Uncategorized – Page 10 – Online Personals Watch

Ophir Laizerovich: Innovating Lead Acquisition in the Dating Industry

Posted on April 21, 2026

LTR – Ophir Laizerovich, president and co-founder of LeadThink and co-founder of The Relationship Company, shares highlights from building a lead-generation business for matchmaking and online dating using Google, Bing/Yahoo, and Facebook. He describes delivering 10k to 20k leads per day primarily in the US (also Canada and Australia), discusses Google’s approval requirements for dating/matchmaking and the shift from credit card to invoice billing, and explains strategies like focusing on pain-point ad copy, starting with long-tail keywords, and improving site speed, ad relevance, and on-page content to reduce costs. On Facebook, he emphasizes non-brand pages for lead gen, heavy image testing (including selfies and audience segmentation), avoiding over-reliance on automated controls, and targeting iOS/desktop versus Android. He reviews landing-page funnel optimization, SMS verification and appointment setting for matchmaking, and using AI-generated images and tools like Midjourney, Gemini, and Reify.

[**See the video here on YouTube**]

The January LTR was kindly sponsored by HubPeople, LeadThink and Courtland Brooks

Eight, the Portuguese Dating App, Is Raising a €3M Seed Round

Posted on April 14, 2026

TNW – Eight is a Portuguese dating app currently raising €3M, with about €256K secured so far. It is currently available in Portugal and the UK. CEO Afonso Simão previously founded Miofar, a fitness brand he grew to ~$1.2M in revenue. Every night between 8 and 9pm, human-verified users log in, browse 30s video introductions from other members, and unlock 8-minute live video calls with anyone they match with. Chat is only enabled after both sides say yes to a call. Human verification is a core feature.

See full article at TNW

Joey AI Uses Voice Calls Instead of Profiles to Match Users

Posted on April 9, 2026

LA BUSINESS JOURNAL – Joey AI is an AI-driven matchmaking service that removes profiles and swiping. Users call a phone number and speak with an AI assistant that asks questions about their habits, personality, and lifestyle. The system analyzes these responses and later connects users via text if it identifies a strong match.

See full article at LA Business Journal

Announcing LTR 51 With Michael O’Sullivan (Founder of HubPeople) and Mark Brooks (CEO of Courtland Brooks)

Posted on April 7, 2026

OPW – Edition 51 of the LTR (Love, Tech, Relationships) online experience will be on Wednesday, April 15th, at 12 pm (noon) EST (New York time).

In this edition, Mark Brooks will interview Michael O’Sullivan about his new book, Dating App: How to Build, Survive and Thrive in the World’s Most Human Tech Industry. The conversation will explore the realities of building and operating a dating business, from managing churn and user acquisition to navigating fraud, payments, and regulation in one of the most complex consumer tech sectors.

After that, Mark will present The State of the Dating Industry in 2026 – Turning the Tide, sharing key trends, challenges, and opportunities shaping the industry today.

If you hold a full-time leadership role at an online dating, social discovery, or matchmaking company, you are welcome to join LTR events for free.

Why attend LTR?

🏠 Flexible: Attend from anywhere – no travel required.
⏰ Convenient: Live session. 90 minutes.
💰 Free: No registration fees.

See the LTR Edition 51 speakers and invite page here.

This event is kindly sponsored by HubPeople, LeadThink, and Matchmaker.com.

Email mark@courtlandbrooks.com to RSVP.

China’s Milian Files for IPO as Yidui Dating App Drives Growth

Posted on April 7, 2026

BAMBOO WORKS – Chinese company Milian Technology has filed for an IPO, driven by its app Yidui, which uses live three-way video chats where a paid host helps two users interact and keep conversations going. The platform relies on hosts as matchmakers and generates revenue mainly from virtual gifts and in-app interactions (98.8%), not subscriptions. In China, the online dating and social market reached 22.6B yuan ($3.1B) in 2024 with ~280M users by mid-2025. Milian reported 4.12B yuan ($570M) in revenue (+74% YoY) and 519M yuan (~$72M) in profit, with Yidui contributing 81.7% of revenue. The app had 4.8M monthly active users.

See full article at Bamboo Works

Strategy, Business Development, Marketing

Posted on April 6, 2026

OPW – That's what Courtland Brooks does for dating companies. Also online matchmaking and social discovery companies. We also occasionally work for best-in-class vendors who want to approach the dating industry. We're special because we have faithfully run Online Personals Watch since 2004. We know the dating industry, and recruit people to Courtland Brooks once they leave the industry (and start to miss it).

For the price of a marketing manager you can get access to a seasoned team of online dating professionals. See Testimonials here. See pricing and service overview. Email mark@courtlandbrooks.com or simply book an opening call here.

Plus 1 Hits 10K Downloads, Launches Premium, and Hosts Miami Music Week Event

Posted on April 2, 2026

EIN PRESSWIRE – Plus 1 is a social app for meeting people. It focuses on real-life plans instead of swiping. Users post what they want to do, like dinner, workouts, or events. Others join those plans. This turns online activity into in-person connections. The company celebrated 10K downloads and six months of growth with a private Miami Music Week penthouse event. It also launched a premium tier to boost visibility and improve matches. The app is growing in South Florida and preparing to expand.

See full article at The Florida Tribune

Match Group Settles FTC Case Over Alleged Sharing of OkCupid User Data for AI Training

Posted on April 1, 2026

INC – Match Group has agreed to settle an FTC lawsuit alleging that OkCupid shared millions of users’ personal data, including photos, with Clarifai in 2014 to train facial recognition systems without proper consent, despite privacy policies suggesting otherwise. The data reportedly included ~3M images along with demographic and location information. Under the settlement, Match must improve how it discloses and handles user data and implement compliance measures under oversight. The company does not admit wrongdoing, and the agreement is pending court approval.

See full article at INC

Colorado Law Forces Social Platforms to Act on Warrants

Posted on April 1, 2026

Governor Jared Polis signing legislation at a ceremony in Colorado, surrounded by supporters and officials holding photographs.

CBS NEWS – Colorado passed a new law requiring social media and online dating companies to respond quickly to law enforcement warrants. Companies must acknowledge a warrant within 8 hours and comply within 72 hours, while maintaining a 24/7 law enforcement hotline. Failure to comply can result in fines of up to $250K. The law was driven by parents, including Matt Riviere, whose sons died from counterfeit drugs bought online, and aims to improve accountability and safety. A related proposal would require platforms to report user threats to law enforcement.

See full article at CBS News