White Hat News

Thanks to advances in technology and the force that is Apple, it’s hard to imagine going so much as an hour without our mobile devices glued to us.  In today’s world we rely on our phones for connecting with friends, searching movie times and even cashing checks…basically everything short of cooking our own meals for us.   Because of this, gone are the days of getting spruced up in your best ensemble and heading out on the town in hopes of a love-at-first sight encounter with some exotic stranger…now, it looks like the latest trend in dating is heading straight for your phone.

What is mobile dating? For singles on the go, mobile dating services provide their users with cell phone apps equipped with tools like text messaging and mobile chatting to get to know, flirt, meet and possibly develop a romantic connection with a fellow single that might even lead to a long-term, committed relationship…or at least a cocktail after a long day of work.

How does it work? On the apps, which use smartphone location technology, users post a profile and then broadcast their availability, or scan a list of others who have done the same.   These dating services focus attention on users that share the same social network and proximity, even offering alerts when another user is within the area.   Users can immediately send messages to one another, and if there is mutual interest over phone lines, a meeting can be set up.   Most mobile dating apps are free, but you will find that standard texting fees may still apply.   The way these companies make money is by selling ads or selling their customers extra features.

How popular is it? With over 1.3 billion mobile phone users across the world, in the arena of mobile apps, the most popular category is gaming followed by social media (where mobile dating falls).   The mobile dating site, AreYouInterested.com, conducted a survey where research revealed from more than 50,000 people some interesting facts…

• Nearly 600 online dating profiles are viewed each minute on AreYouInterested.com with the average person looking at over 20 profiles a day.
• 47 percent of users are between the ages of 18 and 25.
• The average user sends about 5 messages a day to mobile interests and an estimated 9 conversations are started each minute.
• The most active cities in the world for mobile singles are New York, Los Angeles, London, Melbourne and Hong Kong.
• The industry of mobile dating is expected to grow to nearly $1.4 billion by the year 2013.
• It was discovered that 80 percent of the people surveyed prefer mobile dating over online dating sites.

Why mobile date? Mobile dating is viewed by users as a casual way to interact with fellow singles…those surveyed by AreYouInterested.com confirmed that with mobile dating, much of the pressure and awkwardness of an elaborately planned traditional date is eliminated.

Fans of mobile dating services say they also like them because the mobile services are updated versions of internet dating sites.   Most dating apps come free of charge as opposed to online dating services who charge a monthly membership fee for their users.  Another interesting reason for this preference is because about 60 percent of people subscribed to AreYouInterested.com have the notion that their chances are better for “hooking up” through a mobile dating app than on a website.

Who offers these apps? Some of the mobile dating apps are stand-alone and others are extensions of reputable online dating sites.  The most used mobile dating apps include AreYouInterested, Blendr, OkCupid Locals and HowAboutWe.   eHarmony released a mobile dating service in August 2011 called Jazzed that has been downloaded more than 250,000 times since then and is still gaining popularity.

Guest post author, Cindy McDonald, enjoys writing about the latest trends in technology.  In addition, Cindy also writes for Catholic Singles Dating Sites where she offers her tips on safe online dating for Catholics.

With the millions of email-users checking their inboxes each day, through email marketing, you have a great opportunity to spread your message and drive traffic to your website or company. However, if done incorrectly, you could end up wasting valuable time and resources on a less than award-winning marketing campaign. To achieve success, be sure to check out the following mistakes that could derail your email marketing strategy and how to avoid them:

Mistake #1: Composing lengthy emails. With busy schedules taking over our lives, the last thing people have time for is sorting through email after wordy email. So if your message is too long, it more than likely won’t be read after the first few lines. To make sure your marketing email doesn’t meet such a fate, keep your message short, sweet and to the point while focusing on the recipient. Leave the reader wanting more by clearly defining their call to action and what they can expect to get out of the deal.

Mistake #2: Sending the wrong subject. Email users have enough junk in their inboxes as it is…make sure that your message isn’t trashed before it’s even opened by including a subject that sends a positive first impression and entices the reader to open. Keep these tips in mind when composing a successful subject line:

• Don’t try to trick the reader—if you make a promise in the subject line of your email, make sure that it is one that you can actually fulfill.
• Try asking a question or stating the benefit right away—the customer wants to know what’s in it for them.
• Never use dollar signs or words such as rewards, savings, offer, features, upgrade or coupon—people see these and instantly think ‘spam!’

Mistake #3: Emailing at bad times. When you send out your email marketing campaign at the wrong time, don’t expect to get much action. Your chances for getting your message read greatly decrease if you send it over a holiday (especially during the months of December, January, July and August)—don’t do this. To get the most out of your campaign, schedule your emails to go out when the click-through rates are the highest—early in the morning and late in the week/over the weekend.

Mistake #4: Not testing. So that your marketing efforts aren’t done in vain, it is crucial to run tests to determine their effectiveness. Test everything from variations in subject line, length of messages, placement of links, etc. Be sure to have a system in place that tracks and measures your progress so that you will be able to easier obtain your goals.

Mistake #5: Dismissing interaction with subscribers. Don’t plan to keep your readers if you don’t communicate with them. Sure you can send out a great email marketing campaign, but if a recipient responds and hears nothing back from you, the email is considered worthless. Be sure to respond to questions or comments in a timely fashion. You can also reach out by following-up with your customers with a second email or even a phone call. When you establish a personalized dialog with your readers, you will make them feel more appreciated and less like they are a part of a mass-email chain. Remember to take their feedback into account so that you can figure out how to improve your emails/business to better meet the needs of your subscribers…then act on it.

Mistake #6: Relying only on email marketing. If email marketing is the only venue you are using to drive traffic towards your business or website, you aren’t maximizing your opportunities for success. Also include the utilization of social networking, mobile marketing, and other popular marketing methods to continue building relationships with your subscribers. Email marketing is an effective tool for reaching the audience you want to, but when incorporated with a much larger campaign, you will find that you can reap much greater benefits.

Guest post author, Cindy McDonald, contributes to us this guest post about email marketing. Cindy also spends her free time writing for Christian Singles Dating Sites where she enjoys educating Christian singles about safe internet dating and relationships.