Monetizing dating offers is big business, not just for dating product owners, but also for affiliates generating dating leads. Due to lockdowns globally, virtual dating, along with video chat apps, have grown to be incredibly popular tools to virtually connect with others. As COVID continues into 2021, virtual dating will continue to be strong with Statista projecting it will reach US$3.241m this year.
Revenue is expected to show an annual growth rate (CAGR 2021-2024) of 9.3%, resulting in a projected market volume of US$4.230m by 2024. User penetration will be 4.9% in 2021 and is expected to hit 5.7% by 2024. The average revenue per user (ARPU) is expected to amount to US$8.76, while the largest market is the United States with US$6.74m expected revenue in 2021. Because of this, the dating vertical has never been more popular or competitive, so in order to stand out, you need to promote your chosen dating offer with the right creatives and messaging, the right traffic sources and the best payout type that you can build scale with.
Creating video content doesn’t have to be complicated, you can easily shoot on a decent quality smartphone.
Mobile traffic is growing as the preferred device for consumers, and each year the mobile/desktop split is getting wider, so it is important to target and test both devices.
TYPES OF DATING OFFERS
There are three main types of dating offers to promote: mainstream, casual and adult. For this article, we will concentrate on casual and adult, as these types offer a huge range of different niches that cater to different user tastes such as swingers, extramarital, sugar daddy, kinks (uniforms, BDSM, big booty…), age, LGBTQ+, etc. Sites offering dating advice are also a growing business, with subscription tutorials and downloadable ebooks for end users.
TRAFFIC SOURCES
Ad networks offer a range of different traffic sources to help you target the right audience with the right ad format, with three main ones that can help test out adult and casual dating offers: email clicks, members areas and free content sites.
EMAIL CLICKS
Email campaigns can be a highly effective way of reaching end users who are opted in for such outreach. The end user receives an email which is a template that features a subject line, a short text and a call to action (advertiser link) that directs them to your offer’s landing page or sign-up form.
This traffic source has a high conversion rate because there is a high probability that a dating-site user will be interested in joining another dating site. I would advise advertisers to use SubIDs, because segmentation is as important as it is with other channels.
Even though email traffic comes from a number of bigger sources, the acquisition funnel matters. By breaking down sources with SubIDs, you will be able to identify which segments work best for your offers.
MEMBERS AREA
Members area sites are a global active community of dating site members who are actively searching online for a date. This audience is segmented by the niche the user is interested in, making it easier to target your ad creative and messaging, and geographical locations to target with localized dating offers. As with email marketing, this traffic source is perfectly targeted for reaching an active dating audience.
Your ad is placed inside the members area pages of dating sites, which are limited ad zones, so your ad can benefit from increased engagement and more exposure with higher CTRs compared to free content sites. Ad formats are typically banners, popunders, push notifications, menu tabs and back button offers.
Menu tabs are a premium-quality ad format displayed within the menu section of a publisher’s website; the tab leads directly to your offers landing page. Buying a site’s dating tab ensures every click is coming from an active dating site user who is looking for more dating options.
FREE CONTENT SITES
Free adult content sites include tubes, gallery sites and adult cartoon (hentai) sites. Adult content sites offer a huge range of different niche categories, so if you are promoting a niche dating site for guys wanting to meet older women, you can then target MILF and GILF pages of free content sites.
You have a much larger range of ad formats available here such as banners, fullpage interstitial, instant message, push notifications, native and video. Generally, traffic is split into two subcategories: RON (run of network) content sites and premium (very high-quality traffic) sites that are account managed with verified ad placements; therefore, these ad zones are more expensive to bid on than RON sites. You should test both sources to see which converts the best; premium might bring more conversions, but RON always has new traffic sources to test to build up your whitelist.
TEST OUT VIDEO ADS
Video ads are becoming more and more essential in online advertising and have a high CTR. Due to the influence of short video format entertainment with the explosion of apps like TikTok and Instagram Reels, video formats give you an opportunity to really entertain an end user and make a connection with them. Clicking or tapping on a video ad takes the end user to an advertiser landing page.
Creating video content doesn’t have to be complicated. You can easily shoot on a decent quality smartphone; shoot outside so you don’t have to use specialized lighting. The key here is to make the video ad look real, so an amateur style is quite acceptable. Here are some video ad content ideas:
• Show some users: Create mini video interviews with three or four singles. You could ask each single the same question such as, “Why should I date you?” Let each one answer, then ask the viewer, “Which one would you choose?” with the CTA leading to your sign-up page.
• Testimonial: Show an interview with a user giving a testimonial about the site you are promoting.
• Tell a story: Show how a couple met using your dating offer, or the couple on a date after using your product.
• Product demo: Show how the dating product works and what kind of profiles a user can expect to see if they join.
• Make it entertaining: Create a humorous video; this will help you connect emotionally with the end user.
• Educational: Give some quick tips for a first date, or chat-up lines, etc.
• Localize it: If you are targeting a specific country or region, include a flag, or famous images of the region/city for familiarity.
• Sound advice: Keep in mind that your video ad should be able to connect with the viewer without the aid of sound. Many people browse in silent mode. So incorporate subtitles and call-to-action texts into your video creative to get your message across.
• Copyright: Make sure that you own the copyright or are officially authorized to use all the content featured in the video.
MORE TIPS FOR YOUR AD CREATIVES
• Your call to action: Be direct with phrases like “Wanna meet now?” or be flirtatious with messaging like, “Take a guess at what I am really good at in bed…” For a younger age group, try “Hook up and hang out now!” And remember: dating is all about emotions, so use emojis wherever you can.
• Get real with visuals: Don’t use stock images; everyone has seen them before. Instead, make your marketing material look like real-life selfies. Test with creatives using Snapchat/TikTok-style filters, as you don’t need professional marketing material; try to make it as real as possible. The best converting creatives are with attractive but “real” looking people. Don’t mislead your users by showing a 20-year-old supermodel in your creative. Keeping it real allows the end user to think they can go on a date with the person and not think that the profiles will be out of their league.
• Be culturally relevant: If you are targeting different geos you need to bear in mind any cultural preferences, both in your visuals and marketing copy. Targeting France will be completely different from targeting Morocco. If you are showing dating profiles in your marketing materials, make sure the profile images are based on local cultural preferences. Do some research on cultural dating etiquette for each geo and always use texts written or translated by a national of the country you are targeting.
• Offer more than just a date: On your landing page, offer a whole experience. For example, some people are shy about going on a date, so what will they talk about? What will they wear? Offer tips in your marketing materials, so they get the support they need for successful dating. For example, your landing page could feature tutorials (5 tips for a successful first date, 5 things not to do on a first date, how to make a good first impression, best topics to talk about on a date, etc.). Make sure that your ad creatives capture the end users’ attention with a good clickbait-y image related to the tip title. This kind of marketing works very well for native and video advertising.
We also offer an “Ultimate Guide to Dating Traffic,” should you require more specific advice.
Giles Hirst is Head of Communication at ad network ExoClick.