Social Media Spotlight: Local tweeter finds love online, helps others do the same

Sam met his fiance online, and is now using his blog and Twitter account to share dating tips to help other Edmontonians find love too!

Local tweeter Sam met his fiance online, and is now using his blog and Twitter account to share dating tips to help other Edmontonians find love too!

Local tweeter finds love online, helps others do the same

By Linda Hoang

A year and a half ago, 27-year-old Sam met the love of his life through an online dating website.

Now Sam and his fiance are planning their wedding for early next year.

That similar story is playing out with couples all over the world and right here at home.

“I know a ton of people in my life who have tried online dating or are doing online dating,” Sam says.

“I think it’s becoming more socially acceptable. I think more and more people are going to keep doing it.”

Now Sam’s experience with online dating, along with his love of writing, has led to an interesting hobby of helping others find love.

“I meet with guys who are really good guys, but when it comes to online dating they can’t really express themselves,” Sam says.

That’s where he comes in.

Sam helps Edmontonians looking for love online with date ideas, relationship advice, and tips on how to write successful online dating profiles, through his blog Promotion Dating and his Twitter account @edmontondating.

“When you’re online dating, you really want to have a profile that does the work for you. If you’re constantly emailing women, you’re doing all the work,” he says.

“If you have a really well-written profile, women are going to look at that and contact you because you’ll stand out from a lot of the other guys.”

Online, Sam goes by first name only. He likes to keep a level of anonymity with the gig, and those he coaches – “It’s like that movie Hitch,” he says, referring to the dating consultant character from the 2005 movie starring Will Smith.

Sam started tweeting dating advice back in May, and launched the blog a month after that.

“And guys started getting in touch with me to get help,” he says.

“It’s really taken a life of its own, way more than I anticipated when I first started it.”

According to Match.com, one in five relationships now start online.

According to Match.com, one in five relationships now start online.

According to match.com, one in five relationships now start online and one in six new marriages are between those who met on an online dating website. Plenty of Fish says they receive 50,000 new user registrations each day with 24 million daily messages sent between users.

Sam says while these services are readily available, with more and more people turning to online dating, what’s lacking are resources to actually help men be successful on these platforms.

“It’s like okay, we’ll let you meet this person but no one is there to say, ‘okay this is how you are successful and this is how you’ll stand out from the other guys out there.'”

So the online dating expert has these tips for Edmonton men looking for love online:

  • Read other guys’ profiles. “Pretend you’re a woman. It’s like a business, know what the competition is doing.”
  • Send messages that stand out – ask a question related to something specific listed on the profile. “Don’t just say, ‘hey how’s it going?’ which a lot of guys do.”
  • Listen to what the ladies are saying. “So many times on Twitter I’ll get guys messaging me and saying ‘I met this girl I want to take her to a great dating spot’ and the first thing I say is ‘well what did you learn about her?’ Every girl is different. One date for one girl may not be enjoyable for another based on what her interests are.”

Want something more tailored?

Sam says in the last five months he’s helped five men through coaching, profile critiques and profile makeovers.

For those more in-depth, tailored services, Sam does charge a fee. But he also fields questions and offers quick, free advice through Twitter and e-mail. You can also find interesting relationship perspective and weekly date ideas on his blog.

www.promotiondating.wordpress.com offers date ideas and relationship advice. It's one of a growing number of online options to help singles in the city find true love.

www.promotiondating.wordpress.com offers date ideas and relationship advice. It’s one of a growing number of online options to help singles in the city find true love.

Sam plans on expanding his services too.

He’s met and is working with Capital City Singles (@SinglesCity), an organization that hosts date nights and mixers for local singles, and Wundermeet (@Wundermeet), a new local matchmaking service, to see how they can collaborate to help more Edmontonians find love.

“We’re looking at expanding in the next little while and having dating seminars or workshops, that sort of stuff that you can do in a large group setting,” Sam says.

He’s also considering offering services to local women as well.

“I don’t know where it will be in a year, but it’s been a fun ride so far.”

Check out Sam’s blog Promotion Dating and follow him on Twitter @edmontondating.


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