The realm of dating is an evergreen, abundant, and fertile field for affiliate marketing, and that's not just because of the staggering number of individuals engaging with it on a daily basis. According to TrulyExperience, the dating landscape boasts over 120 000 apps and websites, with Tinder alone amassing a whopping 81.1 million users. And if that statistic doesn't impress you enough, Bedbible Research Center reports that the global active dating app user base has surpassed a staggering 326 million.
The number of active users worldwide on dating apps has surpassed an astonishing 326 million.
In simpler terms, we're talking about a colossal market, and guess what? Your target audience is right there, living it up. The beauty of the dating vertical lies not only in its enormity but also in its timelessness. The quest for love is a pursuit that's destined to endure, transcending the boundaries of time. So, why not seize the opportunity to showcase your fantastic products, services, and business to this perpetually active audience?
Whether you're keen on discovering the best ways to promote dating apps or eager to master the art of promoting a dating app, this is your playground. Dive into the riches of this ever-expanding market, and let your affiliate endeavors flourish. If you're hungry for guidance, continue reading, or better yet, check out this insightful video guide on how to make money online by championing affiliate dating programs. Happy hunting!
Types of Affiliate Dating Offers
There are two types of affiliate dating offers: mainstream and adult. Mainstream dating is all about matching, dating, and meeting somebody to love and cherish. It’s what we think of when we hear the term ‘online dating’, whereas Adult is more about sex. Generally, the adult offer has a higher turnover than mainstream, but both are prominent locations to gain ad viewership.
Payout Models
You’re probably wondering what payout models are available. Let’s roll.
CPL (cost per lead)
This metric ascertains how cost-efficient your marketing campaigns are for lead generation.
SOI (single opt-In)
SOI is a ‘conversion’ and is accounted for when users register with your website. This one can be considered risky due to a lack of lead generation. For instance, it’s easy for customers to enter information such as phone numbers and addresses incorrectly. Even a single digit will prevent them from signing up and result in a lost conversion. In simple terms, this option is not recommended.
DOI (double opt-in)
This option is similar to SOI but goes one step further. Once customers have filled out the details in the registration form, they must confirm registration with a confirmation email. Like the SOI, this isn’t recommended too highly, because it not only asks users to fill the form out but to go to their emails and click a confirmation link.
Revshare
Through Revshare, you get a paid percentage when users purchase memberships. With this one, leads don’t lead to sales unless they drive more paid memberships. Advertisers get paid once users convert. PPS (pay-per-sale)
PPS pays you a flat rate for each member brought to the site or app. This one is simple and easy to do because websites publish ads on their pages to gain revenue for each sale. It doesn’t necessarily create leads, but its focus gains sales.
PPC (pay-per-call)
Similar to the CPL model, PPC generates ad sales based on visitors placing phone calls. Each call equates to a sale, or click. Once the phones are buzzing, advertisers choose to pick their profits up through the Revshare model or a flat rate per call.
CPI (cost per install)
CPI earns you a commission every time a user installs the app. Naturally, this applies mainly to mobile devices and tablets. The aim is to promote the app so that users add it to their app roster.
Which is The One For You? 🧐
There is no one size to fit all when it comes to dating offers because each one has its own purpose. Like many things, it depends on your business, and what you are trying to achieve. For instance, if your goal is to generate new leads, then CPL is the best option. Conversely, PPS is the most pragmatic choice if you need more sales.
To newcomers, we recommend testing new offers and GEOs with lead generation models such as SOI and DOI. This means that you can save your budget and time.
In Traffic Stars you can choose the CPA model and pay for conversions. We start with a ‘test period’, wherein our algorithm determines the spots and countries that bring the most conversions. Read the link above to know everything about that!
Best Dating Affiliate Programs of 2023
There are many affiliate programs out there, and some of these focus on more than dating verticals, but the ones we’ve chosen have some of the best features out there.
For that purpose, don’t just skim this article and make a snap decision. Investigate each option fully and make an informed decision. Woo, with that disclaimer out of the way, let’s take a look!
AdsEmpire
AdsEmpire is a gold mine, it has over 1000 exclusive dating offers for its partners, and uses standard, comfy payment methods such as PayPal, Bitcoin, and Genome.
Tremendio
This is a rapidly growing affiliate network that aims to make a big impact in the digital industry. Here is a list of top performing offers for English-speaking countries:
CrakRevenue
This is a Canadian CPA affiliate network. They have over 1000 offers in the adult niche, and work in the following areas: Live Cams, Dating, E.D, and Adult Gaming.
CougarLife
In addition to being a gateway to the enticing realm of age-gap relationships, the CougarLife dating affiliate program sweetens the deal with an impressive commission structure. Affiliates have the potential to earn a remarkable 80% commission per sale, making it a lucrative venture for those keen on maximizing their earnings. The program's global reach extends opportunities to affiliates around the world, and with its largest user bases in the United States, Canada, and Australia, partners can strategically target regions where CougarLife has a strong presence. This global accessibility enhances the program's appeal, providing affiliates with a broad audience to engage and convert into satisfied CougarLife members. With such competitive commission rates and a widespread user base, the CougarLife affiliate program stands out as a promising avenue for affiliate marketers seeking financial success in the online dating niche.
Dating Smartlink
There are many platforms that use the Dating Smartlink as an interface by which their users can track their affiliate marketing campaigns (iMonetizeIt, AdsEmpire, CrakRevenue).
A SmartLink is an innovative piece of kit that individualizes each and every click for the best conversions, without the hassle of creating multiple campaigns. Let’s take a look at its mechanics.
Step 1
Your SmartLink is in place and a user clicks on it. Your chosen system (such as Traffic Stars, wink wink) then gets data about the user, such as their location, device, language, and traffic type.
Step 2
SmartLink displays them with an optimal offer. So, based upon the information above, it guides the user to the offer most likely to incite a conversion.
Step 3
Get statistics and real-time reports, that are accessible via an all-in-one platform. Then you can compare your campaigns, see what works best, and design future campaigns based on the conclusions.
The Benefits
SmartLinks saves time, and money, and offer a great amount of flexibility for your AI and human conversion processes. They even have a solid track record of increasing affiliate ROIs by 25%.
Best ad Formats To Run Dating Offers
That covers the programs, models, and SmartLink benefits, but which ad formats are the best for your dating offers?
Native ads
Native ads blend in with the publication’s house style and blend snugly. They are non-intrusive and fit the editorial style without being deceptive. They work particularly well in the dating vertical, as is proven by this case study.
Banner ads
The best way to think of banner ads is in two words: prominent placement. Often, they are at the top of the screen, and in a big (wait for it) banner format. They require a bit more creativity than dating native ads due to this. Typically, banner ads need to be unique, provocative, and have clear CTAs.
Banner ads come in 6 sizes and have many potential placements, but advertisers tend to focus on these two: 300x250 and 300x100. We would recommend this as well. In contrast to native ads, advertisers can animate and implement videos into their banners, which is great for CTR (click-through rate).
Classic Push Ads
Push ads are a form of native advertising. It means presenting ads to users’ desktop or mobile devices in a non-intrusive and user-friendly fashion. They contain a push title, a push message, and a push image. The most familiar form of this ad is seen below. It is a widely used form of ad, as it has such a low chance of bot traffic, high global reach, and a higher click-through rate than other ad mediums (even if just because the user’s thumb slipped).
In-Page Push ads
These are notifications that pop up while users are surfing the website. Users don’t have to subscribe to see them, and they are usually presented in messaging formats with snazzy imagery. They aim to establish a personal connection, and so are very on-brand in the dating vertical.
Dating ad Creatives: Best Practices
Intrigue users
Come up with compelling text and images that make them crave for more info about your offer.
✉️ New Message. Amy: New audio (00:19)
💬 Hi, I’m Ava. Let’s chat?
Keep It Positive
It is important to avoid negative tones and lexicology. For instance, don’t use terms such as “worst”, “mistake”, or “never”. These words connote negativity and won’t interest your target audience. Instead, use terms such as “surprising”, “secret”, “unbelievable” etc.
Incorporate numbers
Numbers are a powerful tool for capturing attention. Ads that use statistics, and figures, and generally present themselves as reliable sources of information.
📍 We have found 31 singles in your area
💕 19 single women within 3 km of your location
Research
Spend some time doing research and google the beauty standards of the country you’ll be targeting. Take into consideration that what can be successful in one country, it can totally be the opposite in another one. Research a little bit about the culture of the target GEO and your campaign will be splendid! For example, ad creatives with older women convert better in European countries.
Use macroses and emojis
You can use macroses with Push and Native ad formats. For example, enter {country},{city}, or {state} to replace the user's location name. But if you mention something about the location, then include it on the pre-landing page, otherwise, it misleads users.
Consider using emojis, since they convey emotion and clarify the intention behind them.
Use images that match the landing page and the offer.
If the information on the creative does not match the landing page, then the chance of losing a user will greatly increase.
Split testing
Split testing or A/B testing is an essential part of media buying processes. What works for one person may not necessarily work for another person. So you need to understand which ads are performing better. Use at least 10 ad creatives in each ad campaign and keep them refreshed once a week.
Bidding & Optimization Tips
In general, we would highly recommend launching separate ad campaigns for different devices. This means a separate campaign for mobile, desktop, and tablets. Also, for each campaign, make use of the different traffic types as described below:
RON
RON stands for Running On Network, and it is a budget-friendly way to test the vastness of everything that is available at your disposal. You can get RON traffic at the minimum bid. So, it is essentially a cheap way to test the waters, and a great way to test-run your campaigns.
Prime
Prime provides exclusive, in-demand traffic at a premium price. This method has proven itself time and time again as a reliable traffic type.
Members Area
The member's area traffic type targets spots of online platforms with registered users. This way, you gain precise control of your price. You can also set a higher bid for the member's area and a lower bid for RON traffic.
Optimizer
You can even use our Optimizer, an extremely handy tool. It blacklists traffic sources that underperform and adjusts the bids according to rules that you set. This not only saves time, but analyzes each ad spot on its own merits and makes the best of your ads on your chosen stipulations. All you have to do is go to your TrafficStars account and go through the set-up process. It’s simple, streamlined, and leaves just enough leeway so that you can decide and play by your own rules.
Retargeting
Dating affiliate pro marketers can take advantage of our retargeting tool. Retargeting (or remarketing) is the ability to show ads to users who have already been on your website. Usually, visitors interact with your ad and then leave your site. But with the retargeting tool, the ad appears to them again on another website, reinforcing the message. Its aim is to remind them of your offer and convert them into customers.
It is recommended that you join a platform that has a retargeting tool, specifically because they have a direct positive impact on the clicks your ads get. Retargeted display ads, for instance, get 2.5x the number of clicks as a regular campaign ad.
Conclusion
Affiliate marketers often find the dating vertical, especially when focusing on dating sites with affiliate programs, to be a popular and impactful arena for their campaigns. Venturing into this space holds the potential to significantly enhance your visibility and cultivate strong brand affinity. Similar to other verticals, successfully navigating the landscape of dating affiliate networks requires a strategic and considered approach. Take the time to understand your Unique Selling Proposition (USP) and identify your target audience. Through a series of well-informed and effective marketing decisions, your campaign within the dating vertical, particularly emphasizing dating sites with affiliate programs, will gradually take shape, creating a compelling and successful narrative.
