Dating app usage experiences a notable surge during the holiday season. Last year, on December 26, the app Coffee Meets Bagel saw a 71% jump in sign-ups, and another 44% jump on January 1. One significant reason for this spike is the prevalence of a festive and social atmosphere. As the holiday season unfolds, individuals often find themselves surrounded by gatherings, parties, and events that emphasize the importance of companionship.
A desire for connection can be heightened during this time, prompting many to turn to dating apps in search of potential partners to share the holiday season with. App marketers can take advantage of this not only by increasing dating app downloads, but also by investing in strategies to retain users in the new year.
A Quick Guide of 2023 Dating App Faux Pas
Dating or companion apps can be extremely helpful in finding love or even friendships. However, they can also be a messy place to navigate. Users can be flaky, following up can be tedious and with the end of the year looming, motivation may be tough to find. This year, several unique terms have entered the dating lexicon from the rise of dating app usage. Here are some common- terms app marketers should familiarize themselves with when leveraging dating app trends.
- Ghosting: This term has become a token of modern day dating lingo. ‘Ghosting Occurs when a potential partner completely disappears from your life with no explanation, resolution or closure.
- Zombie’ing: This is when someone attempts to come back into your life after ghosting with no explanation as to why they ghosted you in the first place.
- The Slow Fade: Slow fading is when a partner slowly phases out someone from their life. When The Slow Fade is happening, a person might simply plan fewer and fewer dates or meetings until we are no longer in the relationship.
- Scrooging: Scrooging is when a potential partner breaks off dating before a gift giving or relationship-oriented holiday, birthday or anniversary.
- Wanderlove: Wanderloving occurs when people who are not living in the same city begin to date. According to Bumble, this has become more popular as people travel more post pandemic.
- Snow Globing: Snow globing is a dating trend that happens during the holiday season when a person engages in loving acts and appears to want to become more serious with their partner. Once the holiday season ends, however, they disengage, retreat or change their behavior. This is common when people get swept up in the warm and fuzzy feelings of the holiday season.
It’s important that app marketers are familiar with the current issues that dating app users are faced with. By getting comfortable with dating jargon, marketers can relate to their users in an organic and friendly way. Empathizing with the woes of online dating is paramount to the success of a dating apps’ advertising campaign.
Taking Advantage of Seasonal Dating App Trends
There are several trends that make dating apps particularly popular over the holiday season. The festive season often amplifies feelings of loneliness and a desire for connection, prompting individuals to turn to dating apps in search of companionship. The "New Year, New Me" mentality prevalent during this time encourages people to explore new relationships and make meaningful connections as they approach the upcoming year. Holiday travel and social events provide additional opportunities for individuals to expand their social circles, making dating apps a convenient way to meet new people, whether locally or in new destinations.
App marketers can capitalize on these trends in order to maximize downloads and retention of users over the holiday season.
Seasonal Trend 1: Desire for Connection
Over 60% of adults feel happy when thinking about spending time with family and friends over the holiday season. However, this longing for friendship and connection can also lead to a heightened sense of loneliness. Many individuals desire companionship and connection during this time, and dating apps provide a platform to meet new people.
App Marketing Strategy: Holiday-Themed Campaigns
In order to foster a sense of connection and encourage users to download a dating app, marketers can focus on holiday-specific campaigns. These campaigns can focus on letting users know that their feelings are common and that there’s nothing to fear when dating or meeting new people.
Marketers should include holiday-themed content, images, and advertisements that evoke a sense of warmth and connection. Using seasonal lingo (see above) reminds users that although this can be a hard time of the year for everyone, others may be feeling similarly, so taking the leap of faith despite these concerns should prove valuable in the end, by building strong relationships. By using familiar vernacular such as “ghosting” or “snow globing”, users won’t feel so alone and will have more desire to re-engage with the app.
Seasonal Trend 2: New Year, New Beginnings
The transition from one year to the next often prompts individuals to reflect on their lives and set new goals, including finding a romantic partner. This mindset can lead people to join dating apps with a fresh perspective, hoping to start the new year with new connections.
App Marketing Strategy: New Year, New Connections
Marketers can leverage the "New Year, New Me" mentality by putting emphasis on the timing of the holidays, creating a level of urgency for users to get active in the app. Users don’t want to wait until the new year to start making new friends or finding partners. Emphasize that time is of the essence and that new connections are around the corner if they utilize the opportunities within the app. App marketers can highlight success stories or relationship wins and testimonials from couples who met through the app during the holidays as a way to prove value.
Seasonal Trend 3: Outside Pressure
During the holidays, individuals often experience external pressure to find connections, whether in the form of romantic relationships or social bonds. Family gatherings and festive events may emphasize the importance of companionship. Additionally, the prevalence of holiday-themed media and advertisements showcasing joyful relationships can inadvertently intensify the desire for connection. This outside pressure may lead some individuals to turn to dating apps as a means to fulfill societal expectations and find companionship during the holiday season.
App Marketing Strategy: User-Generated Content
User-generated content is a relatable way to entice singles to continue to use a dating app over the holiday season. Encourage users to go back to the app and share their relatable holiday experiences and connections. Success stories and photos can be powerful in promoting an app's positive impact. Marketers can also push messaging that offers returning users holiday-specific date topics or ideas. By re-engaging users with festive date ideas, they are more inclined to re engage in the app.
Seasonal Trend 4: Travel
It’s estimated that 49.1 million people will drive more than 50 miles for the holidays this year. Another 4.7 million people will fly and 1.5 million will travel by boat, train or other means. Whether these people are traveling for vacation or to visit family and friends, the 2023 season is prompting more travel than ever. Dating apps can be a convenient way to connect with locals or other travelers in the area.
App Marketing Strategy: Geo-Targeting
Implement geo-targeted advertising to reach users in specific locations, especially those who may be traveling during the holidays. Marketers can re-engage users by sending location-specific notifications or promotions, such as local events or popular dating spots in their area. These notifications should highlight the app's ability to connect people locally or facilitate holiday meetups.
This personalized approach not only reminds users of the app's presence while they are away, but also provides them with contextually relevant reasons to re-engage. Many people don’t know where to look for company when they are away, especially over high-pressure holidays. Making sure that ads are targeted to relevant locations is a quick way to grab users attention during their travels. Geo-targeting fosters more meaningful connections and increases the chances of traveling singles using the app.
Takeaways of Home for the Holidays: Dating App Trends in 2023
A desire for connection can be heightened during this time, prompting many to turn to dating apps in search of potential partners to share the holiday season with. App marketers can take advantage of this only by increasing dating app downloads, but investing in strategies to retain users in the new year.
- Seasonal Trend 1: Desire for Connection: Over 60% of adults feel happy when thinking about spending time with family and friends over the holiday season.
Strategy: Marketers should include holiday-themed content, images, and advertisements that evoke a sense of warmth and connection.
- Seasonal Trend 2: New Year, New Beginnings: The transition from one year to the next often prompts individuals to reflect on their lives and set new goals, including finding a romantic partner.
Strategy: Marketers can leverage the "New Year, New Me" mentality by putting emphasis on the timing of the holidays. App marketers can highlight success stories and testimonials from couples who met through the app during the holidays as a way to prove value.
- Seasonal Trend 3: Outside Pressure: During the holidays, individuals often experience external pressure to find connections, whether in the form of romantic relationships or social bonds.
Strategy: Success stories and photos can be powerful in promoting an app's positive impact. Marketers can also push messaging that offers new users holiday-specific first date topics or ideas. By re-engaging users with festive date ideas, they are more inclined to reopen the app.
- Seasonal Trend 4: Travel: It’s estimated that 49.1 million people will drive more than 50 miles for the holidays this year. Dating apps can be a convenient way to connect with locals or other travelers in the area.
Strategy: Implement geo-targeted advertising to reach users in specific locations, especially those who may be traveling during the holidays. Marketers can re-engage users by sending location-specific notifications or promotions, such as local events or popular dating spots in their area.
