Life

This Is The Busiest Day For Online Dating In The Summer

by Kristine Fellizar

One of the best things about summer is the promise of new beginnings, adventure, and maybe even a little romance. According to a new Match survey, over 60 percent of singles say they have a bucket list they're looking to complete, and 83 percent say the number one thing they want to do is find love. So if you're one of the singles hoping to find love this summer, get your dating profiles ready. Studies have found online dating activity significantly increases during the summer months in comparison to the rest of the year. And if you're really looking to maximize your chances of summer love, Match experts found, there's one day you should really look out for: July 9.

"Believe it or not, there are 107 million single Americans (43 percent of the adult population), and falling in love is something that is very much ‘top of mind’ at this time of year — and especially in the coming week," Bela Gandhi, founder of Smart Dating Academy and dating expert for Match, tells Bustle.

According to Match, online dating activity consistently increases during the summer months. This year, they analyzed historical data to predict that on July 9 tons of singles logged on, exchanged messages, updated their profiles, and even went on more dates.

While that day may have passed, that doesn't mean you can't take advantage of the boom this week and improve your profile. "It's about having a plan, having a great profile and photos, and sticking with your plan," Gandhi says, When you want to make something big happen for your life like a career change or eating healthier, the first step is to list out your goals and ways to achieve them. So if finding love is on your to-do list, make a plan.

"Often times we think dating and love should ‘just happen if it’s meant to be’ and that planning is ‘unromantic,'" Gandhi says. "Au contraire. To be successful at finding love, it's important to make a plan that's realistic, fun, and that you can stick to." Here are three things you need to do in order to make the most out of online dating this summer:

1

Take Time To Work On Your Online "Personal Marketing Campaign"

"Think about your online profile and photos as your personal marketing campaign in cyberspace," Gandhi says. It wouldn't take you just five minutes to set up an important marketing campaign. A good, well thought-out campaign would take you several hours. A good online dating profile should be the same way. For the most part, people tend to get back what they give out. If you're looking to attract quality people, make sure your profile showcases the quality person that you are.

2

Choose The Right Photos Or Invest In Some New Ones

We all know how important photos are to online dating. In fact, Gandhi says great photos will determine 90 percent of your success. "Getting great photos taken (if you don’t have them) is one of the best investments you can make in the process," she says. "On your profile, a survey conducted by Smart Dating Academy and Match.com of over 1,500 singles said that approximately five to six total photos (mix of head and body shots) is the magic number of photos."

3

Remember These 4 Things When Writing A Profile

"A common question I get is, ‘Do people REALLY read your profile text?’" Gandhi says. "The answer is yes. The kinds of people you want to communicate with will read what you write." So make it good by doing these four things:

  • Stand Out: Use fun facts about yourself that are different. For example, maybe you’re a secret ballroom dancer, you've hiked up Mount Everest, you're a 10-time marathon runner. Telling one to two sentence stories about yourself will set you apart from other people.
  • Be Positive: Talk about your most positive traits, what you’ll bring to the table in a relationship, and the positive traits you’re looking for in a mate. Stay away from any negativity (and checklists!).
  • Keep It Short, But Not Too Short: If you're on a dating site like Match, using 200-300 words on a dating site is great. If you’re on an app, you're more limited to a number of words and characters, so definitely curate your words well.
  • Turn That Spellcheck On: People judge our intelligence by our word choices, spelling and grammar. Sad but true. It's super easy to make little typos here and there, so always play close to attention to what you're writing. One small error can have big consequences in the beginning phases of dating when people are still getting to know you.

"Remember, there are many lids to your pot, and you’re only looking for one," Gandhi says. "This is the best time of the summer to find one!"