The Future of Dating Blends Apps and In-Person Experiences
Contributed by: kellyseal on Friday, October 04 2024 @ 12:54 pm
Last modified on Friday, October 04 2024 @ 01:06 pm
Dating app companies like Tinder and The League are betting on in-person events to drive engagement on their online platforms and help attract new users.
According to The New York Post, dating app The League organized high-end events in New York, the Hamptons and even at the U.S. Open to drive engagement on its platform as well as to generate revenue. In fact, senior VP and head of marketing Lisa Kraynak told the Post: “It’s the beginning of a hybrid model in our largest market. The future is some combination of in-person, online and artificial intelligence.”
Dating apps have seen a decline in paying users in recent quarters, leading companies to try new features and even branch out into event organizing to appeal to daters who have become burned out from swiping. This hybrid model could prove effective, since dating apps are still the most popular way to meet people, according to recent studies, but coupling that with in-person events give people a better chance at connecting.
The League is geared towards singles who are willing to pay a premium to get more curated match lists. Users pay anywhere from $300 to $2500 per month for personal concierge services that offer feedback, help craft profiles, and suggest matches. Their events have been high-end, including renting out a portion of Le Bilboquet in the Hamptons for guests to mingle over cocktails and canapes, according to the Post[*1] .
People are paying for these experiences because they are craving something more than what dating apps traditionally offer: more profiles to swipe through.
One 29 year-old single at the Bilboquet event estimated she has DM’d as many as 800 people online through various dating apps, and is “exhausted” by the experience. “I don’t like the small talk or how random it is — it’s a lot of work,” she told the Post. But she was interested in attending the event The League hosted because it was something different and could possibly be more effective than continual swiping.
“You’re more likely to put in effort to mingling,” she told the Post.
Running clubs have become a way for young people to meet potential dates, too – so much so that Tinder has now started incorporating running group events as an experience for its app users in New York and London.
Tinder is also focused on building community for college students through its Tinder U app, allowing them a smaller pool of engagement by limiting matches to other students on campus and offering them more opportunities to meet in person, including holding a contest to bring a music concert to a school this fall.