The 3G Dating Agency’s Blog

Why should I try Mobile Dating?

Mobile Dating is a good place to look for new friends because in 2010 nearly anyone you’re going to want to meet already has a mobile phone, but not all of them might be the PC Internet types. This is a good thing because it means that Mobile Dating can draw on a much more diverse population of potential members.

Mobile Dating within a secure moderated community such as The 3G Dating Agency can also help you retain your privacy and stay safe, and this is particularly appealing to people with professional lives (such as Nurses, Doctors, Lab workers, Teachers, Politicians, Celebrities, Police officers, etc etc) that could be effected by open posts on the internet or by just revealing their contact details (eg. @pfizer.com, @nhs.uk or @police.org email address).

How should I choose a Mobile Dating Website?

> Before Mobile Dating came along there was the choice of FREE Dating sites such as PlentyofFish or PlentyMoreFish or expensive subscription sites such as Match.com or Chemistry.

Neither really suits the needs of an individual looking to meet new friends as most of the free dating sites simply made most of their revenues by attracting new members, disappointing them with poor quality matches, annoying them with the various spams and scams, and then once members are convinced of the value of a genuine online meeting forum selling them a subscription to an premium paid for online dating site. On the other hand the paid for services needed to lock in customers to unpopular (and lengthy) credit card subscription contracts in order to pay their affiliates the highest commissions (so that the supply of new members would continue). Mobile Dating breaks up this cosy ecosystem because it removes the ability for international fraudsters and introduces the possibility of small micropayments and “pay as you go” costs.

Now I’m not saying that online dating communities aren’t useful or aren’t going to continue to exist, indeed the statistics show that as many very successful relationships have resulted from online introductions. But just as the “Push Email” on the Blackberry changed our perception of email so much so that most users would never want to go back to having to go onto their PC to check their email, in 2010 it’s time for the online Dating experience to make the move to Mobile.

> Reputation. Whilst the Mobile Dating market is still very new it’s worth checking out what other people say about any particular community by googling it (bad user experiences can usually be uncovered within the first few pages of search results) or checking out news stories it’s generated eg. The 3G Dating Agency’s dedicated News Page. It’s also worth checking out if the site has any links to established businesses eg. The 3G Dating Agency has a partnership with the UK’s leading independent High Street Mobile Phone Retailer Phones 4U.

> Moderation: The best sites are moderated to make it harder for scammers to waste the time of genuine members. As a policy NEVER REVEAL sensitive personal details in your profile or correspondence with other members – there are plenty of examples on the internet of scammers using such information for nefarious purposes (eg. here and here). Online dating sites are seen as easy targets for scammers, identity thieves, frustrated ex boyfriends etc. These low lifes can be avoided by being vigilant with your personal information and using a Video Dating site (like The 3G Dating Agency) to ensure that the other members you are communicating with are real and genuine.

How to maximise your chances of meeting the right type of partner:

> Create a profile… like many things in life what you’ll get back out of Mobile Dating is related to what you put in, so take your time and be sure to sell yourself. It’s not an easy task to try and come up with words on a screen that define who we are and what we are looking for in another person so here are a few tips on how you can set yourself apart and land the ideal person for the ideal new relationship:

# Make a good first impression. Try and think of something that is a concise, descriptive, and attention grabbing description of your personality or occupation. Don’t be afraid to look at the profiles of other member’s to get ideas, then take one and make it your own.

# Be sure to add some pictures of you looking your best by asking someone to take a few pictures of you the next time you’re having fun doing something you like. The key is to look sexy but tasteful to excite the imagination – this works best by choosing clothes that accentuate your best physical attributes but don’t blatantly flaunt them.

# Always be honest about your appearance, age, occupation and earnings.

# If you want a “no-strings relationship” say so, likewise be upfront if you’re looking for serious relationships. Remember, the goal of the ad is to attract the type of people who are looking for the same things as you.

# In the free text part be sure to grab the attention of potential partners who will be browsing through the profiles but always try to “Leave them wanting more” as a few questions can provide great subject matter for a first date. Again, browse through other members profiles to get ideas before creating one that is true for you, based on the ones you liked.

# Be sure to cover what you do for a living and the goals you are trying to achieve career wise. But be careful with this topic as you’re not looking for a job, you’re looking for someone to hang out with and maybe start a relationship with.

# Always be positive! Members of dating communities are looking for upbeat, positive, fun, people to be around.

# Be descriptive about the type of person you’re attracted to and avoid use of boring and cliched statements eg. “Looking for a nice guy”

# End your description with a “Call to Action” for example: “So, if you’re an athletic, 22-31 year old, non-smoking, woman who is as big of a health nut as me, send me a message so we can set up a race to see who pays for dinner tonight” The best way to create a call to action/sign off that is unique to you is to read through some other profiles looking for intriguing closings and jot them down before adapting them so that they’re unique to you.

> If your reason for joining a mobile dating community is to meet up in person with new people, be careful to avoid those just interested in flirty correspondence. Yes there are movies in which protracted “getting to know you” message threads blossom into romance but busy competitive online communities ensure that your chances are very slim if you need to text one another for more than a week before even a having a voice or video chat.

Members who are only interested in lengthy text relationships are very often holding simultaneous “Cut and Paste” conversation threads with 100’s of potential partners (the “scattergun approach”) or individuals in unhappy relationships that are looking to have a bit of flirty fun but who are not serious about taking it further- the best policy is to get on with meeting genuine partners and let these individuals waste the time of someone else. A community like The 3G Dating Agency that involves per message charges rather than unlimited messaging as part of a subscription, also helps you avoid these wastes of time as naturally it becomes very expensive for them to pointlessly lead on so many people…

Mobile Dating is still new to all of us so if you have any tips of your own please feel welcome to share them with us by adding to this in the comments below…