FORBES – Jan 8 – The New York-based Hiki is taking a decidedly different approach to online dating than answering a questionnaire, building a profile, and swiping right. The company bills the app as a "friendship and dating app for the Autistic community." "Hiki is a friendship and dating app for Autistic adults," said Jamil Karriem, Hiki's founder and CEO. "It is a safe space where neurodiversity is celebrated and the lived experiences of Autistic adults are honored and validated." Hiki's name is derived from the Hawaiian word for "able." Hiki is venture-backed, and Karriem told me it was challenging in the beginning to get investors to literally buy into helping Autistic people combat isolation. The vast majority of Hiki's employees, over 70%, are Autistic.
Month: January 2021
Q&A With Priti Joshi From Bumble About Dating Trends In 2021
ELLE – Jan 6 – In 2020, online dating habits have undergone some massive changes. Priti Joshi, the VP of Strategy at Bumble India, talks about the new dating trends she's observed.
Q: What are some of the changes in dating trends you've seen this year?
A: At Bumble, we saw increased usage and extended video chat times, and an increased need for social connections. More than ever, people are feeling a strong desire to build trust online before meeting in real life. Our study revealed that 1 in 2 people on Bumble in India are likely to be New Dawn Daters – people who are newly single after a break-up during the pandemic.
Q: What are the things one must keep in mind when interacting online?
A: The more information that someone shares on their profile, the more likely they are to find a match. A completed bio will see a 41% increase in the number of monthly average matches than those who don't have a complete bio.
Q: Tell us about your professional journey. What are some of the challenges you have faced?
A: There are many times that I feel like an imposter. It is something that I push myself to overcome daily. One of the things I feel fortunate in is having a support system in my colleagues who help me navigate when I feel like an imposter.
Q: What have been some of your personal learnings that you will carry forward in 2021?
A: These unprecedented times have shown us all the power of human connection – we've all learned that one can successfully find love online even during these challenging times.
The Majority of Vegan Daters Would Refuse to Date a Meat Eater
PLANT BASED NEWS – Jan 6 – The polling by Veggly, the world's leading dating app for vegans and vegetarians, quizzed 7,400 users across the world. It revealed that 52% of vegan daters would not consider entering a relationship with a meat-eater. On top of that, ~12% would refuse to date a vegetarian, due to their intake of animal products.
Q&A With Jonathan Kirkland of BLK on How to Command Attention on Dating Apps
MADAME NOIRE – Jan 6 – Jonathan Kirkland is the Head of Marketing & Brand at BLK, one of the largest dating apps for Black people.
Q: How has 2020 changed the dating scene?
Jonathan Kirkland: What we learned is that although people have been socially distancing, they do not want to be socially isolated. During the first two weeks of lockdown (March 2020) – we saw an 18% increase in the daily user activity with users swiping 39% more and exchanging messages 61% more than they were pre-pandemic. And we continue to see these positive trends month over month.
Q: How is dating during a pandemic different than any other time?
A: People are taking more time to get to know one another on a deeper level and making more authentic connections.
Q: What advice do you have for people when it comes to navigating dating apps?
A: Be open-minded. Be real. (1) clear SOLO pics of you, (2) take time to complete your bio, (3) state your intentions upfront.
Q: What are some of the challenges Black people face with dating apps and how does BLK solve some of them?
A: Racism and discrimination. At BLK, we have created a space where Blackness is celebrated and appreciated. We engage our community in conversations around topical cultural and social issues.
Q: Dating apps have a reputation for hookups and short-term relationships. What is the key to finding long-term happiness online?
A: First, we must not shame hookups and short-term relationships as a culture. The key to finding what you are looking for on a dating app is being transparent in your intentions upfront.
Video Streaming and Dating Apps Top Record Revenue Peaks
MOBILEWORLDLIVE – Jan 6 – Sensor Tower preliminary data showed a record-high global user spending in apps in 2020, with video streaming and online dating services emerging as the most profitable categories in the past 12 months. The app analytics company placed TikTok, YouTube and Tinder as the highest earning non-gaming services in the period, with Tencent Video and Disney+ completing the top five. Estimates showed global app revenue hit $111B in the period, up by 30% YOY from $85B in 2019.
See full article at MobileWorldLive
This post also appears on Very Social Network
Fitness Expert & Matchmaker Launches GoGetters Dating App
PR NEWSWIRE – Jan 5 – GoGetter is the latest dating app created with an aim to connect like-minded, fitness oriented people, launched by Andrea Miller, a certified matchmaker, a fitness junkie and dating coach. The app has a unique "Pay Per Match" feature which entails both parties putting in a coin to connect with each other. Each user pays their own coin to show interest while the other person is given 48hours to pay his or hers, if he or she does not, they get their coin back. Users can purchase the coin for $1.
The Secret Matchmaking Algorithms
COSMOPOLITAN – Jan 2 – Getting dating apps to reveal their matchmaking algorithms is like asking KFC to share its secret recipe. "Most apps use 'collaborative filtering,' which was first developed by Amazon," says tech expert Rhys Maddocks. He's the founder of JobSwipe, an app that allows job seekers to swipe their way through different potential roles in the hope of a mutual match. Collaborative filtering assumes if users buy the same product as someone else, they will also be interested in the other items they purchased. Some apps also use face-mapping, pinpointing physical features users have a preference for and then sifting those with similar features to the top. Others use language matching so when chatting about travel, food or fitness, users will be shown matches who have put similar things in their profiles. The dating apps know what times users are active and can tell which accounts are being used to make real-life connections. The goal is to put people who are very active on the app high in the stack.
by Catriona Innes & Rebecca Twomey
See full article at Cosmopolitan
Dating App Iris Launches New “Trust Rating” Feature
PR NEWSWIRE – Dec 31 – Iris is launching a new Trust Rating feature which is an algorithm designed to reward honest profiles and respectful communication, holding members accountable to one another. Members with thoughtful and complete profiles are rated higher, while those who display inappropriate behavior or make excessive use of filters in their pictures will have lower ratings. Iris was created by a team of people who were tired of swiping endlessly, being catfished, and tired of fake profiles. Iris uses AI by analyzing thousands of facial features to learn what kind of person a user finds visually attractive. It uses AttractionDNA to connect people who are likely to be a match.
How Yubo Thrives in the US While Being Almost Unknown in France
MADDYNESS – Dec 31 – Little known in France, the French social network Yubo, once nicknamed the "Tinder for teens", already has 40M users, half of which are in the US and only 4% in France. On Yubo, young people aged 16 to 21 can interact by chat or live-streaming. Over the past few months, Yubo has acquired 3.5M new members in the US alone and experienced 1200% growth in Latin America. The app did not rely on an aggressive marketing strategy, it grew organically by word of mouth.
by Anne Taffin
See full article at Maddyness
This post also appears on Very Social Network
Bumble Installs ‘Socially-Distanced’ Benches in Bangalore and Goa
