Get your "texts" right this Valentine's Day

With texting Valentines ten times more popular than posting a card,
AQA 63336 tells you how to get it right

London, UK - 11 February 2008 - With over 120 million Valentine's texts* expected to be winging their way across the country this Thursday it is essential that you get your Valentine's text just right. AQA 63336, the leading text question answer service, expects to be answering thousands of texts on all things love related come Valentines Day.

Whether you want to know what to say, what tone to take or how many x's to end your texts with, AQA 63336 has been working with renowned relationship psychologist Susan Quilliam to come up with 4 key levels of “textiquette” to ensure a successful Valentine's day, and love thereafter.

Level 1: Begin the flirtations

• Start innocent. Like face to face chat ups, make your texts neutral at first and only suggest a date (or get sexy) when you know you've got their attention.
• Keep it short - the whole beauty of text is that you can have a flurry of loving exchanges, anywhere, anyplace, anytime. Over 150 characters and you should be emailing.
• Don't “over text”- it can come across as desperate. If you're always the one who texts and replies instantly - and never the one who finishes the exchange - then pull back a little and keep your dignity.

Level 2: Let romance blossom

• To know if you're getting somewhere, judge by quantity and speed. The more texts you exchange - and the quicker you respond to each other's texts - the better things are going.
• Don't wobble if the one you fancy occasionally doesn't reply instantly. Work meetings, parent visits or a flat battery can mean sometimes it genuinely isn't possible to respond. But more than 24 hours between texts without a reason means you should turn your attention elsewhere.
• Count the kisses. One's courteous, two's friendly, and three states an intention. If you're head over heels, send a whole screenful to make it clear!

Level 3: Set up love's little rituals

• Set up little loving rituals to let each other know you care... as you get up every morning... as you set off home each evening... as you fall asleep at night.
• Use text to let your loved one deep into your life; if you're doing something exciting, engaging or moving, tell them about it!
• Never make a seriously emotional text move - such as a declaration of love - if you haven't the time to follow up. If you disappear into radio silence, the other's left frustrated and unable to respond.

Level 4: Develop long-term loving

• Don't panic if, as you settle into a long term relationship, your texts become shorter and more practical - it's normal, and a sign you trust each other's love.
• But don't lose the romance. The immediacy of text means you can keep love alive day to day simply by sending those three little words on a regular basis.
• Some things, actually, are better done face to face. Divorcing should never be done by text (Britney take note). And proposals of marriage should always be done when you can look into someone's eyes and hold their hand.

Paul Cockerton, Communications Director of AQA 63336, said:

"With over 10 million questions texted to 63336, we've had great experience in answering questions about love. Customers like the answers so much that we now get hundreds of questions a day ending with a kiss, and a marriage proposal every other day! For Valentines, the No. 1 question texted to 63336 is 'what should I text to my Valentine?' Our No. 2 question is 'will I get any Valentines?' Our advice for customers, to have a great Valentines, is to text 63336 if you get stuck."

The most popular Valentines questions texted to AQA 63336 last year included:

Q. Can AQA please send me a funny ‘roses are red…' poem to help me impress the object of my desire?
A. Send something direct and funny which will generate a response. Try: "Roses are red, violets are blue. Me so horny, what about you?"

Q. I forgot Valentine's day and now I'm in the dog house- any advice?
A. To make up for forgetting Valentine's Day, celebrate Lupercalia, an ancient Roman fertility festival, the day after. Chase each other, wearing goatskins.

Q. Who was St. Valentine?
A. St Valentine or Saint Valentinus was a monk of 3rd century Rome , who was martyred for refusing to give up Christianity. He died on 14 Feb 270 .

Q. What do women want on Valentine's day?
A. Jewellery is the perfect Valentine gift for a female. Red roses and chocolates add icing on the cake. Sometimes cliches are cool.

Q. What do men want on Valentine's day?
A. The best Valentine present for a man is a 'gift experience' such as paint balling. It'll be fun for him and not overly sentimental.

Q. How many love hearts can fill an olympic sized swimming pool?
A. 1.17 billion Love Hearts would fill an Olympic sized swimming pool. They come in 6 colours, and AQA's favourite message is “Txt me”.

So whether you're looking for advice, information, entertainment or simply the truth, just text AQA on 63336 and we'll come back to you with an answer to any question you've got in minutes. Texts to 63336 cost £1 or you can ask a free question at www.aqa.63336.com.

Notes to Editors:

Key AQA 63336 facts:

• To use AQA 63336, just text a question to 63336 (costs £1) and you'll get an answer in minutes. New customers can also ask a question free here.

• IssueBits Ltd was formed in August 2002 to provide compelling and entertaining content for mobile phones. IssueBits launched AQA 63336 (Any Question Answered), the world's first mobile question and answer service on a premium short code, in April 2004.

• AQA 63336 is a patent pending text question answering service.

• AQA 63336 has over 1,300 researchers answering questions – the majority are based in the UK with some in New Zealand and Australia to answer overnight questions.

• AQA 63336 has published two anthologies of questions and answers, the latest, called ‘Any Question Answered' was published just before Christmas in the UK . RRP £5.99.

• AQA has also been available in Ireland since June 2006 on shortcode 57275 for €2

* 120 million messages were sent on Valentine's day in 2006 according to the Mobile Data Association

For more information contact:

Donald Parish donald.parish@shinecom.com
Shine Communications Tel: +442071007100