Julie Spira and Tinder’s Justin Mateen

Tinder-mania is everywhere it seems.

Tinder’s mobile app launched in Los Angeles less than two years ago, and it’s quickly becoming a household name.

Even Bravo’s Andy Cohen recently taught Larry King how to use Tinder!

At the recent Digital Hollywood gathering in Los Angeles, Tinder co-founder Justin Mateen was on a panel called, “The Coveted Captive audience – Engaging And Monetizing Through Mobile.”

Afterwards, I had the chance to catch up with Justin again to talk about the latest trends for Tinder.

Read: Dating in a Tinder World

The Future of Tinder

Tinder, as we know, has become the hottest mobile dating app, now experiencing over ten million matches a day and 800 million swipes per day.

“I think the misconception is that Tinder is a dating app,” said Justin Mateen – Tinder’s Co-Founder and Chief Marketing Officer during the session. “We consider ourselves a social discovery app, more of a competitor to social platforms,” Mateen added.

Tinder is now optimizing to connect new people. Mateen feels the value proposition is tremendous, which is why they’ve been able to grow so quickly. People are using Tinder for dating for the most part, but as time goes on, Tinder won’t be optimized only for dating.

“We are our own social platform and leverage other social platforms to the sense that it makes sense,” said Mateen. He boasted about Tinder’s 2000% growth last year. The average Tinder user spends ½ hour on the mobile app and they are growing by 10 times every day.

As of now, Tinder is not charging for their app or providing advertising. Their monetization strategy includes focusing on the user experience and growing the user base both domestically and Internationally. Their future plan will include in app purchases to enhance the user experience when it comes time to monetize. Mateen explained that their plans are to begin to test different forms or advertising on Tinder. “We want to make sure that it’s an organic ad and that our users can benefit from it.”

Not a day goes by when someone doesn’t come up to me to ask me about my thoughts on Tinder.

Related: Help My Boyfriend Won’t Take His Tinder Profile Down

Several men I know of have actually felt distressed when they’ve swiped left instead of right and felt that they lost the match. Fortunately, Tinder has come up with a solution for that dilemma as the app provides a pop-up asking you if you’re sure you want to swipe left.

Others are in relationships and still won’t retire their Tinder profile. Is it a game?

Are you using Tinder?

Watch: ABC News – Mobile Apps to Speed Up Your Search

Julie Spira is an online dating and mobile dating expert. She was an early adopter of the Internet and online dating, having created her first profile over 20 years ago. Julie’s the founder of Cyber-Dating Expert and coaches singles on the dating scene. For more online dating advice follow @JulieSpira on Twitter and sign up for the free Weekly Flirt newsletter.

The week in Los Angeles ended on a fun note as I enjoyed the Breeders’ Cup festivities at Santa Anita Racetrack.

With the theme of “The Best is Yet to Come,” I spent the afternoon in the Trophy Lounge, along with Celebrity Ambassadors Bo Derek, The Hunger Games’ Elizabeth Banks, and John Ortiz, who played the horseracing fanatic ?Turo Escalante? in the HBO series Luck.

Women were dressed in a variety of hats and fascinators, many of which were designed by Christine A. Moore, the Official Milliner Of The 2013 Breeders’ Cup. Christine was kind enough to personally select a fascinator to go with my Armani dress, which even received a thumbs up from Elizabeth Banks.

Musical performers Kristin Chenoweth and Richie Sambora were on hand. Kristin laughed as we spoke on the Purple Carpet, as she admitted she was a “Runaway Bride,” not once, but twice. Kristin, with her new pixie haircut, appropriately selected the “Game on Dude” sign for her photo in the Twitter booth. Richie and I talked about growing up in New Jersey and shared which exits we both lived at. He was thrilled to have been selected to do the first guitar version of the “Call to Arms” as part of the ceremony.

From purple outfits to extravagant hats and an even more extravagant $25 million purse, Los Angeles was proud to host the Breeders’ Cup this year. Next year, the Breeders’ Cup will also take place at Santa Anita Racetrak, starting on Halloween. Will there be more orange outfits next year? Perhaps we’ll be able to say, “Orange is the new Purple.

Kristin Kristin Chenoweth – Breeders’ Cup

John Ortiz and Julie Spira

Christine A. Moore, Breeders’ Cup Milliner

Photo credits: Society News LA???? Follow @JulieSpira on Twitter

Julie Spira and Dot-Marie Jones at Prime-Time Emmy Nominees Party

It was quite an exciting weekend in Los Angeles, where I enjoyed attending the 65th Primetime Emmy festivities. Along with Ellen Olivier, founder of Society News LA and contributor to the Los Angeles Times, we hit three Hollywood events and enjoyed meeting the Emmy nominees, while mingling with friends at many of the parties in town.

Dressed in a Herve Leger “Candice” bandage dress for the evening, our first stop was at The Academy of Television Arts and Sciences Annual Performers Nominee Party held at the Wolfgang Puck restaurant, Spectra at the Pacific Design Center. We spoke with Dot-Marie Jones from Glee, spotted Lilly Tomlin, complimented Modern Family’s Julie Bowen on her stunning dress, and watched as many of the nominees took the stage. Many of us took photos in the Twitter photo booth to instantaneously share tweets from @PrimeTimeEmmys to our friends and family.

Out next stop was the Variety and Women in Film party held at Scarpetta at the Montage hotel in Beverly Hills. The event honored the female nominees. We spotted the stunning Raquel Welch, who looked beautiful in a leopard dress and spoke to Jenna Ushkowitz of “Glee,” who talked about her sadness on the death of former Glee star, Cory Monteith and the controversy of his upcoming tribute at the Emmys.

We ended the evening at one of my favorite spots in town, Fig & Olive, which was packed to capacity and hosted by Entertainment Weekly. We walked in to the event with the adorable Kristin Chenoweth and I had to compliment her on her amazing performance that I attended a few weeks earlier at the Hollywood Bowl. Before we left, we spoke with Harry Hamlin from Madmen, along with his stunning wife, Lisa Rinna.

Guests left with swag bag, generously filled with hair and makeup products from Loreal. It was truly a Hollywood weekend and it was an honor and joy to have attended some of the best parties in town before getting ready for the exciting Emmy Awards.

As I stood on the stage next to the Emmy-like statues, all I could think about it, a girl can dream. I hope someday there will be an Emmy in my future.

Follow @JulieSpira on Twitter.

Mick Jagger and Gwen Stefani – Los Angeles

It’s been awhile since I’ve written about my whereabouts in “Where’s Julie,” but it was a date night to remember that I wanted to share with you.

As a Rolling Stones fan who has seen the world’s greatest rock and roll bank in concert over 40 times, I was super-excited to have great seats for the kick-off of their “50 and Counting” anniversary world tour, which started in Los Angeles.

On Friday night at the Staples Center, even with the controversy of the overpriced tickets, I was treated to two hours and twenty minutes of solid rock and roll and another memory that will remain in my heart and soul forever.

As a former music radio DJ, I’ve had the unique experience of meeting the band, seeing them perform for four decades spanning three countries, I couldn’t miss this historical event, even as I wondered if it would be my last time.

Speculation was abuzz all week long as to who the surprise guests would be. After all, this is Los Angeles. If Bruce Springsteen and Lady Gaga showed up in New York, someone could easily hop on stage from the audience to add to the harmonies on a tune or two.

Prior to the show, Keith Urban tweeted to his 770,000 fans:

Urban sang to the song “Respectable” from their Some Girls album. The snippet of the video clip from his performance was posted to his twitter page and can be found here.

We also knew prior to show time that Gwen Stefani would be making a guest appearance and we were treated to her accompaniment on “Wild Horses.”

The show started an hour late, possibly due to the late arrival of Jack Nicholson, a regular at the venue during the Lakers Games. Nicholson received a standing ovation as he made his way to the front of the stage area.

Shortly there after, the UCLA Bruins Marching Band arrived for an introduction to “Satisfaction.” Then one of the greatest shows began.

In a stage designed with their signature tongue, we were treated to 23 songs and a few memorable quotes:

• “The only reason we’re here is to make the Laker’s look younger.” ~Mick Jagger (referring to the concert date change due to the NBA Playoff’s)

• “It’s great to be here. It’s great to be anywhere.” ~Keith Richards

• “Good evening L.A. Or is it really Beverly Hills, Brentwood and Santa Monica?” ~ Mick Jagger (referring to the high-priced tickets)

• “It’s either us or the Lakers, so now you’ve got us.? It doesn’t matter to Jack Nicholson because he was coming to both of them.” (Jagger’s apology for the date change).

• “We first played LA in 1965. Thank you for coming to see us. We really appreciate it.”

Jagger ran around the stage like a Mexican jumping bean causing anyone in their 60s and 70s to feel a bit jealous of his energy.

There wasn’t a fan in the crowd, who didn’t feel completely satisfied from seeing the world’s greatest rock and roll band.”

Set list.

1. Get Off of My Cloud
2. The Last Time
3. It’s Only Rock ‘n’Roll
4. Paint it Black
5. Gimme Shelter
6. Wild Horses (with Gwen Stefani)
7. Factory Girl
8. Emotional Rescue.
9. Respectable (with Keith Urban)
10. Doom and Gloom
11. One More Shot
12. Honky Tonk women
13. Before They Make Me Run
14. Happy
15. Midnight Rambler (with Mick Taylor)
16. Miss You
17. Start Me Up
18. Tumbling Dice
19. Brown Sugar
20. Sympathy for the Devil
Encore
21. You Can’t Always Get What You Want (Cal State Long Beach Chamber Cole Conservatory Choir)
22. Jumpin’ Jack Flash
23. Satisfaction

As a former music radio DJ, I was thrilled when the invite arrived for the ASCAP Pop Music Awards.

This year’s honorees included Carly Simon, who received the Founders Award; Peter Frampton, who received the Global Impact Award; Trent Reznor, who received the Golden Note Award;? and Bruno Mars, for the Song of the Year: “Just the Way You Are.”

I had the opportunity to meet the lovely Katy Perry during the reception, who took the stage to receive numerous awards. Carly Simon treated us to a rare live performance of her hit songs, “Anticipation” and “You’re so Vain. On a day that started out in sorrow with the loss of American Bandstand’s Dick Clark, pop music writers were enthusiastic about being honored in Hollywood.

Full article on Huffington Post.

Photo: Katy Perry and Julie Spira. Photo Credit: Society News LA

Where’s Julie?

Milla Jovovich and Elizabeth Banks

The invitation simply said, “Come Exposed,” but not naked. It was a star-studded crowd at the Restoration Hardware Gallery Store in Los Angeles? as we gathered to celebrate the opening of the brand’s new Spring 2012 collection, entitled “Exposed.”

Not sure what to wear, I selected a royal blue off the shoulder dress from designer Tadashi Shoji after sending out a tweet for suggestions. Malin Akerman wore a beautiful red dress that captured a few eyes.

The home decor includes settings perfect for a romantic evening at home with your date or sweetheart. Stunning chandeliers were wrapped inside bird cages for a dramatic look. Candles set the mood in the beautiful store.

The Hunger Games co-star Elizabeth Banks was on the host committee along with Milla Jovovich, Abbie Cornish, and Malin Akerman.? The film opens today. A live musical performance from The Pierces added to the evening as the crowd sipped on Bellini’s and Moroccan mint Bellocq tea.

For more details and photos, visit SocietyNewsLA.

Restoration Hardware Gallery Store

Malin Akerman and Julie Spira

Online dating doesn’t mean just signing up for a dating site when you’re single any more. It’s a multi-billion dollar industry filled with mobile apps, dating coaches, and helps both singles find love and couples stay together with ongoing dating tips.

In a pre-Valentine’s Love Goes Digital panel hosted by Kevin Winston of Digital LA, online dating experts and sites discussed dating advice, the growing trend of mobile dating, and how to keep your love alive after the knot has been tied.

Grant Langston, head of social media at eHarmony and an employee of the site since before it’s launch in 2000 shared his experience on the changes their site has gone through. In my personal opinion, I think they have one of the best iPad apps around. The site will shortly be rolling out a new feature for your eHarmony timeline that’s similar to a? Facebook time-line.

Justin Fredericks, founder of Marriage.com, a video network that curates, produces and promotes videos about wedding, marriage, dating, and relationships talked about the new social networking site Pinterest, as it focuses on women.

Jennifer Kelton from Bad Online Dates talked about her mobile strategy, Bad Date TV, and some niche online dating sites.

I shared with the audience how I created my first online dating profile in 1994 as a charter member of Love@Aol, during the days of the dial-up connection. I penned my stories in my first book, The Perils of Cyber-Dating: Confessions of a Hopeful Romantic Looking for Love Online and created CyberDatingExpert.com as a place for singles and couples to share their online dating stories. The use of social media on Twitter and Facebook has made a big impact on my brand. I also told singles not to ‘friend’ someone on Facebook before or after a first date. Personally, I think it’s creepy.

The audience was a mixed group of singles, married couples, dating industry executives, love coaches and those who are still looking for love online. We nibbled on chocolate, sipped One Coconut Water, and discussed what you should say or not say in your online dating profile.

At the end of the digital day, most of the audience felt they’d rather keep their love and dating life off of Facebook.

One thing’s for sure. The audience left fully armed with the dos and don’ts of social and online dating in time for Valentine’s Day.

Julie Spira is an online dating expert and founder of CyberDatingExpert.com. She creates irresistible profiles for singles on the dating scene. Follow her @JulieSpira on Twitter. If you loved this post, Like us at Facebook.com/CyberDatingExpert for more dating advice.

with Lifetime Achievement Award Recipient Gary Kremen

You might have your favorite online dating site, but did you know the Internet dating industry actually has their own awards ceremony, similar to the Academy Awards?

iDate Conference organizer Marc Lesnick emceed the 3^rd Annual iDate Awards ceremony along with Mark Brooks from Online Personals Watch. It was an honor and privilege to also be a presenter at the event held in Miami Beach on January 24, 2012.

The Internet Dating Executive Alliance and dating site members and users had the opportunity to vote.for their favorites in 12 categories.

OkCupid walked away with 3 iDate awards, received by Sam Yagan, CEO and co-founder of the site. Gary Kremen, known for creating online dating back in 1993 by being the original creator of Match.com received a well-deserved special Lifetime Achievement Award. Gary?was a Keynote speaker earlier in the day,

The complete list of winners are?.

Best Dating Site – OkCupid

Best Dating Site Design ? OkCupid

Best Dating Software Provider – White Label Dating

Best Mobile Dating App ? Grindr

Best Dating Coach ? Evan Marc Katz

Most Innovative Company ? OkCupid

Best New Technology ? Grindr

Best Up-And-Coming Dating Site ? How About We

Best Marketing Campaign ? Match.com

Best Affiliate Program ? FriendFinder

Best Payment System ? Paymentwall.com

Best Matchmaker ? Julie Ferman, Cupids Coach/eLove

We’ll be posting video highlights from the conference with the latest in online dating safety, mobile dating, and letting you know about some of the new niche sites that might help while looking for love online.

Julie Spira is an online dating expert and founder of CyberDatingExpert.com. Follow Julie on Twitter @JulieSpira for dating advice and on Facebook.com/CyberDatingExpert

Every day we create a digital memory book of our experiences when we log onto Facebook, send a tweet, or even snap a photo and email it to our friends and family.

The largest and most exciting addition to my digital scrapbook was the most recent BlogWorld Conference and New Media Expo held in Los Angeles.

It was an honor to be selected as a featured speaker where I spoke about The Rules of Netiquette: How to Mind Your Digital Manners. ?Following my session, I signed copies of The Perils of Cyber-Dating at the BlogWorld Barnes and Noble Bookstore on site.

For those of you who could not attend the 3-day conference, I encourage you to sign up for the BlogWorldExpo Virtual Ticket,?complete with over 100 audio recordings of all of the sessions. You’ll learn an incredible amount about how to connect and relate in a Web 2.0 World from some of the most influential people in social media.

I also had the opportunity to be interviewed by Nancy Spears of GenConnect,?Abby Johnson of WebPro News, and Sandi McKenna on Dot TV.

Watch our videos:

Genconnect – How to Find Love in Cyberspace

WebPro News – What is Netiquette?

Julie Spira is an online dating and netiquette expert. She’s the author of The Perils of Cyber-Dating and The Rules of Netiquette. Follow Julie on Twitter @JulieSpira. Like her at Facebook.com/RulesofNetiquette and Facebook.com/CyberDatingExpert.

On Sunday, October 2, 2011 from 10am – 6pm, join me at the West Hollywood Book Fair, where I’ll be autographing copies of my bestselling book, The Perils of Cyber-Dating: Confessions of a Hopeful Romantic Looking for Love Online.

The event will be held at West Hollywood Park and at the new West Hollywood Library at 647 N. San Vicente Blvd. in West Hollywood.

Among the festivities and featured authors, you’ll have the chance to see Jane Fonda, Dyan Canon, Meredith Baxter, Jackie Collins, Marcia Clark, Julie Newmar, Hal Needham, Tatum O’Neal and more.

The event is free and will include 300 featured authors, 12 stages, and 25,000 guests.

I’ll be at the Womens National Book Association Booth # B8-B9. If you can’t find me, just sent a tweet to @JulieSpira.

Julie Spira is an online dating expert, social media strategist, and bestselling author of The Perils of Cyber-Dating. Visit her at CyberDatingExpert.com, Rulesof Netiquette.com, and SocialMediaMore.com.