Instant Messaging is great. You can chat with a number of friends, all at the same time, while doing work, watching TV, or reading on the web.

Admittedly, I honed my online dating chops, chatting with random girls on AOL in the late 90′s. There’s something great about talking in real-time, but still getting to think about what you’re going to say next.

So, since IMing is so great, pretty much every online dating site – including Match.com – has an Instant Messaging feature. It makes perfect sense, right? So, what’s the best way to use this feature to get dates online. Keep reading »

The time between Christmas and Valentine’s day is the most active online dating time all year long. This is probably for the following reasons:

• The holidays are over: people put off dating, and are fresh from spending the holidays without a boyfriend / girlfriend.
• The winter: it’s cold, don’t you want someone to keep you warm?
• Rushing to beat the Valentine’s Day deadline – trying to not spend it at some Anti-Valentine’s Day party.

This happens every year, and it’s happening RIGHT NOW!

Now is the time for online dating!

Keep reading »

Next time you’re by a newsstand, pick up a copy of the December 2010 Men’s Health Magazine. ODMM and yours truly – Russ Ruggles – is featured in The Algorithm Method, which is on page 120.

The article is a collection of wisdom on online dating, and much of the advice mirrors advice that I have given here on ODMM before. Some highlights: Keep reading »

Pardon me loyal readers, while I make a public service announcement. I’ve noticed that there are a few people coming into my site that have searched for match 3 day trial, match.com 3 day trial, or 3 day trial match – and so on. Keep reading »

Talk to anyone who has dated online, and they will tell you that they encounter lying in dating profiles. Men will lie about their height, and women will do what it takes to appear more slim. It turns out, these people are onto something. Keep reading »

I got a good question via e-mail today:

I was reading your blog post about eliciting winks from gals on match.com, and also the post pointing out that the majority of people with profiles aren’t actually members.  So my question is, when you receive a wink 1) how can you tell whether or not they are a member and 2) what is the best method to contact a “winker” if they aren’t a member?  Sending an email is pointless because they can’t read it or even know it was sent, so how to proceed?  I just signed up for Match recently and am still trying to get the hang of everything.

Keep reading »

One of the most common complaints I hear from women about guys they date is that they talk about themselves too much. To see this phenomenon in action, watch any episode of Millionaire Matchmaker. It’s natural to want to talk about yourself. After all, what in this world is more important to you than…you? But, talking about yourself won’t get you too far in the dating world. Keep reading »

If you’ve read all of my online dating tips, you know that I think match.com is the best online dating site out there. They have plenty of members, the communication features you need are there, and its an easy site on which to find a date. Match.com does cost more than the free options out there (Plenytoffish, for example) but I think this means you meet people who are more serious about meeting someone.

So I’ve compiled a few match.com coupons and match.com promo codes for your benefit. Keep reading »

Because smart folks know that you have a better chance of getting a response if you message members who are active in the past 24 hours. So, they sort by “Activity Date” (just like you hopefully do when you do the who’s viewed me shuffle). So, if you show up as “active within 24 hours,” you’re more likely to show up in other member’s search results, and more likely to get messages and get winks.

An interesting e-mail question I got about time of day you send your online dating messages:

Does the time you email someone matter? Currently I make it a
rule not to respond to or send emails over the weekend (Friday night
until Sunday night). Does the time I send the email matter?

Keep reading »

You may have noticed a brand-new feature on Match.com today. It’s called “VIP mail.” Basically, it’s a “special” message that you can only send once per week. The idea being that whomever you send it to will be impressed and flattered.

Funny thing is, when you start composing a VIP mail, they show you some tips on the side for writing a great message, and one of those tips, illustrates exactly why you shouldn’t use this feature. Keep reading »

If you’ve read my online dating advice, you know that I think match.com is the best online dating site out there. They have tons of members, and good communication features that make it easy to get to the point and set up a date – where the real chemistry happens. Is Match.com free? Not really. Match.com costs more than free options such as Plentyoffish and Craigslist, but I’ve found the quality of the women I meet on match to be much higher, probably in part to this sort of “weed-out” effect.

So I’ve compiled a few match.com coupons and match.com promo codes for your benefit. Keep reading »