Dating Apps' New Attractions During Lockdown

Valentine’s Day is nearly here, and despite social distancing protocols limiting singles' chance for romance, online dating apps had a record-breaking year, according to mobile analytics provider App Annie. Avoiding boredom appears to be behind that surge in dating app activity. According to App Annie's research, audiences flocked toward anything entertaining during lockdown. That dynamic ultimately produced $3 billion in consumer spending across dating apps, for a gain of 15% year over year globally. Dating apps owe their success to more than simply facilitating in-person meetups, said App Annie analyst Lexi Sydow. They provide a view into others' lives, much like Instagram. "The swiping is a really strategic gamification feature. [Users are] passing the time,” Sydow said, noting that distractions can take many forms. While none of the brands divulged post-lockdown strategies, they shared insights from the past year that could inspire change down the line. Tinder tops downloads and dollars Owned by dating services mega-company Match Group, Tinder ended 2020 as the top nongaming app by downloads and consumer spend, according to App Annie. The app pulled in more than $1.4 billion in 2020, an 18% increase from 2019. “We don’t promise a relationship or an end goal," said Nicole Parlapiano, Tinder’s North American vp of marketing. "Not having that promise or a one-way linear experience really won for us in 2020. We’re [a] fun and low-pressure facilitator. And people needed that suspension from seriousness this year.” To reach its Gen Z target audience, Tinder turned to TikTok for the first time, building on its strategy to capture interactions via organic social channels. The company declined to share its ad expenditure details beyond claiming to be "one of the biggest brand spenders" on TikTok. However, Tinder doesn't give all the credit to paid advertising. Last April, the brand introduced a free version of its premium Passport product, which lets users connect with each other virtually without the typical geographic limits. During Passport's free period, users were encouraged to upload their own experiences, which generated more than 65 million videos. “Our users made all the content—and they made it more of a viral moment than we, the brand, ever could,” Parlapiano said. Bumble gives millions something to chat about Having launched video chat in 2019, Bumble knew it could lean on the feature to satiate its nearly 42 million members' desire for entertaining content. Discussions included virtual date ideas, such as online happy hours and interactive Scrabble. To spur chat activity, Bumble partnered with BuzzFeed for a 24-hour branded takeover after its SXSW plans fell through. The voice call and video chat feature grew 70% after a state of emergency was declared in the U.S., with average usage at about 30 minutes, according to Bumble. “Our team has always valued having a physical presence in the communities we engage with,” said Priti Joshi, Bumble’s vp of marketing strategy and operations. “This past year, our focus on in-person events shifted to campaigns that focused on safely fostering connections and helping our community throughout this challenging time.” BuzzFeed video producer and fashion influencer Jazzmyne Robbins offers advice to a first-time virtual dater. Hinge's rules of retention One of the ironies of dating apps is that they're supposed to initiate commitment between users, not to platforms. As such, one key metric that isn't typically applied to dating apps is retention. The entire point is to lose customers in the hopes they’ll find everlasting love, which was the message of Hinge’s “Designed to Be Deleted” campaign. It unveiled the effort in 2019 and doubled down in 2020. When the world shut down, the brand pulled its out-of-home advertising on billboards, radio ads and subway signs, taking instead to digital and social channels. In October, the app partnered with mental health app Headspace to help users calm virtual pre-date jitters. Hinge then unveiled a redesign in December with the goal of getting users to spend less time on the app, choosing “naturally occurring” and muted shades to focus users on their matches. "We want to make sure that people are using technology to actually connect with people in real life as opposed to sort of a protective shield that actually gets in the way of connection,” said Nathan Roth, Hinge’s chief marketing officer.

Mobile

Dating App Users Discover Socially Distanced Dating Just in Time for Valentine's Day

Tinder, Bumble and Hinge found ways to spark connection during lockdowns

Ryan Barwick

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Ryan Barwick