After doing an extensive online dating profile case study in the last post, it got me to thinking about my own Internet dating efforts and realized that I’ve been slouching lately. A quick look at my own dating profile made me realize that it was about due for some renovations and updates.
After even more thinking, I realized that I should probably spend a certain period of time where I essentially go all out, guns blazing, in the online dating realm. I’m talking complete testing, re-testing, and overhaul of my dating profiles followed by 30 days of sending out messages to potential dates. It would basically be an experiment to see what happens when a guy really puts in a ton of effort with Internet dating.
Preseason
So here’s the plan. For the next two weeks, until the end of February, I will be focused on testing and maximizing my personal dating profile so that it is the most attractive, seductive and engaging profile that I can possibly have. This will be accomplished in a number of ways:
- Testing my title subject line using Google website optimizer and Google Adwords
- Testing many different profile pictures of myself using picture rating sites like HotorNot.com, with the goal of finding three attractive and engaging pictures for my profile.
- Writing 3-5 different “about me” sections using different approaches and writing themes and then testing the response rates using Craigslist.com
- Doing some off-line lifestyle improvements, like getting a new hair style and burning off my beer gut as to be more presentable in the event of any real life dates.
Of course, this is just the beginning, but also a very essential step in preparing for a super ninja online dating offensive. Like they say, a good offense is a good defense. In this case, our defense is our dating profile.
45 Day Online Dating Challenge
The next step of the 45 Day Online Dating Challenge is the actual onslaught itself which will begin on March 1st and go for a full 30 days.
In this part of the challenge I will be using at least two different free online dating sites, one of which will be PlentyofFish.com and the other will be OkCupid.com. On both sites, my dating profile will be optimized using the tested profile components from the preseason above.
Each day I will send out a total of 10 cold email messages to attractive women on the dating sites, 5 using PlentyofFish and 5 using OkCupid. In order for a message to count it has to be an unsolicited email to a different girl every day. A girl who initiates contact with me first doesn’t count towards the ten, but should that girl meet my standards of attraction and personality then of course I’ll keep things going. So by the end of the challenge I will have sent out at least 300 dating emails.
We aren’t talking about silly cut and paste emails either. I will be trying all kinds of different tactics for the initial contact email and follow-up emails. The whole point to this challenge isn’t just about the numbers, it’s about finding the best approaches to winning the online dating game.
Although, being the number crunching statistics kind of guy that I am, I will be keeping track of all kinds of things along the way, from click through ratios, to first email responses, to number closes, to real life date conversions, etc. I think this type of stuff is important as it helps us to compare best and worse practices. It helps us to refine our online game so that eventually it isn’t so much of a chore but an efficient tool for getting those actual dates.
Join the Challenge
Now here’s where things get exciting. If we can learn anything from my experiences in the 45 Day Online Dating Challenge, then just imagine what we could learn if we had a whole group of guys and women experimenting and going all out with their Internet dating aspirations.
So, if you’ve been in a rut lately or have been discouraged by the lack of online dating results, then consider joining me in the challenge. Think about it and if you’re willing to try some crazy ass shit for the next 45 days or so, then let me know in the comments.
Also, if you do decide to join in, I’d encourage everyone to track their progress on their own blog and chronicle what you experience. Make sure to send me the link so that I can put it up and link out to you, though certainly understandable if you want to keep it private too.
Stay tuned in the next couple of days for the first preseason profile optimization post.
This is going to fun!
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Wow, this is a really intriguing idea. I’ll keep out of it because I’m simply burnt out at the moment, but I’ll be eager to learn about your process.
The thoughts I’m having are: will your Google Adwords and HotorNot data be reliable, since the audiences you’re testing on will likely be quite different from your target dates. Also, I can hardly find 5 women a month that I really want to message when on Match.com’s 6-month Guarantee (I’m currently in the last month of my second time “failing” the guarantee), so I’d be amazed if you could find 10 per DAY in your search.
But, it’s a great idea to be setting measurable goals like this. Match.com’s 6-month guarantee is useful because it really *makes* you message people. I’ve also found it effective for me to set a (modest) goal of going on at least 2 dates a month. Sometimes I’m a workaholic and forget to have fun.
Hehe, maybe you should try outsourcing your online dating endeavors like Tim Ferriss did
.-= russruggles´s last blog ..Match.com’s VIP Mail, and Why You Shouldn’t Use It =-.
Will be interested to see your results. If you send 300 emails, I bet a million bucks you will get at least one date, so that is a ‘when’ not an ‘if’
Russ,
Good points on the Adwords and HotorNot data, though it’s not exactly the target audience we are looking for, I think it should be good enough to narrow down a collection of samples to the best possible profile parts. Of course, these can always be tested and swapped out on the actual profile too, should they not live up to par.
I’m surprised that you can’t find 5 women per month to contact, how picky are you being? My method will be to simply go through each day and pick out 10 attractive women that don’t seem like psychos or LSE (low self-esteem) girls. After all, it’s not like I’m looking to get married or anything just trying to get some real life dates going.
The outsourcing idea is a good one. Maybe I’ll give it a try in the future.
David,
Oh yea, the odds are definitely in my favor, especially considering that I’ve already gotten some online dates from a much lower contact ratio. However, the experiment isn’t simply about getting a date, but to see the level of results when I guy really puts in an all out effort like this. It will definitely be interesting either way.
Matt! Good for you! I was just thinking about doing a similar thing, only I was going to use OK Cupid and other sites’ data on what makes a successful profile photo, first email, etc. I might join you, though I’ll be a little behind your schedule. Good luck! I can’t wait to hear how it goes.
Nicole,
Thanks, it’s a pretty big undertaking if you think about and something that I don’t think many people have really tried before. Definitely join in if you can, even if you are a little behind, it’ll help increase the amount of data in the pool so that we can all reflect upon it like we were scientists or something….
Also, I’ll probably be doing some weekly updates every Monday to let everyone know my progress.
i don’t know why, and i’m definitely not trying to knock your efforts, but this sounds like one big science experiment. while you’re doing this online dating challenge, can you at least be inside a coffeehouse because then maybe MAYBE you might meet someone in person too!
If you send 300 emails, you should end up going out with at least 15 women. Any less, and you have some serious testing to do.
Testing is critical to getting better results on dating sites. You don’t have to use Google Adwords or Optimizer though. The easiest way to test for online dating is by split testing
http://www.gethertorespond.com/2010/02/25/how-to-get-women-to-actually-email-you-back/
Brandon
How did it go? I’m dying to know.
I like a girl that likes bread’s suggestion–I wonder if it would double your chances? You’d have to sit with your screen out of sight, though. No girl wants to feel like she’s just one of the millions before she even gets to introduce herself.
.-= Nicole´s last blog ..Smartphones and other advances in dating technology =-.
As with any marketing campaign, it all boils down to statistics. Maybe this endeavor of yours can be used to derive a solid mathematical equation.. like
(# CL Posts X .17) – 1.2 = Net Blowjobs Received