(Note to regular readers: this article is “sticky-on-top” until the end of the FCW. If you’re on the blog’s front page, please find the latest article below this one.)
For Non-subscribers
Upload your best photos. You will get more replies and less closures.
Never post your contact information (email or web addresses) on your profile. Or say you’re just here for the weekend. Trust me, it attracts no quality replies. Plus, it may trigger the system’s scanners which automatically takes you out of the matching pool.
Review all your matches and initiate communication with EVERYONE, unless his profile screams that you two aren’t compatible.
Nudge those whom you communicated before and would be interested in resuming communication, if any.
Be prepared to visit eHarmony several times a day until the end of the Free Weekend. You will get an email when someone replies. Some stages of the so-called Guided Commmunication requires lengthy answers, be prepared to put time into answering them.
Know the end of the Free Weekend. Will it end Sunday or Monday? 11:59pm PST is what time where you are?
Give them the easiest questions among the list. You can sort things out later. You may not want your match getting stuck answering a tough question that you sent.
Immediately after you sense that he is interested, in one message (a) write that you’re only in eHarmony for the free weekend, (b) give your email address (or phone number), and (c) write that you look forward to hearing from him.
Running out of time? Give out your email address and say you look forward to hearing from him. Then cross your fingers.
And the MOST IMPORTANT tip. If you’re given an email address, write! If you’re given a phone number, CALL! (You did come here to meet people, right?)
For Subscribers
Follow everything in the previous section. Yes, all these tips apply also to you.
Turn matching on as soon as possible.
Many profiles you receive won’t have photos and complete answers. You have to understand that typically these members have just finished the questionnaire.
You will receive double-digit new matches during the FCW.This article explains why.
Focus on those who start responding or initiate during the weekend. They will be the most responsive, because they know their free time ends soon. Next, focus on the new matches you received during the event; see the previous item why.
DO NOT FASTTRACK ANYONE. Non-subscribers cannot accept or reject FastTrack even during free weekends. You do not want the communication stuck.
DO NOT PHOTO NUDGE ANYONE. Non-subscribers cannot see photos, so they will be unmotivated and confused if you ask them for photos.
Nudge those whom you communicated before and would be interested in resuming communication, if any. Many members use FCW for spring-cleaning. If matches don’t reply during free weekends, they say, then they won’t reply ever. Good point, but what if they were busy this weekend?
Give them the easiest questions among the list. Remember that many people begin their foray to online dating with eHarmony and YOU will be among the first to welcome them.
Aim to bring your match to full Open Communication before the weekend ends. By full OC, I mean that both have sent at least one OC message. After this stage, you see, you can send him as many messages as you want and he will still be able to read them.
Got more tips and tricks? Got stories about the free weekend? Post a comment.
... and it doesn't even have to be a valid email address, because unlike forums and most sites, eHarmony never goes through a "validate your email" step during registration.
(I wonder how many people were surprised and annoyed because they suddenly received piles and piles of eHarmony emails.) …
What this poll is really, actually asking is how far away one's matches typically are.
Other than living or commuting conditions -- for example, a single dad who has to stay home, or a couple who take transit -- I see no reason why two adults living less than an hour away will spend an hour chit- …
“The Advertising Standards Authority [of the United Kingdom] ruled eHarmony’s ad was misleading because it had made an “absolute claim” that suggested a “definitive figure” of marriages based on an extrapolated 2007 online survey. It said the ad also failed to make clear that in 20% of cases it was unable to find a match for people who registered.”
The “20%” is in their boilerplate rejection message, which has remained unchanged (unimproved?) since eHarmony started in 2000.
It is unknown whether the word “estimated” will be added to the site’s text and advertising materials whether in the United Kingdom, the United States or eHarmony’s other markets.
The word "Estimated" may get them out of the first ruling, but I don't how they can phrase their way out of the second one. The US site and ads altogether imply that everyone gets matches. I'm interested in finding out how they will do it. …
As a subscriber, I turn off matching and I almost never visit the site during free communication weekends. I know why they exist and I’m resigned that they exist, but my matches only get to hear from me AFTER the event.
Why?
Because non-subscribers don’t see photos during an FCW.
Because there are much better ways to spend a Tuesday afternoon than emailing photos to somebody whom I’ll never hear from again.
If I do get a “Match Communication Received” email during the weekend, sure, I will reply and move him along communication until Sunday.
Tiffany,
1) I would suspect that those are "dead" profiles. Either non subscribers or not interested anymore.
2) No, as a non subscriber you can not see photos along with the profile, only the profile text.
3) No, you're being matched with non-subscribers as well. I let mine expire for a fe …
The Annual Thanksgiving Free Communication Weekend is upon us. The last one was October 21-27, one week merely 4 weeks ago. Compatible Partners (their fourth) and eHarmony Canada (their 13th) are also part of this event.
UPDATE: eHarmony UK and eHarmony Australia are also included. It’s gonna be a big party.
Paid members, get ready to nudge your matches on Thursday and move them along communication until Sunday. Free members, get ready to sneak in your email address and meet the love of your life free-of-charge.
Based on past schedules, this is very likely the last free weekend of the year. The next one will be New Year weekend.
Tip: FCW participants cannot initiate, accept or reject FastTrack, so don’t initiate FastTrack with them this weekend or communication would be stuck.
We will be seeing more and more eHarmony pushing itself in Twitter and Facebook, albeit only temporarily. Whether this is a good thing or not, it is better than pushing to recruit more affiliate marketers, many of whom lie through their teeth to write favorable reviews anyway.
eHarmony is looking for a Temporary, full-time Social Media Specialist to develop and execute the Publishing Dept.’s Social Media Strategy for eHarmony’s web properties.
Responsibilities:
Own and execute the Social Media Contact Calendar
Manage, Monitor and Engage in Social Media/Internet Communities
Own Social Media, interact with outside Online Communities, Blogs, Message Boards, Email Discussion Groups and Live Chats to generate exposure, publicity and traffic.
Be passionately in tune with latest social media developments, online behavior and trends. Identify opportunities and develop plans/proposals for implementing scalable social media programs to generate maximum social media optimization.
Devise and implement appropriate campaigns for social media activities
Define and track performance of campaign testing and live campaigns.
Provide regular reports to internal stakeholders on campaigns and social media matrices.
Use knowledge gained through analysis to provide insight on forecasting, budgeting and social media marketing direction
eHarmony Blog is on your side. If you have a complaint with eHarmony and you have trouble getting through customer service, let us know. Don’t forget to give your eHarmony account email address and don’t forget to give us permission to chase eHarmony on your behalf.
Here is last month’s supply of consumer complaints against eHarmony posted on the leading gripe website ConsumerAffairs.com, plus our comments. Some of this month’s complaints are valid and justified, thus highlighted, while the rest are “buyer beware — read the fine print” or may be resolved with a call to customer service.
No, we are not eHarmony, we just like to help out or comment. If you have an opinion as well, post them at the end of the article. Continue Reading »
Dale, just for info, some people are finding better success and more dates with the "send me matches" format. They say it levels the field. No man or woman receives hundreds of emails a day which they then ignore. Because each of your matches only received a few matches today besides you, she will …
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... and it doesn't even have to be a valid email address, because unlike forums and most sites, eHarmony never goes through a "validate your email" step during registration. (I wonder how many people were surprised and annoyed because they suddenly received piles and piles of eHarmony emails.) …
Respond to Pyke »