Top push ad networks

Mainstream Dating

Anna Mardas
15 March 2024

In affiliate marketing, offers are segmented into categories like Mainstream Dating and Adult Dating, each targeting different user intentions. The term “mainstream” in this context implies a broader acceptance and fewer restrictions on promotional channels, unlike Adult Dating, which faces limitations due to its content. Consequently, Mainstream offers, including those in the dating niche, present more opportunities for promotion and are popular among affiliates for their accessibility.

In this post, we’ll dig into the mainstream dating definition and break down its main aspects.

What is Mainstream Dating in Affiliate Marketing

Mainstream Dating platforms and apps are tailored for individuals seeking serious, long-term relationships, often with a focus on compatibility for future partnership or family building. Unlike Adult Dating, which is explicitly aimed at facilitating sexual encounters, Mainstream Dating sites typically promote connections with calls-to-action like “Feeling lonely?”. These prompts encourage users to seek companionship and meaningful relationships without directly implying the pursuit of sexual dates.

Target Audience of Mainstream Dating

“Different strokes for different folks” truly captures the essence of the mainstream dating scene. It’s a place where everyone, regardless of age, interests, or orientation, can find a match. From the young people exploring dating apps for the first time to those with more life experience seeking companionship or love, dating platforms offer something for everyone.

Dating preferences are diverse

What do numbers say about the target audience of dating offers, look at the following statistics:

Swipe left, swipe right – and a single is more likely to put an end to loneliness, despite their age, children from a previous marriage or gender orientation. This is why dating offers have become incredibly sought-after and valuable, catering to the different needs and desires of individuals.

Mainstream Dating Advertising Payout Models

When promoting dating offers, affiliates earn payouts based on the following models:

  • SOI (Single Opt-In) – the conversion gets done provided that a user leaves the email. Nothing else is required;
  • DOI (Double Opt-In) – affiliates earn a commission when a customer verifies their sign-up via email or other means;
  • CPL (Cost Per Lead) – the umbrella term for SOI (Single Opt-In) and DOI (Double Opt-In);
  • CPS (Cost Per Sale) – sale in the dating industry usually stands for buying a subscription or premium access to dating app (website) options. Since most dating platforms rely on subscriptions to earn money, this model is common;
  • RevShare (Revenue Share) – affiliates get a portion of the revenue from dating platforms they endorse;

From the outside, it looks like people just chat and meet up through dating platforms. However, the industry has a well-thought-out monetization strategy. Dating websites and app owners find plenty of ways to encourage users to pay for additional features. For example, a paid subscription to Tinder grants unlimited likes, access to partner searches worldwide, and many other privileges. 

Traffic Sources for Mainstream Dating Advertising

Popular traffic sources for promoting dating offers:

  • Facebook;
  • Google UAC;
  • Ad networks;
  • Youtube Short;
  • SEO.

Facebook is a common traffic source when it comes to promoting dating offers. This channel makes reaching the target audience as efficient as possible due to such targeting options as GEO, gender, interests and age. However, it’s important to note that Facebook along with the rest of social media isn’t a one-size-fits-all solution. The main audience on Facebook, tends to be individuals up to the age of 35 while there are some offers aimed at older users. 

Viable alternatives to Facebook are ad networks inviting affiliates to promote their offers on publishers’ websites. Publishers increase traffic, advertisers attract leads, and there are almost no restrictions – how do you like that? Plus, ad networks furnish various ad formats to maximize their ad coverage and prevent users from becoming bored.

The best ad formats for dating advertising in ad networks are push notifications, in-page push ads and native ads.

TOP GEOs for Dating Advertising 

Affiliates give top priority to tier-1 countries because they are indeed the best geos for lead generation. Probably, the hustle culture in these countries can sometimes take a toll on the personal lives of their residents. According to SimilarWeb data for June 2023, a significant portion of the audience for the most popular dating apps, such as Tinder and Bumble, comes from the United States. 

Going to test the waters only? Target tier-2 and tier-3 countries, putting off the conquest of tie-1 geos. In some of these geos, the demand for dating offers is very high, while the competition is lower than in more developed countries. 

Increasingly common GEOs for Dating:

  • USA;
  • Germany;
  • UK;
  • France;
  • Japan;
  • China;
  • India;
  • Brazil.

According to Statista forecasts for 2023, users from these regions are expected to spend on dating within apps and platforms more than others.

Creatives for Mainstream Dating: Best Practices

Mainstream Dating meaning is almost all about making creatives. A campaign might fail if the creative is poor. Let’s get up to speed on how creatives generate results.

  • Make sure you don’t mislead anyone

Creative promising one-night sex with a hot babe that leads to the ordinary website for mainstream dating is what we call misleading. You would observe high CTRs but almost zero conversions, unfortunately. 

  • Show the diversity (by gender, race, etc.)

Unless you have restrictions linked to the target audience, use it to showcase the world’s diversity! Certainly, baby boomers and seniors are a minority among users of dating platforms, but audiences by race are approximately equal, as Pew Research said. 

  • Imitate personal messages

Making a push notification look personal is a smart move. This tactic creates a stronger emotional connection with users, increasing the likelihood of ramping up user engagement and conversion rates. Including open-ended questions, e.g. “What’s your ideal date spot?” boosts your conversion chances.

  • Make girls from creatives more decisive

Together with gorgeous girls, add texts that include invitations, such as “can we chat?” or “let’s meet”. It’s a well-known fact that many guys can be incredibly hesitant when it comes to dating, especially if they have little experience or have been single for a while. Hence, this approach can encourage dating engagement.

Hot Tips For Boosting Your Mainstream Dating Ad Campaign

Targeting strategies can greatly differ based on the selected traffic source. Tips may range from broadening your targeting to reach a wider audience to adopting a more focused approach by restricting your campaign to specific whitelists.

Here are 3 key ideas you can base your offer launch on.

Request whitelists

Running RON campaigns is evergreen advice in affiliate marketing. But given the specifics of some offers, a smarter approach can be requesting whitelists and excluding non-performing traffic sources by placing them on the blacklist.

Be mindful of traffic segmentation

Most ad networks segment traffic by quality, distinguishing such groups as Premium, Standard, Low (roughly). Some propose running dating offers on premium sources only, especially if you target tier-1 GEOs, otherwise, the campaign would fail. The opposite can be true as well. You will most likely receive this information from the manager.

Target adult sources

The target audience of adult websites and those for your dating offer can wind up matching. Some singles are used to surf adult websites to brighten their loneliness. So dating offers can give a single solution rather than temporary relief. Moreover, it’s easy to scale a mainstream dating campaign with adult traffic (but not vice-versa).

Related Articles:

Anna Mardas
Anna Mardas brought together her background as a copywriter in digital marketing. Now, she's got a solid grasp on affiliate marketing, especially when it comes to understanding the following niches: Gambling, Adult, Dating, Sweepstakes and Crypto. Anna stands out for her thorough research and insightful reviews of ad networks, offering her readers valuable knowledge.

In affiliate marketing, offers are segmented into categories like Mainstream Dating and Adult Dating, each targeting different user intentions. The term “mainstream” in this context implies a broader acceptance and fewer restrictions on promotional channels, unlike Adult Dating, which faces limitations due to its content. Consequently, Mainstream offers, including those in the dating niche, present more opportunities for promotion and are popular among affiliates for their accessibility.

In this post, we’ll dig into the mainstream dating definition and break down its main aspects.

What is Mainstream Dating in Affiliate Marketing

Mainstream Dating platforms and apps are tailored for individuals seeking serious, long-term relationships, often with a focus on compatibility for future partnership or family building. Unlike Adult Dating, which is explicitly aimed at facilitating sexual encounters, Mainstream Dating sites typically promote connections with calls-to-action like “Feeling lonely?”. These prompts encourage users to seek companionship and meaningful relationships without directly implying the pursuit of sexual dates.

Target Audience of Mainstream Dating

“Different strokes for different folks” truly captures the essence of the mainstream dating scene. It’s a place where everyone, regardless of age, interests, or orientation, can find a match. From the young people exploring dating apps for the first time to those with more life experience seeking companionship or love, dating platforms offer something for everyone.

Dating preferences are diverse

What do numbers say about the target audience of dating offers, look at the following statistics:

Swipe left, swipe right – and a single is more likely to put an end to loneliness, despite their age, children from a previous marriage or gender orientation. This is why dating offers have become incredibly sought-after and valuable, catering to the different needs and desires of individuals.

Mainstream Dating Advertising Payout Models

When promoting dating offers, affiliates earn payouts based on the following models:

  • SOI (Single Opt-In) – the conversion gets done provided that a user leaves the email. Nothing else is required;
  • DOI (Double Opt-In) – affiliates earn a commission when a customer verifies their sign-up via email or other means;
  • CPL (Cost Per Lead) – the umbrella term for SOI (Single Opt-In) and DOI (Double Opt-In);
  • CPS (Cost Per Sale) – sale in the dating industry usually stands for buying a subscription or premium access to dating app (website) options. Since most dating platforms rely on subscriptions to earn money, this model is common;
  • RevShare (Revenue Share) – affiliates get a portion of the revenue from dating platforms they endorse;

From the outside, it looks like people just chat and meet up through dating platforms. However, the industry has a well-thought-out monetization strategy. Dating websites and app owners find plenty of ways to encourage users to pay for additional features. For example, a paid subscription to Tinder grants unlimited likes, access to partner searches worldwide, and many other privileges. 

Traffic Sources for Mainstream Dating Advertising

Popular traffic sources for promoting dating offers:

  • Facebook;
  • Google UAC;
  • Ad networks;
  • Youtube Short;
  • SEO.

Facebook is a common traffic source when it comes to promoting dating offers. This channel makes reaching the target audience as efficient as possible due to such targeting options as GEO, gender, interests and age. However, it’s important to note that Facebook along with the rest of social media isn’t a one-size-fits-all solution. The main audience on Facebook, tends to be individuals up to the age of 35 while there are some offers aimed at older users. 

Viable alternatives to Facebook are ad networks inviting affiliates to promote their offers on publishers’ websites. Publishers increase traffic, advertisers attract leads, and there are almost no restrictions – how do you like that? Plus, ad networks furnish various ad formats to maximize their ad coverage and prevent users from becoming bored.

The best ad formats for dating advertising in ad networks are push notifications, in-page push ads and native ads.

TOP GEOs for Dating Advertising 

Affiliates give top priority to tier-1 countries because they are indeed the best geos for lead generation. Probably, the hustle culture in these countries can sometimes take a toll on the personal lives of their residents. According to SimilarWeb data for June 2023, a significant portion of the audience for the most popular dating apps, such as Tinder and Bumble, comes from the United States. 

Going to test the waters only? Target tier-2 and tier-3 countries, putting off the conquest of tie-1 geos. In some of these geos, the demand for dating offers is very high, while the competition is lower than in more developed countries. 

Increasingly common GEOs for Dating:

  • USA;
  • Germany;
  • UK;
  • France;
  • Japan;
  • China;
  • India;
  • Brazil.

According to Statista forecasts for 2023, users from these regions are expected to spend on dating within apps and platforms more than others.

Creatives for Mainstream Dating: Best Practices

Mainstream Dating meaning is almost all about making creatives. A campaign might fail if the creative is poor. Let’s get up to speed on how creatives generate results.

  • Make sure you don’t mislead anyone

Creative promising one-night sex with a hot babe that leads to the ordinary website for mainstream dating is what we call misleading. You would observe high CTRs but almost zero conversions, unfortunately. 

  • Show the diversity (by gender, race, etc.)

Unless you have restrictions linked to the target audience, use it to showcase the world’s diversity! Certainly, baby boomers and seniors are a minority among users of dating platforms, but audiences by race are approximately equal, as Pew Research said. 

  • Imitate personal messages

Making a push notification look personal is a smart move. This tactic creates a stronger emotional connection with users, increasing the likelihood of ramping up user engagement and conversion rates. Including open-ended questions, e.g. “What’s your ideal date spot?” boosts your conversion chances.

  • Make girls from creatives more decisive

Together with gorgeous girls, add texts that include invitations, such as “can we chat?” or “let’s meet”. It’s a well-known fact that many guys can be incredibly hesitant when it comes to dating, especially if they have little experience or have been single for a while. Hence, this approach can encourage dating engagement.

Hot Tips For Boosting Your Mainstream Dating Ad Campaign

Targeting strategies can greatly differ based on the selected traffic source. Tips may range from broadening your targeting to reach a wider audience to adopting a more focused approach by restricting your campaign to specific whitelists.

Here are 3 key ideas you can base your offer launch on.

Request whitelists

Running RON campaigns is evergreen advice in affiliate marketing. But given the specifics of some offers, a smarter approach can be requesting whitelists and excluding non-performing traffic sources by placing them on the blacklist.

Be mindful of traffic segmentation

Most ad networks segment traffic by quality, distinguishing such groups as Premium, Standard, Low (roughly). Some propose running dating offers on premium sources only, especially if you target tier-1 GEOs, otherwise, the campaign would fail. The opposite can be true as well. You will most likely receive this information from the manager.

Target adult sources

The target audience of adult websites and those for your dating offer can wind up matching. Some singles are used to surf adult websites to brighten their loneliness. So dating offers can give a single solution rather than temporary relief. Moreover, it’s easy to scale a mainstream dating campaign with adult traffic (but not vice-versa).

Related Articles:

Anna Mardas
Anna Mardas brought together her background as a copywriter in digital marketing. Now, she's got a solid grasp on affiliate marketing, especially when it comes to understanding the following niches: Gambling, Adult, Dating, Sweepstakes and Crypto. Anna stands out for her thorough research and insightful reviews of ad networks, offering her readers valuable knowledge.