Blog

LoveStruck events were one of the best social single evenings in London, three years on…. Ohh dear, what’s happened?

I messaged my wingman and suggested we went back to LoveStruck @ Patch Bar to re-live some of the amazing nights that I’d had there.

When we arrived, it was quite quiet, around 6pm so not unusual so got some drinks in and grabbed a table.  My wing man was on form and approached the nearest table of ladies for a chat.  We noticed that one of them had grabbed a red straw (the “im single” sign).  I commented on it and she looked at me confused….

Uh Oh.  I take my wing man to the side.  I wonder how many people in here are actually here for the event?

I spot a single guy looking a bit sheepish and go and ask him if he’s here for the event. He was, but added that he’d discovered all the people around the sides of the room on tables were corporate bookings. Ok, so hang on… how many people does that leave in the room that are actually here for the event? By this time it was about 8pm when the party would usually be in full swing.

We counted about 10 at most people who we could definitely say had actually turned up for the LoveStruck event rather than just wandered in.

It’s a big shame LoveStruck, not sure what’s happened to your awesome events. From a customer point of view you are best cancelling them if the venue is full of unwitting members of the public who don’t know they are sitting in the middle of an advertised singles night…

Great dating profile – how original is yours?

Hot off the Press, a new study published in the academic journal, PLoS-ONE, encourages users not to be shy when it comes to crafting your online dating profile text.

The study recommends embracing originality, openness and fearless disclosure, saying they are all really well received and massively help set one’s profile apart.

Originality is king for a great dating profile

The study highlighted that people responded particularly well to the use of originality. Higher originality in your dating profile is associated with the following:

• Increased belief in physical attraction
• Greater intelligence
• Higher romantic intention (i.e. ‘How likely would you be to date this person?’)
• Higher humour perception
• Lower perceptions of oddness/peculiarity

Brilliant news!! I think we’d all want to be perceived in this way on dating apps. Plus, they found nothing negative associated with adopting originality in your dating profile, just lots of great positive responses.

All the authors of this study concluded that all dating profiles can benefit from an originality check.

Generic, cliché-ridden dating profiles are dead

Tinder, eharmony, Bumble, Match and dating coaches, like James Preece, have been saying for years that to create great dating profiles, people should avoid using generic and cliché-ridden expressions in their text. And, now there is great evidence to support this.

A lot of people on dating apps present very similar information in which self-descriptions and common interests are highlighted (e.g. love to travel, like to drink red wine by fireplaces, go for romantic strolls on empty beaches).  Do any of those sound familiar? If yes, eek, time to review your profile and give it an ‘originality overhaul’.

The new rules for creating a great dating profile

It doesn’t have to be complicated. Look at your dating profile through the lens of originality.

To be more original, you could write texts that are novel and differ in some way from the usual. Not just the personal information you’re sharing, but also in the phrasing, word and stylistic choices you decide to use.

I am a rock-star at cooking curries” vs. “I am a good cook”

The researchers attempted to understand what, precisely, makes for compelling profile text. They found that highly original text tended to contain one or more of the following elements:

• Vivid descriptions and imagery (e.g. “By day I wear a suit and take calculated risks, by night, you’ll find me on the cross-trainer in the gym, preferably near the windows where I can pretend I’m in nature not New York City”)
• Metaphorical expressions (e.g. “I am a rock-star at cooking curries” vs. “I am a good cook”)
• Intimate self-disclosure statements (e.g. “In my life, I value connecting with friends and family very highly” vs. “I like seeing friends”)
• Writing from another person’s perspective
• Concrete information about what someone is looking for (e.g. “I’m looking for a creative, smart woman who values healthy living, family and enjoying life”)

Don’t forget, that adopting originality helps create the best dating profile pictures too! The more your dating profile pictures showcase the things that make you stand out from others, the better they will be.

Want to create your own unique dating profile pictures? Head to our booking page.

Words by Saskia Nelson.

Cool photos taken by Hey Saturday online dating photographers.

 

2020 was definitely a strange year for dating. It became almost impossible to meet someone in the traditional sense, and virtual dating became the most popular option. People spoke to each other for months without ever actually meeting, instead opting for Zoom dates and FaceTime sessions. But will 2021 be any different?

The answer is kind of yes… and kind of no. Lockdown rules will still apply across the globe, but singles are changing the way they approach dating.

Here are five dating tends you can expect to see in 2021.

‘Hard-Balling’

It seems that people are taking dating a little more seriously in 2021. A survey found that over 45% of singles are looking for something serious after the lonely lockdown of 2020. So if you’re ‘hard-balling’ in 2021, you know what you want, and you won’t waste time with anyone that doesn’t want the same thing as you.

‘New Dawn Daters’

The global pandemic put a lot of stress on existing relationships, so when lockdown ends you can expect to see a lot of new singles using online dating. These newbies are called ‘new dawn daters’, and many of them haven’t used a dating app for years.

‘Loc-Dating’

Previously when we moved around (to different cities or countries), we entered new dating pools – but that isn’t as easy at the moment. Cue the rise of ‘loc-dating’, where people are more likely to start dating someone who lives down the road from them.

However loc-dating is likely to get far less popular once the world fully reopens; in fact, research has found that a significant number of people plan on travelling and vacationing as soon as they can. So if international dating is more your thing, you may want to think about booking a trip when restrictions are lifted!

‘Slow Dating’

‘Slow dating’ is also on the rise. Lockdown significantly slowed down the dating scene, making it nearly impossible for people to have a one night stand; instead, people had to focus on slowly getting to know each other. This has had a lasting effect on the dating community; research has seen a rise in people taking longer to get to know each other. This is great news for anyone who prefers traditional dating!

Do any of these phrases relate to you? If so, leave a comment to let us know which one!