Match.com launches Facebook dating application

The Little Black Book will launch on December 27, enabling users to find potential partners via a pay-per-contact basis.

The application can be downloaded for free and users then create a profile, which includes details such as age and location.

Users can add details about their interests, which are then used to match the love-seekers up with other Little Black Book users and Match.com members.

Potential matches are displayed in a gallery within the application and users can highlight the individuals that they are interested in. The application uses these preferences to display new matches with similar criteria in the future.

To communicate with potential matches, users must purchase a "key" for 69p to gain access to each other. Once unlocked, both users can communicate back and forth within the application for as long and as often as they want.

Match.com is based on a subscription model but this application gives users the chance to meet Match.com members on a "pay-per-contact" basis.

Jason Stockwood, managing director of UK Match.com, said: "Our exciting new Little Black Book application is consistent with our strategy of innovation through customer insight. As the market leader, our biggest strategic challenge is to grow the category and our experience tells us that social networkers have a high propensity to try online dating, which makes this a natural move for us."

Little Black Book users can also share potential matches with any of their other friends on Facebook and can purchase keys to "unlock" a potential match for a friend.

Separately, the Match.com site has beefed up its social networking functionality with a Match My Friends section.

The feature allows individuals to quickly and easily sign up, sponsor and search for dates on behalf of their single friends. Alternatively, existing Match.com members can ask friends and family to write personal testimonials that can then be included on their profile.

Match.com is intending to accompany the launch of Little Black Book and Match My Friends with an extensive marketing campaign in 2008, across television, radio, online and outdoor advertising.

This article was first published on brandrepublic.com