Around this time of year, I always get a lot of questions pertaining to the cyclical nature of my job.  “Is this your busy time of year?”  “You must get a lot of business before Valentine’s Day.”  “Do people’s New Year’s resolutions affect how many new clients come your way?”  In short, the answer is yes.  In fact, Match.com even calls this time of year “Online Dating Season.”  I wonder what our forefathers would have thought about that.

What exactly is this “online dating season” that they speak of?  To put it simply, it’s the period between Christmas and Valentine’s Day, when there is a spike in both new members and member activity on the various online dating sites.  The dating company Zoosk reported that there would be a 20% increase in users in the first two weeks of 2016, and Match.com predicted a whopping 60% increase during the whole peak season.

Also, don’t fret if you want to peruse some matches on Valentine’s Day itself.  Let your coupled off friends have their day to frolic, drink champagne, and buy overly expensive chocolate.  This day is for you.  As reported by TIME, several major dating sites show an increase in users and user interactions on the big day itself when comparing week-over-week-results.  And considering Valentine’s Day is on a Sunday this year—and on a holiday weekend no less, with Presidents’ Day on the 15^th—we can predict that the increase will likely be exacerbated.  Many people log on over the weekend when work can’t get in the way, and we know that the busiest day of the whole year, Sunday, January 3, just passed not too long ago.  I’m not a betting woman (though I do enjoy a few hands of poker now and then), but I would guess that this Sunday, February 14, will prove to be the second biggest Sunday for online dating this year.  Only time will tell…

My advice, whether in the peak season or not, is to plan out how you want to portray yourself before you sign up for a dating site.  Scope out which questions each site asks, such as “favorite hot spots” on Match.com or “six things I can’t do without” on OkCupid, and have answers prepared and ready.  Online dating can seem overwhelming if you’re trying to come up with clever, witty answers on the spot.  Just as you’d likely write a practice essay before going in to take the GMAT (well, I did anyway), you want to prepare yourself for this important step, too.

Keep in mind that the best time of year to do online dating is still when you’re emotionally ready.  Don’t let the pressure of the season force you into prematurely perusing the sites.  Assuming you are ready, though, then now is the time to click, swipe, message, and date!

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Ah, Valentine’s Day.  Some people love the chocolates and flowers.  Some people hate the saccharine Hallmark cards that permeate the aisles.  And, of course, some people choose to treat February 14^th as just any other day of the year.  Regardless of where you fall on the spectrum, many people do place a lot of weight on the holiday, and that is evidenced by the number of people who log into the online dating sites in advance of, and after, 2/14.

In February of last year, the dating site Zoosk ran some numbers on their subscribers to see if any trends could be assessed.  The site found that there were 16 percent more messages sent in the two weeks following Valentine’s Day compared to the two weeks before.  Why might this be?  I have two theories:

1. The time leading up to Valentine’s Day is full of pressure, so perhaps people prefer to wait until after the holiday when the pressure is off and there’s no perceived deadline to find a date or a relationship.
2. Just like the Turkey Drop, perhaps many a relationship has ended, and the next thing people look to do is go online for a new belle or beau.

According to Zoosk, Valentine’s Day itself had the least number of profile views of any day in February for both men and women—25 percent below average.  This one makes sense.  Not too many people want to admit to looking at an online dating site on what is supposed to be the most romantic day of the year.  Valentine’s Day also had the least number of registrations of any day in February for both men and women, down 16 percent from the average.

Interestingly enough, Match.com said that its site is targeted to have more than two million users logging on over 36 million times in the first week of January, and the busiest period kicks off on Christmas Day each year and typically lasts until February 14.  During that time, the site boasts a 30% increase in new member sign-ups.

This is interesting.  Either Zoosk and Match see opposite trends for the two weeks leading up to the 14^th, or the busiest season is skewed a bit to the right, peaking in late December and January and dipping a bit in February while still keeping the numbers above average.  Two years ago, though, Match.com did come out and say, “Match.com sees a 20 percent uptick in new members the week after Valentine’s Day (when compared to the subsequent weeks).”

What do I say about all of this?  If you’re single and looking, the time is now to get online.  Whether this week or next week is statistically the best or the worst is irrelevant.  What’s most important is whether you feel ready, and if you do, then go for it!  And if you need some tips to help you along the way, feel free to read some of my older posts.

Happy V-Day!

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Do you like to travel?  Me, too.  Apparently so does everyone else on Match.com.  How do I know this?  Match.com just came out with its 2014 Year in Review report, and below are the top five highlights:

1. The most common word people used in profiles in 2014 was “travel.”  It showed up in more than one million profiles—1,005,346, to be exact. That’s a lot of planes, trains, and automobiles.  I’m surprised “marathon” or “training” wasn’t another one.  When I search the various online dating sites for my clients, I feel like I’m the only one who isn’t training for some sort of uber-fitness competition!
2. The most common phrase people used was “down to earth.”  Almost a quarter of a million people describe themselves that way. Yep, 232,348 people consider themselves to be down to earth.  This is why we shouldn’t use “empty adjectives.”  They can’t be proven until you get to know someone.  And even then, it’s pretty subjective.
3. Words that made big jumps in popularity this year were Zumba, electrician, welcoming, warmhearted, crochet, quickest, cosmetology, ladies, and sewing… with Zumba being #1. Now, what percentage of the people who list going to Zumba actually go to Zumba?  The world may never know.
4. “Frozen”was listed as 5,501 people’s favorite movie this year, which is well above any other movie.  How many times can one person actually listen to “Let it Go” on repeat?  Actually, I don’t think I want to know!
5. One person used a whopping… wait for it… 44 hashtags in his Match.com profile! #toomuchtimeonyourhands

In writing a fictitious profile that encompasses all five highlights, let’s see what we have here:

I’m a down to earth gal (because my dad was an electrician) who loves to go to Zumba class, travel, and crochet.  I like to sew, too, but I’m not old enough to do that too often!  #notagrandmayet  I’m also pretty warmhearted, especially since I LOVE watching Frozen.  That Elsa is such a strong woman, just like me.

What’s the moral here?  Dare to be different!  The profile above kind of looks like one of the most annoying people in existence.  People don’t want to date one of the masses.  They want to date you, even (especially?) if you don’t watch Frozen or go to Zumba.

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