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How to Make the Most of your Star Membership

Thursday, September 24th, 2009

Purchasing a Star Membership makes it easier to connect with people (hot single ladies, sexy unattached guys) on HOT or NOT, but it doesn’t guarantee that you’ll instantly amass Double-Matches and find your dream date. A Star Membership is like a toolbox: it offers you useful gadgets that will help you accomplish your goal (meeting a hottie), but it can’t do all the work for you. You need to exert a little effort and creative elbow grease in order to make the most of the perks included in your subscription. You’ve already purchased it, so you might as well use it!

Just Say “Yes”: You’ll increase your chances of getting more Double-Matches if you click “Yes” to lots of profiles in the Meet People section. Obviously, not everyone can be your soul mate, but you can still use HOT or NOT to make new friendships and connections. And remember, just because you said “Yes” to someone, it doesn’t necessarily mean that s/he will accept your request; so, clicking “Yes” to lots of people increases your odds, since you may only have success with a couple of them.

HoN Tip: Our new search feature makes it easier for people to meet local singles and find love. Just enter your city or zip code in the location field and select a distance (50 miles, 500 miles, etc.) from the drop-down menu. You can also mix things up and browse profiles from all around the world by entering “Everywhere” instead of a location. This way, you might see a profile from Sydney, one from Johannesburg, and one from San Francisco, all in the same search results.

Send messages to your Half-Matches: So, you’ve clicked “Yes” to a stellar hottie and your profile will now end up in his/her Half-Matches page (where it will anxiously await reciprocity). Why not stand out and send the person a Half-Match message? These are short (250 characters, max) messages that give you an opportunity to let a girl know that she’s caught your attention. But don’t cop out and send the same message to everyone: send personalized messages that let the recipient know who you are and why you are interested in his/her profile. Sure, you’ve got the looks, but people want to get a sense of someone’s personality as well, and this is your chance to let your individuality shine. Make note of her style, or his stunning eyes, or the keywords you both have in common – let that user know that you’ve noticed something unique about him/her and avoid simply pointing out the fact that she’s super-hot, or he’s got tight abs. Be genuine, not generic.

Send a virtual gift: All Star Memberships include a Star Gift Pack, rammed with a variety of e-flowers that you can send to your sweetie. The web version of a tulip might not smell as sweet as the real thing, but it’s still a nice gesture that lets someone know you think s/he’s pretty special.

Stay in touch with your Double-Matches: Once someone has accepted your meet request, you’ll become Double-Matches. Yay! From here, you can start getting to know each other by sending longer messages through our messaging feature. Unlimited messaging is included in all Star Memberships, but, again, be sure to make each message unique and point out some specifics that you liked about his or her profile or pictures. Remember that if you’re a Basic (FREE) member, you can still email your Double-Matches, as long as the other person is a Star Member.

HoN Tip: Don’t include your personal email address in the first message. This is typical spam behavior (you don’t want someone to think you’re a fake!) and people usually like to get to know their Double-Matches on our site before corresponding through their personal email accounts.

Good luck!

7 Date Ideas That Won’t Break the Bank

Friday, September 18th, 2009

Yes, it’s true – women love to be wined and dined , but these are tough times we live in and just because you have an active dating life doesn’t mean you should be emptying your bank account to keep up with it. So, don’t knock freebie dates. Here are a few ideas for dates sure to impress that girl (or guy!) at absolutely zero cost and make recession dating a breeze.

• Picnic. It’s classic, simple, and can work in a variety of settings, from a park, to the beach, to a rooftop. If you can get creative with the food that’s already in your fridge and pick your lady some wild flowers instead of splurging on a bouquet from the store, you’ll have a romantic date and your wallet will be untouched.
• Check local listings for things like free movie screenings or festivals and events that may be taking place in the city. There’s nothing like walking the streets in good weather and people-watching to talk and enjoy each others’ company.

• Weather-permitting, head to the beach or pool for a swim. Ok, let’s not beat around the bush. The real motive for this one is that you’ll get to see your date in her bikini. Enough said. Bring along a kite, if you’re feeling extra whimsical.
• Many museums have designated times when admission is free. Check the websites of your local museums to see if there are admission-free days and surprise your date with a visit to the new Postmodernism exhibit (plus, you’ll totally score points by showing off how cultured you are).
• Cook dinner together. Aside from being a great activity for getting to know each other, if you can cook dinner with staples that are already sure to be in your kitchen (pasta and vegetables that will inevitably go bad in a few days if you don’t use them). You get to whip up a free meal, impress your date with your improvisational cooking skills, and rescue those veggies from a fate of rotting away at the bottom of your fridge.
• Go for a hike – nothing too hardcore that requires anything more than a good pair of sneakers (maybe we should call it a “stroll in the woods” instead). Enjoy nature, and get some fresh air and exercise.
• If it’s already dark out and you’re looking for something to do, grab a blanket and head to the nearest field for some stargazing. Apart from being completely romantic, it’s also completely free, and some intimate conversations are bound to arise.
• Have a quiet night in. There’s no shortage of activities you can do at home for absolutely zero dollars. Watch a DVD, play video games, play board games, or channel your inner kid and build a fort out of pillows (great for making out in). Just because you’re chilling out doesn’t mean you can’t make a great, free date of it.

Can you add any other favorite freebie date ideas?

Welcome to the OFFICIAL HOT or NOT blog!

Wednesday, January 7th, 2009

Happy 2009, and Welcome to the OFFICIAL HOT or NOT blog!

Over the years, many of HOT or NOT’s loyal users and fans have asked for a place to check in on what’s happening and gain insight on what’s to come for the HOT or NOT community.  They’ve also requested a place to give us feedback on new (and old) features and to suggest new ideas, services and features that they’d love to see become part of the HOT or NOT experience.

So, to kick off 2009, we’ve launched this blog – the first forum sponsored by and focused exclusively on HOT or NOT.

Posts will be written by members of the HOT or NOT team, and updated regularly.  As we continue to invest in HOT or NOT, by rebuilding and extending HOT or NOT’s systems and products to better serve you, our customers, we hope you find this to be a valuable place to share your feedback with us regularly – the good, the bad and the ugly.

So stay tuned, its going to be a very exciting 09!

- The HOT or NOT Team