Valentine’s Day is coming up fast, and whether you’d like to go on a virtual date, or are ready to meet someone in person, there’s still time for someone to ask, “Will you be my Valentine?”

On Spectrum News 1, I joined Afternoon Beat host Kelvin Washington to talk about some ways to speed up your search, and find a Valentine’s date online.

Tip 1. Update Your Profile – Mention You Like Valentine’s Day

If you’re a hopeful romantic and love Valentine’s Day, it’s not time to put your head under the covers. Don’t be shy or play coy, because 33% more singles are using dating apps between February 1 -14, and so should you.

If you log on and update your profile, be bold and say, “I’m an incurable romantic, and love Valentine’s Day. It sends a message that you’d be open to meeting someone on or before Valentine’s Day.

I also recommended wearing something red for the season. After all, red is the color of love, and research backs up that profiles where women wear red do get more views.

2. Check Who Has Viewed Your Profile

If you’d like to send a message that will have a greater chance of getting a reply, on the Match app, you can see who has viewed your profile

If they’ve checked you out, but didn’t have time to write to you, it’s a good chance that your digital nudge just might turn into a conversation. You’re both single. Why not take the chance?

3. Be Online During Rush Hour

This isn’t your typical traffic jam. Rush hour is every night between 7pm and 10pm local time, and it’s the most popular time for singles to be using dating apps. Think about it. You’re relaxed from a day of work, have already eaten dinner, and if your’e winding down, it’s the perfect time to start a chat with somene new.

For online dating and mobile dating apps, being logged on during “Rush Hour,” is a traffic jam you’ll want to be in leading up to Valentine’s Day. Then start swiping to match, chatting to connect, and flirting to set a romantic tone.

When is Rush Hour?

Although dating apps are available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, Rush Hour is on Sunday evenings. According to OkCupid, their Rush Hour starts as early as 2pm on Sundays. I’ve found Monday nights, or just about any night when you’re home from work to find the most active users from for a few hours,, starting at 7pm local time.

Do you want to use all of the tools available? For less than the price of a cup of coffee, you can sign up for a dating app’s feature to Boost your profile to the top of a search. This gives you 30 minutes to one hour where you’ll appear more frequently on apps including Match, Tinder, or Bumble.

4. Log On More Frequently

Preply surveyed 2000 singles who are using dating apps, and found that 20% check their apps more than 10 times a day, with the majority spending between one and three hours daily.

The bonus is, staying logged in or keeping your app open, even if you hop on a call or start binging your favorite TV show will improve your matching. Here’s the reason why. Profiles with the most activity tend to be favored by the mysterious dating algorithms, and you the benefit is, you’ll magically appear more often to potential dates.

5. Take Your Relationship From Online to Offline

Chatting and texting can be fun, but it’s time avoid being a digital peen pal, and to meet IRL (in real life). I suggest swapping digits, using the in-app audio or video feature to start a conversation, schedule a virtual date, and if all goes well, make a plan to meet.

Life is too short to have an empty date card, when there are so many easy ways to find a quality date on your mobile phone.

Wishing you much love and joy in cyberspace, or wherever you may swipe or roam on Valentine’s Day.

Julie Spira is America’s Top Online Dating Expert and Digital Matchmaker. She was an early adopter of the Internet and has been coaching singles on finding love online for over 25 years.

FOLLOW @JulieSpira on Instagram

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Julie Spira is America's Top Online Dating Expert. She's an award-winning dating coach who's been helping singles find love online for 25+ years. Follow @JulieSpira on IG.