TECHCRUNCH – June 2 – Tinder is set to unveil a new experience for transgender users within the next couple of months. Tinder CEO Sean Rad didn't go into specifics on how Tinder might integrate this new filter, but he did say that the feature will help users more accurately specify what they're looking for and "be who they are." The company is working with GLAAD and activist Andrea James to ensure that the update considers all the nuances involved.
Month: June 2016
Badoo User Accounts Hacked
MOTHERBOARD – June 2 – User accounts for dating site Badoo are being traded in the digital underground, including email address, cracked passwords, names, and dates of birth. The data dump apparently contains 127,343,437 records. Badoo has denied being the source of the stolen accounts.
Lloyd Miller Purchases More Shares Of Spark Networks
The full article was originally published at Franklin Independent, but is no longer available.
This post also appears on InternetDatingInvestments.
How Marketers Changed Online Dating
MARKETING NEWS – June 2 – No dating site has found the magic method of creating a love connection. "This is a total virgin science," said Mark Brooks who runs Courtland Brooks, an agency that works with online dating companies. There are 2,5K – 8K online dating platforms worldwide. While it's growing, the industry is "sort of being squished," with the majority of growth seen at large businesses and smaller apps, leaving a large middle section open, Brooks says. According to Brooks, Tinder's explosive popularity changed the face of internet dating. The app grew from college campuses, Brooks says, as the company used a marketing program to entice "campus connectors" to spread the word. "It doesn't take much," he said. "It's such a hotbed on campuses that you can get these things to take off on campus with the right story and the right product. Tinder is a very, very compelling product. It's one of the few dating apps that's truly sharable. For some reason, apps are more sharable in online dating. You wouldn't generally talk about Match, but on Tinder, you'd just show it around and talk about the experience." How do these dating platforms grow? Brooks says the traditional way is via pay-per-click ads and paid acquisition. Companies with more money are able to advertise on TV. Grant Langston, eHarmony's VP of brand marketing refers to TV as eHarmony's "magic formula". Now, TV accounts for ~70% of eHarmony's lead generation. For Zoosk, Facebook mobile app is one of the most successful distribution outlets. The conversion rate for Facebook mobile, from click to install, is ~5% and 10%. Years ago, Brooks says he predicted that "we'd go Star Trek" in online dating, meaning he foresaw the impending mobile boom. In his recent research, he found that 73% of all visitors to dating services are on mobile devices. Brooks believes larger screens, five-to-six inches, will come into prominence in the near future. Users want larger pictures for their online dating needs and Brooks says larger phones and small tablets will serve that need. After that, he believes wearable technology will play a larger role in the industry. People often tell white lies on their dating profiles, but Brooks says sites may be able to take advantage of a customer's FitBit data by matching people who run seven miles per day. Online dating is here to stay with little chance of evanesce. Brooks notes that the availability of people, within the click of a button, has created an addictive element.
by Hal Conick
See full article at Marketing News
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Tinder Owner Launches Photoshop-free Flirting App Fresh
O GLOBO – June 2 – Match Group has launched the new dating app, available for iOS and Android, simultaneously in France and Brasil. Fresh only allows profile selfies without any filters or alterations that must be renewed at least once in 24 hours.
India Rules: No Casual Hookups On Matrimonial Sites
by Siddharth Vikram Philip
The full article was originally published at Bloomberg, but is no longer available.
1/4 Of Brits Use Dating Apps While In Relationships
Tinder Teams With Bite The Ballot In EU Referendum Campaign
OkCupid Matching People By Their ‘Flavors’
Joost Roelandts Is Twoo’s New CEO
TWOO – May 30 – The current COO of Twoo will be appointed CEO as of 1 July 2016. Twoo's founders Lorenz Bogaert and Toon Coppens have announced that they will fully devote themselves to their other projects.