Dating sites report that their fastest growing segment is people over fifty. My clients, women ranging from thirty-five to sixty-five, are having great success with it. Face it: online dating is the new hot spot for people who wouldn’t dream of meeting someone in a bar.
You know I’m a huge proponent of online dating. I met my husband on Match.com when I was forty-seven and he was fifty-seven. That man is the best part of my life. I love the idea of finding companionship and I love using online dating.
I want you all online. But before you put yourself out there, here are tips from a gal who was online for years herself, and now helps other women get out there, have some fun, and find love.
1. Be the Boss
No, I don’t mean be bossy. I mean be in control of your experience. Online dating opens you up to thousands more possibilities, and it’s a completely new way of meeting people. Make some decisions and set some personal guidelines about how you want to integrate it into your life. How many hours will you spend each day? (Warning: this can get addictive!) What things can you do to ensure your physical and emotional well-being as you talk to and meet people? What can you learn or change to be a successful dater? Intuition and special situations will create forks in the road. And as time goes on, you’ll likely tweak some of these decisions. Considering some things up front, however, gives you a tentative roadmap and, more importantly, an expanded awareness. I want you to have fun, be open to new things, and enjoy the experience; just do it consciously and like the grownup woman that you are.
2. Stand Out
Plain and simple: you have competition, girlfriend. As we age, the ratio of women to men grows farther apart. Some statistics say it’s as much as eleven women to each man after fifty-five. Yikes! So when you get online, I want you to stand up and stand out. Make sure your pictures are great. Get them done professionally. (Come on … $150 is too much to spend to attract a fabulous man??) Your profile needs to be unique and speak to men. (Tip: If your best girlfriend loves it; it probably sucks.) Every communication needs to scream how special you are, show your personality, and tell him you’re interested. (“Hi” on the subject line means you wait in line or get deleted.)
