Dating app marketing strategy: how to promote your dating application
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Feeling a bit frustrated about how to promote your shiny new dating app? And no wonder why! With the competition sky-high and a flood of content and ads, standing out seems nearly impossible. Plus, the average human attention span is now shorter than a goldfish's (yep, less than 9 seconds!), making it a tough crowd out there.
But don't give up! Before you throw in the towel and shed a tear or two, there are still some bright spots and opportunities that could make your dating app the next big thing. Let’s dive into some fun and effective strategies!
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Before we start diving into the fun strategies, here are some key points to consider:
Invest in Promotion: Be prepared to invest some money in marketing. Whether you're doing it yourself, with a team, or hiring an external marketer, it will take money, time, and effort. Remember, creating an Instagram profile and posting pictures of happy couples with your logo at the bottom isn't real social media marketing. Don’t expect downloads to roll in automatically once the app is in the App Store. If you're serious about promoting your dating app, dedicate some time to digital marketing.
Know Your Audience: Pinpoint your target audience as precisely as possible. No need to compete with giants like Tinder or Bumble; focus on a niche market instead. For example, a dating app for ex-pats in Barcelona. Once you have a clear picture of your target group, you can craft an effective promotion strategy. Consider the general profile of your typical user: gender balance, location, age group, and online dating habits.
Prepare Your Materials: Ensure all your marketing materials are ready to go. This includes a catchy app description, professional screenshots, and engaging videos. And, of course, the latest version of your app should be ready for upload. If the details feel overwhelming, we can handle the submission process for you so you can focus on other important aspects.
By keeping these points in mind, you’ll be well on your way to making your dating app the next big hit. Now, let’s dive into those fun and effective strategies!
ASO Optimization
After submitting your app to the App Store, the next step is to focus on ASO – App Store Optimization. In simple terms, ASO involves marketing activities that make your app more visible to users. Here’s how to ensure your app gets noticed:
Choose the Right Category: Selecting the most suitable primary category for your app is crucial. You can choose both a primary and a secondary category, but the primary one impacts your discoverability the most. According to Apple's guidelines, consider:
- The main purpose of your app.
- Where your potential users will look for it. For instance, if it's a dating app for travelers, would it fit better under "Social Networking" or "Travel"?
- Which category your competitors are using?
Optimize Your Keywords: Just like SEO (Search Engine Optimization), ASO requires keyword research. Identify the most relevant keywords for your dating app and integrate them smoothly into the app's title and description. For example, for a travel dating app, use keywords like "expat dating," "dating in Barcelona," "international dating," "Barcelona singles," and "meet expats."
Localize Your App: If you aim to reach international markets, adapt your app’s product page to local cultures and languages. This includes translating content and customizing it for local preferences. Before release, select the regions and countries for distribution, and for paid apps, set prices in local currencies.
Add Professional Screenshots and Videos: Not everyone reads descriptions in detail, so eye-catching screenshots and videos can make a big difference. Highlight your app’s features through a well-designed visual carousel to help users decide quickly.
By focusing on these aspects, you can boost your app's visibility and appeal, paving the way for its success.
Implement a search engine optimization strategy for the dating app
Here’s the deal: set realistic expectations for SEO. If your website is primarily for a simple online presence, start with a unique app name. This will help your app be easily found on Google by name. Next, set up basic SEO to help Google discover you. Use Serpapi to check your name’s availability.  Ensure that:
- The top search result’s domain name isn’t the same as yours.
- There are no "Did you mean" suggestions or results for different terms.
- The total search results for your app name are under 5000.
If you plan to use your website for community building, publish a lot of content, run a forum, and use SEO as a key promotional tool, you’ll need to invest in high-quality website content. Add a blog, FAQ page, success stories, and perhaps a forum to boost your SEO. But content alone isn’t enough. Technical elements like page load speed and error-free pages are crucial.
Anyway, it's a whole new world, and you may find yourself drowning if you expect to figure it out all by yourself, so it's better to hire a specialist.
Introduce Paid App PromotionÂ
When it comes to heavy guns, a paid ad could be a serious weapon in your fight for the audience. Whatever platform you choose to pay for ad placement, it's all about setting the right targeting. But before we talk about it, let us first clarify the types of ads you could use for your dating app promotion.Â
Apple Search Ads
App Search Ads appear above organic results in the App Store. Using this type of advertising can be a clever move, as you’re targeting "hot clients" who are not just browsing the internet but are on the hunt for dating. According to Apple, 70% of visitors use App Store's search to find their next app. So if you are willing to invest some money, Search Ads could be a wise choice. There are two promotion options: Basic and Advanced.
With the Basic option, you simply set your campaign’s monthly budget, your desired cost-per-install (you pay for each download generated by the ad), and the countries where you want to run your ads. Apple handles the rest.
The Advanced option is designed for marketing professionals who want to fine-tune their ad placement, timing, and target demographics.
For more details, check out the article "App Store Search Ads: Explanation, Setup, and Advantages."
Google AdWords
Many people assume that Google AdWords is just the ads that appear above organic results in Google search. However, that's just the tip of the iceberg. Google AdWords is a powerful advertising system that helps you target and reach your audience through Google search and partner sites, including Google Play, YouTube, and Google Discover. Besides search ads, you can create and manage:
- Display and text ads on various sites
- Video ads on YouTube
- App ad campaigns across Google Play, YouTube, Google Search, and the Display Network
- Google shopping ads
When it comes to Google Search Ads, don't expect to simply pay some money and have your ad shown for any relevant keyword. The competition among advertisers is fierce, and to win, you need to ensure the quality of your ad, landing page, and website in general.
The main feature of using Google AdWords is its ability to target the audience very precisely. Google collects user data like no other company. While this may be concerning as a user, it’s a blessing for advertisers. For example, if users visit your site without making a purchase or download, they will be followed by your remarketing ad on any partner website.
Social Media Ads (Facebook/Instagram)
Another option for ad placement is Facebook and Instagram. Both social media channels can be managed from Facebook Business Suite. By selecting placement options, ad types, and targeting by interests, you are fully equipped to successfully promote your dating app.
While social media might seem ideal for promoting a social platform like a dating app, it's crucial to consider your audience. For example, if you're targeting a more mature audience, engaging blog posts or informative articles shared on Facebook could be highly effective. On the other hand, for a younger audience, dynamic viral video ads on TikTok could be more suitable.
Source - Hootsuite
Speaking of Tiktok. It's a perfect advertising platform for you if you are targeting:Â
- Young adults 35 and under;
- Women, especially at the age 18 to 25;
- Asia or the Middle East market.Â
For the types of ads and possible placement options, check TikTok's Learning Center.
Display Ads
When someone is talking about display ads they are most likely referring to visually engaging ad blocks on different websites. It might be a video, image, or animated element that is placed on third-party websites. As we've mentioned before you can create and run a displayed ad through Google AdWords, Facebook, or any other platform. If you want your ad to deliver great results, make sure that:
- you set the right targeting audience;
- your message is clear: the image is not cluttering; the video is not overwhelming;
- you have a clear call to action (for example, download here or learn more);
- the landing page of the ad is accurate and is logically following the ad.
 Display ads could be very helpful when you are just starting to widely promote your dating app brand as it's visual and usually more attractive than search ads, for example. However, there are mainly two big issues with this type of ad:
1) Ad blocks - browser extensions or special desktop programs that hide the websites' ads. This technology has become very popular in recent years.
2) Banner blindness - the users' habit of ignoring display ads due to their excessive use of them. It might be a challenge, so it's up to your creativity could you be able to get the attention or not. Rich media could be helpful in this case: you can use a sound, gamification, or any other engaging element to "hook" a user.Â
Viral content
 Social Media is a great place to promote your dating application. However, to make your SM presence especially effective, you need to act boldly. You can create thousands of content explaining how your app works and why it's better than Tinder, but without any extra bait, no one would be interested.
You have less than 8 seconds to impress someone on the internet, do you remember that? So prepare your creativity to work hard to truly viral content. It can be a video, image, or an article that is so good/ funny/ interesting/ controversial by itself that it not just grabs people's attention but also stimulates them to like, comment, and share it.
When you hear viral content, we can bet that the first thing you think about is a video. Nevertheless, you may find it too expensive to delegate to a professional production company or overwhelming to do it yourself. So it's time to remind you that there are other ways to go viral and sharable.
For example, this "Dictionary for the Modern Dater" by OkCupid. What can be more entertaining than short jokes full of sarcastic and very on-point black humor? This is something you want to share with a friend or to even use as an ice-breaker.Â
Leverage heavily on influencer marketing
In the ocean of brands, products, and accessive supply of everything, modern customers are struggling to make purchasing decisions. Why risk and pay for something if it's not worse the hustle? Here comes influencers - bloggers or celebrities with a mass online following and, obviously, online influence. Some of them could be icons for millions of people, who are inspired to look alike and live the same lifestyle. Some of them have less following, but sometimes even more trust as they cover a specific niche. If you are a dating app start-up, your budget could be in tough shape for huge influencers, so you can always try bloggers with less following. The ideal candidates usually reflect your ideal/typical customer. So, for example, if you are a dating app for travelers, try to reach out to travel bloggers. Â
Share User-generated Content
 User-generated content is any original content created and published by users or employees. For example, a life-hack video of someone talking about your app they've recently discovered, an honest review on the forum, or even an honorable mention in a podcast.Â
 People trust people more than any creative ad, so working on your word-of-mouth is vital nowadays. You can reward your brand loyalists with extra features or discounts for inviting their friends to join the app (you can use referral links for this). If it is too complicated, just ask them to write an honest testimonial about their positive experience on your app.Â
Many niche dating apps and websites have successfully implemented this strategy by starting "Success Stories" pages where users share their romantic love stories.Â
Another inspiring idea comes from CoffeeMeetsBagel. They started a flashmob by offering their female users to share their empowering stories with #DaretoShare hashtag. Later the CMB team selected the most inspiring stories and published them in their blog. It's needless to say that such campaigns help not only raise brand awareness but also strengthen the brand's community and loyalty.Â
Press Release
 Another way to popularise your dating app is to contact the media. From news and lifestyle online magazines to popular blogs and top-rated websites, online you can find them all. Create a list of potential websites and start emailing them with your press release. Compare the conditions from all of them and only after that make up your mind. The goal is to find the best balance between the website's traffic, audience quality, and price. Â
 One more hint is to get into the best-rated Google lists. Articles like the "Top Dating Apps for" or "Top applications for dating" could bring more potential downloads. However, be prepared to have a budget for this PR.Â
Online Communities
 Another guerilla marketing method to promote your dating app is to reach out to your target online community through social media groups, forums, and other community websites. Reddit, Quora, Facebook groups, Twitter, Telegram and Discord channels, ClubHouse and othersv- the list can be endless. Think about where your potential users hang out and chat, you can sincerely invite them to try the app you have been working. This option is perfect if you've just launched your dating applicattion and want to test it and get the first users and feedback. To make this method work, you need to dedicate some decent amount of time and energy. But the brightside of it is that it's completely free.Â
Final ThoughtsÂ
We hope this was insightful! You can try different promotion techniques and combinations for your dating app. We advise you to try all free options first and see how they go. It will take time and effort to make it work. If something doesn't go as planned, don't rush to judge the channel or method you chose. Pay attention to the execution process. For example, if you tested video advertising in reels on Facebook and Instagram and didn't get any traffic or downloads, check your targeting settings. Maybe the audience was too broad, or the message of your ad was not clear. Even simple mistakes like adding the wrong landing URL can cause negative outcomes.
Finally, don't be afraid to experiment and look for more promotion opportunities for your app. Remember, once you've found where your audience "hangs out" online the most, the next step is to reach them with an engaging and clear message. You can do it! Just keep trying and don't give up easily
Alexa is a sure-handed digital marketing person who helps small and middle-size businesses to grow online. She believes that a well-thought SEO strategy, smart targeting, and communication strategy could skyrocket any business.
