Apptopia Analyst Predicts Rise in Dating App Installs

16th July 2019 Scott Harvey

Adam Blacker, VP of Insights and Global Alliances at Apptopia, has offered some thoughts to emarketer on the opportunities for advertisers to reach consumers through dating apps.

His comments come after the publication predicted a slowdown in dating app growth. Platforms were downloaded 247 million times in 2018, down from 256 million in 2017.

Blacker argues that uptake will rise in the near future, as services like Tinder and Bumble have become normalised. Consider this trend alongside global population growth and the dating sector has two strong tailwinds to help it forward.

He says: “It’s as simple as dating apps being the new norm and the global population growing. As more people come of age, they will download one or more dating apps, even just to check it out.

“There will also be more niche or specific dating apps that pop up which en masse will generate new installs from people who have already downloaded more general apps like Tinder or Match.”

To make the most of in-app advertising, the analyst advises marketers to think about the specific dating app that’s right for their brand.

A platform designed to connect outdoorsy singles would likely be a great spot for a brand like Patagonia, he says, while gamified apps might be a good fit for video.

Another idea was to attract consumers with location-relevant advertising: “(…) an escape room could advertise to users based on their location, and ultimately push to purchase with a catchy date night promotion.”