connection, where I’d receive a hefty $300 monthly bill while looking for love online.  There were no role models, no dating coaches, and Match.com and eHarmony didn’t exist. Most of the hands were raised in the room when I asked, just how many of you in the room have tried online dating? The majority ruled. From dial-up to mobile dating, I shared as much as I could with the audience and poured out my heart and soul.

The other dating advice I shared included:

*Tell your own age - Think about it. Would you really want your date to lie to you? It’s time we feel comfortable with our age, weight and who we are in the world.

*There is nothing more powerful than the Facebook status relationship change – I’ve said it before, but when you see the little red heart on your friends Facebook updates, just how curious are you about who their new beau is or why it’s complicated? We just feel the need to know. Personally, I don’t want to watch someone’s relationship status change from “Single” to “In a Relationship” to “It’s Complicated” to back to “Single.” Unless you’re planning a wedding, we don’t really want to share your drama.

* Be specific. If you want to get married, say so. Don’t worry about chasing those away who aren’t interested in a commitment.

* Try a niche online dating site. Several recommended sites I mentioned were Brainiac Dating for those with a high I.Q., Meetcha for the baby boomers, and Online Booty Call for the causal daters looking to hook up.

* Mobile Dating. I recently published a list of some of the Top mobile dating apps for you to enjoy.

I shared some of the Cyber Love Story of the Week success stories with the group and encouraged them to join in on the conversation at CyberDatingExpert.com. There is someone for everyone and I encourage you with enthusiasm on your cyberdating journey.

Thank you to Jeff Pulver for another incredible 140 Conference in Los Angeles and for my friends and supporters who cheered me on. I am grateful, honored, and appreciative of the support from my friends and colleagues on Twitter, Facebook, and in real life. I truly hope that I can make a difference in yours.

The CyberDating Expert Top 10 Mobile Dating Apps

Cyber-Dating Expert

Just in time for Social Media Week we are proud to present our Top Ten favorite mobile dating applications at CyberDatingExpert.com

The year 2010 will go down in history for mobile dating becoming mainstream with many of the traditional online dating sites launching their apps.  A Juniper research study estimates that mobile dating will be a 1.4 billion dollar industry by 2014.  According to a Ground Truth report, the number of visitors to mobile dating sites increased this past summer by 92 percent from the first week in June to the last week in July. Here’s our list of some of the best mobile dating apps worth downloading.

1.  Meet Moi - Meet Moi is a location-based mobile dating company which was formed in 2007. In August of 2010, they launched Meet Moi Now, their Android mobile app and became the first matchmaking service to integrate with Facebook. You can sign up for their basic service for free to create your profile, browse profiles, send winks, respond to received messages, and receive unlimited SMS alerts. They update your location in real-time. When a match is nearby, you get an alert on your phone.

2.  Match Mobile - Match.com, who celebrated their 15th anniversary this year,  launched Match Mobile in 2007. They added their iPhone app in 2009, and their mobile dating service is now also available on the Android, Blackberry and Palm platforms. Users can download Match.com apps to access the Match.com service. Match claims that close to 10% of their users access their site solely from a mobile device. Their mobile users are twice as engaged versus those who use Match on their desktop computers. Members can browse singles, send winks, and upload photos directly from their mobile phone to their profile. A subscription is required to send and receive emails.

3.  Speed Date - SpeedDate.com launched their mobile app this year and has over 1.5 million unique iPhone installs. Over half of them join their service after their installation. Singles can finger-swipe through millions of profiles, choose who they would like to meet and then start conversations via email.  Advanced filters allow users to narrow searches based on various criteria such as age and location. In addition, a unique tagging feature ensures all favorite member profiles are stored and easily accessible.

4.  Zoosk  - Zoosk’s iPhone dating application is the largest dating app in the U.S. It’s also popular in other countries such as Australia, France, Italy and Spain. Users are awarded coins when they download the iPhone app. Their service allows you to chat and flirt wherever you go and you’ll receive a mobile alert when someone flirts with you.  Zoosk won the award for the best Mobile Dating Site at the Internet Dating Conference this year and has consistently been a #1 dating app in the iPhone Store with over 1 million downloads. All of the  functionalities from their website are available on the iPhone, iPod touch and iPad. Their GPS location tagging capabilities are a feature you’ll want to try out. They will be launching an Android app in the near future.

5. SKOUT - I’ve been following Skout since they laaunched the first-ever dating app for the iPhone in 2008.  In July, 2010,  they hit one million users. They have one of the most popular iPhone apps and operate like a flirting and hook-up GPS. Their iPhone app identifies singles in your immediate vicinity and gives you the opportunity to flirt and meet up with them. Though the app is free to use, members have the option of purchasing virtual gifts, premium memberships, or sending “wink bombs” which reach up to 500 potential sweethearts in your area at once.

6.  eHarmony – Just in time for their 10th anniversary celebration, eHarmony recently launched their iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch service this summer. The app was listed in the Top Ten Free Apps in the App Store and they’ve had over 100,000 downloads.  Members can view matches, receive match updates, upload photos from their iPhone, and communicate with their matches.

7. Are You Interested – AreYouInterested.com from Snap Interactive is an online dating site, mobile dating application, and Facebook app for single men and women with over 13 million members. Their service integrates their iPhone and Facebook applications together so you can browse photos of singles in your area and click on who you like. Their buzz feed shows you what people are up to in real time.

8. Grindr – Just this week, Grindr, the world’s largest all-male mobile location-based networking service, announced that it has reached more than one million subscribers. On a daily basis, Grindr has about 250,000 active users who log on approximately eight times per day. The average Grindr user spends an average of 1.3 hours each day using the app.  These numbers are huge. On a weekly basis, they have about 400,000 users. This amounts to about 600,000 users per month.  Grindr is available on the iPhone, iPod touch, and iPad. They have plans to expand their service on the Blackberry in the near future.

9. Flirtomatic – Mobile social network Flirtomatic is known as the world’s number one flirting company. Based in the UK, they have over 3 million global members. The good news for U.S. mobile daters, is their membership in the states recently surpassed 1 million users.  You can set up your profile in about 20 seconds. Their service allows members to search, chat, send rapid messages, rate members and find user generated content about flirting and dating. Flirtomatic has its own virtual currency called “Flirt Points” that members can use to buy premium services, such as virtual goods.  Their service is available on the iPhone and Android platforms.

10. Four Square – I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention location based social networking site Four Square. They aren’t a dating app, but we love them anyway and it’s surely fun to check in.  You’ll need to be friends with other members on the service to see who’s around when you check in. If you’ve had a crush for a while on someone and you see they’re at the local coffee shop or at the same venue, you can use this as a chance to say hello and get to them better in real life. Available on the iPhone, Android, Blackberry, and Palm.

Honorable Mentions

JDate Mobile - Launched this year, JDate Mobile allows their members to receive real-time mobile alerts notifying them when they receive new messages, when another member views their profile, adds them to their hot list and more for free. JDate Mobile features are 100% available for free to their subscribers. Available on the iPhone and Android. Non-paying members of JDate can download the app for free, but  have limited access to JDate Mobile.

Christian Cafe - With over 400 new sign ups daily, Christian Cafe is now available for iPhone users. Their iPhone mobile dating app is fully integrated with their website and singles can sign up for a free trial, create a basic dating profile, search, see who is online in your area and communicate via email and winks. They are presently in development with their Android app.

Do you have a favorite mobile dating app that you’d like to share with us? We’d like to hear from you.

For a printable version, please click here>>>

How to Make the Most of Your Free eHarmony Weekend

Labor Day weekend is almost here.  Starting tonight at midnight, our friends at eHarmony have a special weekend that I highly recommend.

Goodbye, Summer. Hello, Love. Connect on eHarmony FREE 9/3-6!

With summer relationships winding down, many singles will be looking for love online. If you’re ready to start dating, here’s my advice on how to make this weekend work the best for you during their 4-day event.

1. You can take advantage of their offer by signing up now and creating your profile so it’s ready to go tonight at midnight. Their in-depth questionnaire is really targeted to those who are looking for serious relationships and marriage.

2. If you need help with your irresistible online dating profile, at Cyber-Dating Expert, we work with singles to make the process easier and more enjoyable.

3. Make sure you carve out the time to get organized and spend several hours a day reviewing the matches that eHarmony sends to you.

4. Respond in a timely manner to those who start the communication process with you.

5. If you’re ready to communicate, jump over to their fast-track where you can send emails to your matches.

I know that eHarmony works. I was with dozens of their success couples in New York during their 10th anniversary celebration earlier this month. Their online dating site is now responsible for over 500 people getting married every day.

Don’t Labor Over Finding Love—Connect on eHarmony FREE 9/3-6! Let us know if you meet that someone special!

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