OPW – It can be tough running a dating service / app. The Courtland Brooks team can help you. We've been working for and with dating and matchmaking and social discovery services for an era.
For the price of a marketing manager you can get access to our 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.
LTR – Mark Brooks shares key lessons from three years of influencer marketing for dating and social connection businesses, along with examples of integrations for brands like Christian Filipina, Filipina Visa, Positive Singles, and BiCupid. He explains why influencer marketing – especially YouTube – can outperform or complement paid ads by transferring trust, telling stories, normalizing app usage, building brands, and creating compounding evergreen value. Mark outlines a strategy focused on micro-influencers, long-term monthly partnerships (not one-offs), hybrid compensation models, and cross-posting to channels like Instagram and TikTok. He then introduces the Courtland Brooks Influencer System scorecard, detailing best practices such as short on-screen links, unique landing pages, clear calls to action and offers, QR codes, top-of-description links, story relevance, preserving creator personality, avoiding the word “sponsor” in favor of “partner,” and encouraging personal sharing.
[**See the video here on YouTube**]
The January LTR was kindly sponsored by HubPeople, LeadThink and Courtland Brooks
OPW – An update to the online dating jobs listing is live here.
Below, see a couple of this month’s most interesting offers:
HubPeople – CRM Manager
Bumble – Associate Director, Performance Marketing (User Acquisition)
Hinge – Director of Product, Growth
Match Group – Senior Director of Social Media (EMEA)
Matrimony – Sales Head
Muzz – European Marketing Lead
Overtone – Head of Communications
Social Discovery Ventures – Head of Marketing (Mobile)
Tinder – VP, Business Development
Do you have an idating industry job offer that is not included? Please, send it to tips@onlinepersonalswatch.com and we will add it to the list.
DEALSEEK – According to a 2026 DealSeek survey of 1K U.S. singles, inflation is making dating more expensive. Many people are going on fewer dates and sticking to tighter budgets, usually under $75–$100. Low-cost ideas and financial honesty are now seen as attractive, while overspending and showing off wealth are turnoffs. At the same time, money pressure is changing behavior, with many singles misrepresenting their finances, trying to date higher earners, or even ghosting over financial issues.
FINSMES – Bumble Inc. has secured a $475M loan from STORY3 Capital Partners and other lenders. The company will use the funds, along with cash it already has, to refinance its existing loan.
OPW – Edition 51 of the LTR (Love, Tech, Relationships) online experience will be on Wednesday, May 6th, 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.
Later, Mark will be joined by Marco van der Woude to discuss the rapid growth of Breeze and the emergence of next-generation dating apps, with a focus on shifting user behavior, product design, and the move toward more intentional, offline-first experiences.
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.
PRESS RELEASE – Michael Cluzel, former co-founder of Eatigo, has joined dating startup Spark as co-founder. He previously scaled Eatigo to a $120M valuation and now partners with Founder & CEO Sunny Khurana to address a key gap in dating apps: turning matches into real-life meetings. Spark focuses on bookable, real-world experiences, like restaurants and events, to help users move from matching to actually meeting. The platform has launched its second version and is expanding in Southeast Asia.
HINGE – During the Date Ideas test, 54% of Hinge daters shared that the feature made them feel more confident asking someone out, and it led to more matches and dates. Ben Celebicic, Hinge’s CTO said, “date Ideas gives daters a clear, low-pressure way to signal they’re ready to meet.”
Date Ideas: daters select three Date Ideas to feature on their profile. Suitors then select one of the three activities and their availability (this week, this weekend, next week, next weekend) before liking or commenting with them. Available in U.S., U.K., Canada, Australia.
See full article at Hinge website
Mark Brooks: Nice. Next it would be nice to guide them on actual date venues, and specials. Dating can get expensive. Hinge has scale and can negotiate deals with promising new restaurants, book right into their systems, and take a small cut. That’s ‘found money’ in a tight dating market.
DIGIDAY – Last month, The League launched its first LinkedIn campaign, “Network here. Find me on The League.” It worked with 10 LinkedIn creators – founders and entrepreneurs – who were also verified The League members. It’s part of the dating app’s larger efforts to retool its media mix, exploring more niche channels outside of the usual suspects, like Meta and TikTok.
Mark Brooks: Courtland Brooks manages advocate-influencer campaigns on Youtube, TikTok and Insta. We’ve not looked at Linkedin, but we will now. I really like that The League recruited from within their community. Great move!
