3 Reasons to Spring Clean Your Inbox

By Dee Rene, Copy Cutie

credit: card karma (flickr)It’s that time again! Birds are chirping and your inbox is overflowing with new love interests as everyone tries to find romance for the new season. But just like you want to clean out old clothes from your closet, cleaning out your inbox is also very important. Although you may be unsure about which message to keep or toss, here’s what you should keep in mind:

1. You don’t want to miss anything.  Sometimes when our inbox is overcrowded, we tend to start deleting things without checking each message carefully. Keep yourself from being overwhelmed by starting the spring season with an empty and clear inbox.

2. A fresh start.  If you have tons of emails from past failed dates crowding your inbox, it can make you feel down about the future. Wipe your slate clean of past dates gone wrong by organizing and clearing out your messages. You’ll definitely feel like this season promises a new start for romance.

3. Read, Review and Restart.  Spring cleaning is a time to sort of sift through the clutter and try to understand how you got to that point in the first place. Do you notice a pattern in some of your emails? Did you spend too much time talking to a person you weren’t interested in? Why do you have so many old messages in the first place? Taking a little time to evaluate your current inbox and dating life overall can help you achieve that fresh start you want.

What are your benefits of spring cleaning your inbox? Share in the comments below.

Career Builder: Types of Women You’ll Find On Online Dating Sites

By Kevin Murray, Suave Scribe

credit: Joel Telling (flickr)Online dating is a great way to meet new people regardless of what you do for a living. But, there are some professions that make it extremely hard for a woman to meet men – when you online date for almost a decade like myself, you certainly notice some trends. You’ll probably come across some or all of these professions once or twice in your online dating career.

The Sales Rep.  The sales rep usually has the biggest ego of any woman you’ll stumble across online. She needs that ego to succeed in selling her product – that’s how she thrives. What does that mean for you? It typically means you need to be a little on guard. It’s her job to get people to like her and she’s damn good at it. She’s smooth talking, quick-witted and will pull the wool over your eyes if you’re not paying attention. Stay on your toes from jump street with this one. If your game’s weak she’ll quickly dismiss you and move on to the next client.

The Stylist.  She’s clearly the most outgoing of the bunch and has no problem getting in your personal space, especially if she’s into you. Stylists have to spend all day talking and being literally 6 inches away from their clients – basically they’re immune to feeling uncomfortable in tight personal proximities. For this reason, a stylist will be up in your face pretty quickly. Don’t be alarmed with her aggressive approach. Watch out though: when you’re not looking she’ll bite your head off.

The Teacher.  Closet freaks, don’t sleep on a teacher. They usually carry themselves very properly and can seem reserved. But lurking inside is some pent-up inappropriateness. It’s only natural when you spend all week minding your P’s and Q’s while helping little Billy with his popsicle stick house. The teacher can really surprise you and throw you a wicked curve. Don’t let her mild-mannered ways get you down – give it some time and I bet you’ll be surprised.

The Nurse.  She often works hours that deviate far from the Monday through Friday, 9-5 shift. So if you start dating her, be ready for your dates to be planned in the middle of the week as her schedule usually rotates. The nurse is a nurturing person, usually the most caring out of any women you’ll meet online. With that said, she has to deal with a lot of crap at work (sometimes literally). If you’re flaking out or becoming hesitant, she’ll have no problem tossing you in the trash like a dirty diaper. But if you make her a priority, she’ll be extremely loyal.  

Of course, these stereotypes can’t be applied to everyone. Each woman has her own quirks and personality. But humans often can’t help eventually becoming products of their environment—it’s only natural. Stay alert men, you’ve been warned.

Have any common professions we’ve missed? Drop some knowledge in the comments section!

It's All About The Follow Up

By: Laurie Davis, Founder

credit: nist6ss (Flickr)You'll often hear me say that online dating is all "about the follow up." But what does that mean? In the world of cyberlove, there are lots of factors that can keep your match from inadvertently emailing you back. Here are just a few:

• Busy at the moment.  You never know what's going on in other people’s lives. It’s a common misconception that if someone logs on, reads your email, clicks through to your profile — and doesn’t respond — it means they're not interested. It may simply mean that they didn’t have time to write you back right then, but will get to it eventually.
• Busy with their dating calendar.  Just because your match still has an active profile, doesn’t mean they're actively dating. They might be checking their email, but their dance card might be full. When a dating calendar gets full, matches will sometimes wait a while to respond until things cool off and they are ready to meet someone new.
• They Don’t Pay.  Paid dating sites can often be deceiving about their members. Just because they showed up as a match and are active, doesn’t mean that they pay for a subscription and can see your messages.
• You Got Lost.  If their inbox is a virtual hot spot, your message might have been buried or deleted before it was read.
• Your Profile Wasn’t Good Enough.  If your photos were unclear or your text wasn’t specific, you might not have made the cut.

None of this means that all hope is lost, though! Remember — online dating is all about the follow up. So what should your next steps be?

If it's been more than 10 days since you emailed and they've logged on within the last few days, it’s ok to send a follow up email. The goal is to keep it short and sweet — no negativity or guilt trips. Let him or her know that you were still hoping to connect. Be prepared for it to not always go your way. Your match might respond with a "Best of luck" ... or they might not respond at all. If they do read it and don’t respond within a few days, you can at least have closure and know that it wasn’t simply miscommunication.

If it’s been a while since you got a virtual update, you might want to upload some new photos and revise your profile. Seeing a new digital impression will often illicit responses from matches who have previously passed you over. (If you need help, try an eMakeover.)

If you were in the middle of a great email string and your match suddenly vanished, check to see if they've been online recently. If they were and it's been more than five days, respond to the email string to see how things are going with them. It's likely that their lack of response was an accident.

Above all, don’t take it personally! I know it can be challenging, but you’re only a digital impression right now. You never know what circumstances your match is under. Jumping to conclusions will only make the online dating process more challenging. Keep your chin up, daters, and on to the next!

Cheers to Stir’s 1 Year! Create a Match.com Summer Singles Event and Win

By: Krissy Dolor, Jill of All Trades/Certified eFlirter

Sponsored by Match.comObviously eFlirt Expert hearts online dating … but chemistry really happens when you take eCommunications offline. So when Match.com first announced Stir, the site’s offline events, we were psyched to see what they’d come up with. Laurie herself gave the dating site “major props for thinking beyond the screen to create more ways for singles to mingle.” From happy hours to DJ lessons, there hasn’t been a shortage of IRL activities for Match members.

Now, 2,850 singles events and more than 1,200 venues and partners later, Stir Events is celebrating its one-year anniversary — quite the milestone, we think! Since we love data, that breaks down to 14 events each day, 75 a week and 320 per month. With, 225,000 singles getting beyond the broadband, I wonder how many first kisses were smooched?!

Celebratory cocktails are in order! No seriously, Match.com wanted us to let you know that your drinks could be on the house! They want to buy you (and your friends!) cocktails with the opportunity to create your own Stir event. If the bigwigs choose your event brainchild, you’ll get the chance to work with Match Stir events planners to make your party planning fantasy a reality. Totally swoon-worthy!  

Here’s what you need to do: Visit Match.com’s “What Stirs You?” Contest Page now through Tuesday May 28 and tell them what you think would make for the perfect singles event. Entries will be judged based on quality, creativity, uniqueness and geographical relevance. If you win, your idea will be re-created by the Match.com Stir Events team in your city, and you’ll (obviously) receive an invitation to attend the event, along with 10 of your single friends — for free! You’ll also receive a six-month Match.com subscription on the house — online dating swag at its finest.

Happy Anniversary to the Events by Match.com team! We’re so excited to blow out the virtual candles with you.  

4 Great Spring Date Ideas

By Dee Rene, Copy Cutie

credit: Kim Seng (flickr)It’s time to knock out those winter blues with some amazing plans for springtime! The warm weather opens up a variety of opportunities for new dates out and about in your city.

Hiking through a garden/park.  Take advantage of the great weather by going on a stroll through nature. A hike is not only a great way to exercise, but it also gives you ample time for conversation. If your city has a Botanical Garden, it’s a perfect place to walk, hike and explore. You’ll have opportunities for beautiful photos and hopefully plenty of memories.

Bike ride and picnic.  Riding your bike to a lake by your local park is perfect for spring. You and your date will enjoy the weather and have time to chat while you eat your picnic lunch. Take your bikes to the beach or a local nature trail. You can even pack your date’s favorite dessert as a surprise.

Street festivals and fairs.  Does your date love artwork? Or maybe jazz? Street festivals start popping up again in the spring, and each has a unique theme. Browse the Arts and Entertainment section of your local paper and find out what festivals are coming to your area. Enjoy your date’s company, browse the vendors, listen to live music and enjoy tasting the fun fair food!

Rooftop/patio dinners.  Eating outside is one of the benefits of warmer weather. Find a restaurant with a great view for people-watching or even a rooftop for stargazing. Dinner gets a new twist when you add in beautiful scenery.

What are your favorite spring date ideas?