OK so I guess I've been missing out on a major trend because I'm not single. According to the Wall Street Journal (reg. req'd), success with online dating services now requires the adoption of search engine optimization-like techniques. It's apparently not enough to be hot and available, you've also got to be an online marketing genius - and harness the power of the newly in control consumer, who's reviewing your every dating move and decision.
The WSJ opines: "Members of Engage.com can review people after one date for politeness and honesty. Consumating.com users give one another "thumbs up" or "thumbs down" depending on how clever their profiles are. JDate.com encourages members to talk about their dates on a message board, inviting them to share stories of "best dates, worst dates" as well as "turn-ons, turn-offs".... The result is an emerging caste system, where highly rated daters see a lot of action, and others are deemed undateable."
Sounds kind of rough - particularly for the gentle transaction of falling in love.
But, why shouldn't the customer be in control of buying this "product"?
Consumers call all the plays with vehicle shopping, cell phone shopping, home electronics shopping, and credit card shopping. Ebay is basically all about user feedback. Why shouldn't the empowering nature of technology be leveraged to help consumers identify better "products" and "purchase" them more easily in this category?
This has left online daters in a quandary - either leave your dating fate to chance, or, "work the system" to make your "product" as attractive as possible. The WSJ article profiles one online dater who signed up for Consumating.com, had some initial success, but then found her prospects dwindling.
"A couple of weeks ago, she took drastic action: a plea to the site's 20,000 members. "I'm just a little too concerned with my standing," she wrote on one of the message boards, describing how she wanted to bust into the top 500 most popular. Since many Consumating daters expect points to be reciprocated, they doled them out to her liberally, and within days, she'd climbed to number 343. "It's all thanks to you," a grateful Ms. Schoomer later wrote....Now, her profile pops up on more searches, and she shares more than 100 "tags" -- key words that describe her interests and personality -- with the thousands of other users on the site. She's seen a rise in inquiries from potential friends and suitors, and in one recent week, kissed three guys she met through the site. Her confidence is riding high, she says. "I'm pretty cute."
Yes it seems a little disturbing that 1. one's innate "cuteness" doesn't just shine through - but, we need to accept the same reality for ourselves as products that we embrace for our clients - there's competition out there, man; and 2. doing "well" in an online dating site "leaderboard" can actually make you feel better about yourself - I can't think of a response to this except to be thankful I'm already happily paired.
Mail order bride, anyone?
For those of you "in market" for a relationship, click on the visual to enlarge an online dating tips table the WSJ kindly prepared for the lovelorn.
http://soo.in/3727/
My profile above, in the short link. IMvodkaSpy or 107005186 :)
Have a good day. My e-mail is my Gmail.
Posted by: IMvodkaSpy | October 19, 2006 at 09:53 AM