Frustrated and tired with online dating because you’re not getting the hits you deserve? Don’t throw in the towel yet! A few simple tweaks to your personal profile may be all you need to up your game online. We sat down with eFlirt expert, Laurie Davis, to find out how you can build a better portfolio on your own or with the help of professionals!

Q: How did you become the eFlirt Expert?

I wrote my first online dating profile ten years ago when dating on the Web was taboo.  I learned what works and what doesn’t work, followed how online dating practices evolved and became an online dating evangelist.  My friends soon started putting their single selves up on the Web, but they were wary and confused.  They came to me seeking advice and I straightened out their digital dating lives and helped them transition to in-person dates.  Soon, they were getting better responses, going on great dates and moving in with their significant others.  In addition to personal experience, I also worked in marketing for many years.  Since online dating is marketing your single self, my work with Fortune 100 companies translates to singles as well. Now, I fuse my personal experience dating online with my professional background in marketing to help singles communicate in a wireless world.

Q: What type of services do you offer to online daters and why do you think they are becoming increasingly necessary?

Our services include everything from an eMakeover (a facelift of sorts for your online dating profile) to ghost-written emails for your matches to wing woman services and much more.  In today’s society, our lives are increasingly digital and online suave has become important for singles.  More people are joining online dating sites and downloading mobile apps, which means that when someone searches for you, many others also appear.  If you blend into the background, you might not catch the eye of your perfect match!  We help you stand out online while remaining completely authentic to yourself.

Q: Your new VIP service feels a lot like a matchmaking service. Is this something from which women can benefit?

eFlirt Expert VIP is for independent and executive singles.  Most of my clients that use this service are busy and don’t have enough hours in their day to comb through matches and email dates. We lift some of the time burden and manage their online dating accounts as well as bring our strategic eye to enhance their online presence.  While they do advise us on their preferred matches, we also give “bonus matches” which n a sense, is like online matchmaking.

Q: According to you, “a profile is a personal marketing campaign.” What are some strategies for getting the most eyeballs?

The first and last lines are most important because they are your initial and final impressions.  The first line should be something different and interesting so your match wants to continue reading, and your last should be a strong, yet subtle call to action.

Length is critical, too.  If it’s too long, your match won’t read the whole thing and “convert” by clicking that “email you” button.  If it’s not long enough, they’ll move on because they didn’t learn enough about you.  The rule of thumb is that you should be able to read the entire profile in about two minutes.

Q: A lot of singles are taking their search to social media sites like Twitter and Facebook®. What are some important things to consider before doing so?

•    Who are you trying to reach?  Dating via social media sites needs to be approached differently if you’re trying to date current friends or followers rather than say, meeting people who aren’t current connections or being introduced to friends of friends.
•    Make sure that your privacy stays intact.  If you are friending people you aren’t familiar with on Facebook, you should update the privacy controls for that group so they can’t see your offline contact information, college you attended, etc.
•    If you link your social media accounts to a location-based mobile app like Foursquare, think before you announce your check-ins.  Are you with family, an ex or a date?  If you’re not comfortable being approached by a potential match, announce it only to your friends on the apps rather than through your social media outlets.

Q: Can you give us an example of a success story who found love because of you?

Sure! I worked with blogger Single City Guy (www.singlecityguy.com) for several months on his online and offline dating life.  I wrote his profile, took his photos, raided his closet and went personal shopping, ghostwrote emails to his matches and taught him the art of crafting messages to his matches.  Armed with these tools, he met his lovely girlfriend online.

Q: Do you have one profile writing tip that can help our readers stand out from the rest of the online daters?

Be specific.  If you like to go skiing – where?  If you love Italian food – what dish is your favorite?  The more specific you are, the clearer the virtual portrait  of your personality you’re painting.  It helps people remember and understand you as more than just another profile in the huge digital pile.

Q: What is the number one eFlirting technique that is not being leveraged?

Location based mobile dating apps.  They’re the hidden jewel of online dating at the moment!  You can integrate online dating into your regular life by going from online to offline seamlessly.

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