7 Surefire Ways to Find a Date by Valentine’s Day

Along with New Year’s resolutions of joining a gym and losing the holiday weight, many singles are flocking to online dating sites during the month of January.

Whether you’re newly single or it’s time to make love a priority in 2015, there’s never been a better time to join the digital dating party.

According to Match.com, they see a 38 percent rise in new memberships from the period of Dec. 26 through Valentine’s Day.

If you’re wondering how long it will take you to find a significant other this year, PlentyOfFish says it will take women who sign up in January eight weeks to find a significant other, and it will take men 10 weeks.

To ramp up your search and fill your date card starting immediately, follow these seven steps to help you get lucky in love this year.

Rather than updating your existing dating profile, here’s a little secret to help you stand out.

Create a new email address that you haven’t previously used on the site and start out fresh. Make sure to delete and disable your previous profile so it doesn’t auto-renew.

The reason for this is most people like to know who the newest members are to pursue online. Most sites will have a button next to your profile to say you are new or you will appear in a search as new.

It’s like a real estate listing. Buyers like viewing new properties. Daters like viewing who is newly single. Simple as that.

I’m a big believer that a picture tells a thousand words.

If you have the budget to hire a photographer, have him or her take photos of you in your natural environment. It’s an expense that might help you find your dream date.

If you’re on a site that allows you to have a screen name or user name other than your first name, come up with something unique that describes your personality. Using your name and zip code isn’t very original or catchy.

Some great names include anything athletic, such as LovestoSki or YogaLover, to anything artistic, such as MusicLover or Drummer4U.

They say the squeaky wheel gets the deal in business, but what about online? Too many women are afraid to contact a man because they think they will appear needy or desperate.

I say toss out those old rules. Men are flattered when they receive an email from a woman, so don’t wait. Initiate!

Writing an online dating profile

can be as bland as writing your resume while you’re job hunting. The difference is you need to create an opportunity to open a dialog with your potential date.

Describe things that you’d like to do together with someone as a couple and ask a question such as, “I enjoy hiking in the Santa Monica Canyon. Have you ever been?”

Whether you’re looking for a ring on your finger or just a date for Friday night, the more active you are online, the more likely your profile will be raised to the top.

Many sites give you tools to search for dates, opportunities to “like” photos and send you emails with potential matches. The more you use these tools, the greater chance you have to fill up your date card.

You have a split second to make an impression, and if your emails and profiles are filled with typos and grammatical errors, you’ll come across as stupid.

Sure you might have a master’s degree, but your potential date won’t know it. Make sure to use spell check before pushing the send button.

So whether you’re swiping right on Tinder or your mobile app or logging on to see your daily matches and who has viewed your profile, one thing is for sure:

If you’re single and want to connect, you must have a digital dating strategy to help you stand out in the crowded and abundant playground of singles looking for love online.