We all know that human beings are social creatures. We constantly need to communicate with someone, maintain relationships, and feel part of a community. In the end, there was a reason to put socialization as one of the first stages of Maslow’s pyramid, known to everyone from the school curriculum. In addition, at some point, a person thinks not just about building contacts but about romantic ties. It is great that in today’s world, thanks to digitalization and internet coverage all over the world, the barriers to communication and romance are being erased. We are talking about all sorts of dating apps, streaming services, and other dating (or social) vertical products. In this article, we will look into all the corners of working with dating traffic; we will reveal the secrets of finding social offers and their successful promotion.
Who is who in dating vertical
Within the affiliate and digital marketing space, the dating or so-called social vertical is the category of offers dedicated to advertising different online relationship-building and networking apps and platforms. This evergreen vertical offers a wide variety of dating services that gather around them a target audience with very different, sometimes even strange, interacting needs. We can mention the following among the most commonly used types of dating offers.
| Type of the dating offer | Description and examples |
| Mainstream | Social websites and apps like Match.com and eHarmony help users find profound, long-term relationships. |
| Video streaming | Platforms such as CamSoda and Flirt4Free, focus on non-committal encounters and fun interactions through live video. |
| Social guides | Services like Digital Romance offer users a wealth of advice and guidance on dating and relationships. |
| Casual romance | Apps like Tinder and CasualX, which present themselves as mainstream but subtly promise users an easygoing approach to romance, similar to the video streaming category. |
According to Statista, the online dating market is expected to reach $3.2 billion in revenue by 2024, reflecting a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 4.3% from 2020 to 2024. The key drivers of this rise are the expansion of online dating as a common way to meet possible mates and the growing internet adoption. Consumer behavior within this industry shows a preference for mobile-first experiences, with over 70% of users accessing dating services via their smartphones.
Opportunities in affiliate marketing within the dating vertical
From theory to practice — over many years of working with the dating vertical, advertisers, and affiliates have identified a few clear patterns. If you study them, it will be easier for you to navigate, especially when choosing the most profitable offer from an aggregator or choosing the most favorable terms of partnership with an affiliate network.
Average statistics on advertising dating offers
The dating industry reached a market size of $2.5 billion in 2023. Affiliates promoting dating offers often see conversion rates in between 2% to 5%, depending on the platform and traffic source. The geographic statistics show that the United States makes the most money.
Target audiences to pay attention
Younger adults aged 18-34 are key demographics as they look for novel features and convenient features to enhance their dating experiences, whereas older adults aged 35-54 prefer traditional matchmaking services. Younger users prefer functionality and interactivity more, while older ones have more concerns for security as well as detailed profiles.
Commonly used traffic sources
- Social media: Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok are popular for their vast reach and targeting capabilities.
- Search engines: Google Ads offers precise keyword targeting for users actively searching for dating services.
- Native advertising: Platforms like Taboola and Outbrain effectively reach users with engaging, non-disruptive ads.
Payout models perfect for dating
- Cost Per Acquisition (CPA): Affiliates earn a commission for each user who completes a registration or subscription.
- Revenue Share (RevShare): Affiliates get a percentage of the revenue generated by the referred user over time.
- Price Per Lead (PPL): Affiliates are paid for each lead, with options for single opt-in (SOI) or double opt-in (DOI).
- Price Per Sale (PPS): Affiliates earn a commission based on the sales generated by the user.
The most suitable ad types
- Popunder ads: Effective for immediate attention without requiring user interaction, suitable for high traffic volume.
- Banner (display) ads: Visually appealing and can be placed on relevant websites or apps.
- Native ads: Seamless content, which enhances engagement rates.
- Push notification ads: Deliver messages directly to users’ devices, ensuring high visibility.
- Interstitial ads: Full-screen ads that capture users’ full attention between content transitions.
- In-Page Push Ads (IPPAs): Ads that appear within web pages, combining the effectiveness of push notifications with native ad placement.
Relevant GEOs
US, UK, Canada, Germany and other Tier-1 countries are rightly seen as the gold mines, owing to the Scale of Disposable Incomes and Internet Penetration. Prospecting markets in Asia and Latin America are getting more and more traffic, too.
Leading dating affiliate networks
- Dating Gold: A great affiliate program with up to 50% RevShare, quality dating offers and on-time payouts.
- AdultFriendFinder: Provides affiliates with up to 70% commission on sales, alongside detailed analytics and marketing tools.
- CrakRevenue: Famous for its variety of dating offers, offering up to 80% RevShare and robust tracking tools.
Useful dating offers aggregators
- OfferVault: Features over 5,000 Social Offers.
- Affbank: Showcases 4,500+ active social offers.
- oDigger: With a relatively small number of social offers — 650+, it remains a good choice due to its targeted selection and quality offers.
Create your dating ad campaign at HilltopAds and Get the best Results!
Case studies
And so, not to be baseless, we would like to share a couple of cases that demonstrate how affiliate marketers leverage the potential of HilltopAds ad network in terms of earning from individual offers across the dating vertical.
Non-mainstream dating offers + popunder traffic = 183% ROI
An example of non-mainstream dating success is a campaign that utilizes HilltopAds’ popunder traffic. The campaign generated a 183% return on investment within just nine days by targeting Germany, a high-timer for this type of offer. The campaign relied on bold but polished creatives that resonated with German viewers, who have a taste for daring material.
The strategy, which focused on mobile traffic, used the popunder ad type to ensure straightforward conversions without demanding further user commitments. Pre-landers were utilized in the campaign to encourage people to visit registration landing pages first, sometimes with interactive elements like invitations to “rate the girl” or unique site warnings. A vital component was continuous improvement, wherein the team employed HilltopAds’ automatic optimization engine to eliminate inefficient traffic sources and adjust the campaign based on real-time performance data.
The team began with a suggested CPM bid and, when good outcomes were seen, increased the daily budget step-by-step from $200 to $300 to enhance engagement and conversions. This meticulous approach generated $6,792.84 in income with a $2,400 expenditure, proving the sustainability of well-managed non-mainstream dating operations in lucrative GEOs like Germany.
You can find a detailed description of this case in our blog.
Promoting dating offers in Canada with ROI 102,41%
It’s time to share a case of the campaign that promoted a CPA dating offer using HilltopAds’ CPM traffic in the dating vertical, with a return on investment of 102.41%. This popunder mobile ad campaign, which ran from February 21 to February 25, was directed towards Canada (CA) GEO. With a $1.70 CPM offer, the campaign took advantage of Canada’s sizable online dating audience by concentrating on high and medium-activity consumers on Android and iOS devices.
The strategy was straightforward: popunder advertisements would bring users to landing pages immediately, rejecting the necessity for unique creatives. This simplicity made effective data gathering and optimization possible. The authors of this approach used frequency capping to restrict ad displays to once per 24 hours per user and used the postback URL provided by HilltopAds to measure conversions.
The campaign generated 1,035 conversions in its first two days, bringing in $1,503.16 while costing $710.70. It achieved 2,929 conversions over five days, resulting in a $1,812.60 total cost and $3,669 in profits. The campaign’s $1,856.40 net profit demonstrated the potential of carefully targeted matchmaking offers made using HilltopAds’ platform, even with limited mid-run adjustment.
Check out HilltopAds’ blog section for more secrets from this case.
How to get to the heart: tips for dating campaigns
We discussed the basic structure of the dating vertical and working with its offers. But, as we know, you can’t get very far with basic settings, especially in the case of the advertising market and the fight for user attention. To stay ahead of the competition, you need to pay attention to additional features in the work. Here are some of them:
Advance your content marketing
It is important to create good content that resonates with needs and interests of your target audience, both emotionally and practically. Publish blog posts, relevant videos on social media to talk about common dating problems and goals. Sharing your message through the storytelling of your success cases and testimonials earns the trust of your audience and brings them closer to you. Organic traffic generated via search engines can be significantly increased using keywords targeted toward your audience interests.
Follow necessary regulations
It is very important to monitor individual regulatory requirements and advertising standards for the regions you plan on targeting. Some of these standards include CAN-SPAM for email marketing and GDPR for European users. Transparency about how you collect and use data builds trust among users. And in order to stay on the right side of things, regularly check your campaigns for compliance, and make the necessary adjustments in time.
Utilize analytical tools
Track user engagement, conversions, and return on investment with digital-marketing tools (e.g., Google Analytics, SEMrush). Do A/B testing for all campaign pieces, including headlines, images, and calls-to-action, until you know what works best. Drive performance with data-driven decision making and campaign optimization based on insights from analytical tools.
Work on creative assets
Create captivating landing pages and banners with obvious, persuasive calls to action. Also, you should check that chosen images well allign with your brand identity and appeal to the target demographic. Compose advertising text that highlights advantages and conveys a sense of urgency while speaking directly to the needs and feelings of your target audience. Because a significant percentage of your audience will access your material via smartphones, make sure that all of your creative assets are optimized for mobile.
Creating an effective dating campaign with HilltopAds
Well, you are now a guru of dating ads. But the question is, how to find the traffic volume to do it easily. You already know the correct response. HilltopAds provides advanced marketing tools, a simple interface, and premium traffic. There is also support for ad formats such as popunder, banner, video, and in-page push advertising. Comprehensive tracking tools and competitive CPM rates provide the possibility for efficient strategy planning and accurate performance monitoring. With account managers that offer comprehensive support to ensure the success of campaigns, HilltopAds is your ideal option for maximizing return on investment for dating. Here are the steps to get started:
Step 1: Registration as an advertiser
- Sign up: Register as an advertiser on HilltopAds via this link.
- Account setup: Complete your profile and provide the necessary business details for making deposit.
Step 2: Campaign creation
- Create the campaign: In the Manage Campaigns section, click on ‘Add Campaign’.
- Ad format selection: Opt for suitable ad formats such as popunder ads, banner ads, video ads, and in-page push ads.
- Traffic source selection: Choose non-mainstream high and medium activity traffic channels for optimal results.
Step 3: Targeting setup
- Adjust the targetings: Set GEOs (e.g., Canada, Germany), devices (Android, iOS) and frequency caps (like 1 display per 24 hours).
- Put the bid setting: Set your CPM bid based on recommended rates from HilltopAds (e.g., $1.70 CPM).
- Setting budgets: Determine your daily and total campaign budget, starting with a reasonable amount to test performance (e.g., $200 per day).
Step 4: Tracking and optimization
- Implement postback URL: Set up the postback URL to track conversions and source IDs accurately.
- Start the initial testing: Launch the campaign and monitor the initial performance for the first few days.
- Add optimization: Use HilltopAds’ automatic optimization tools to remove non-performing traffic sources and adjust targeting for better results.
Check our step-by-step guide about Popunder ads optimization
Step 5: Scaling
- Expand budget: Increase your daily budget based on the initial results.
- Expand targeting: Explore other relevant GEOs or broaden your targeting criteria to capture a larger audience.
Final thoughts
Now, a quick recap of what we have learned. The dating (social) sector has a variety of cost-effective potential for digital marketers and affiliates. This market has a lot of promise for those who are prepared to spend in focused tactics and creative solutions because of the steady demand and large audience. Marketers may maximize return on investment (ROI) in their campaigns by utilizing superior ad styles, stable tracking technologies, and traffic sources. Furthering success may be achieved by cooperation with reliable networks such as HilltopAds, which offers extensive assistance and efficient optimization tools. Living up to the competitive dating affiliate marketing background, one will need to be knowledgeable and flexible as consumer behavior changes and new technologies are introduced. If you manage to turn some of the niche challenges and embrace its opening opportunities, you might see incredible results.
Master affiliate marketing in the Dating vertical with HilltopAds!
- Advanced targeting options
- Direct traffic sources
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- Fully-managed service
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