When it comes to dating and falling in love, we’re all too familiar with the classic rom-com meet cute. You’re in a coffee shop, ordering your oat milk latte. “I think you dropped this” rings out from behind you in the queue, you turn around only to lock eyes with the love of your life. Cue the cheesy music.
Except these days, these meets are few and far between. You’re more likely to hear your phone ping, ‘you’ve got a new match!’
In 2012, Tinder changed the game completely.
First, Tinder became the new house party. Next, Bumble the new coffee shop, and last but by no means least, Hinge — the new bar.
Off the back of that, a decade later, there’s a fresh wave of social dating apps. For instance, Snack and Thursday are the latest on the market, bagging us dates left, right, and center.
Unsurprisingly, app dating reached an all-time high post-2020.
In the last two years, Bumble has seen a 70% increase in video calls. Plus, Tinder reportedly hit 3B swipes in just one day. Whew!
However, have dating apps reached their peak?
For a new generation, are dating habits beginning to change?
“Gen-Z are looking for fun,” says dating guru Nikki Patton.
Evidently, dating apps for this generation are seen as a way to entertain. Less of the serious stuff; instead, it’s all about fun and flirting.
Plus, they may take issue with some of the fundamental flaws of app dating, too.
A staggering 53% of Americans have admitted to falsifying their appearance or personality on dating sites. As a result, it’s Catfish central. 80% of millennials report being ghosted at some point, and we’re not talking paranormal activity.
Back in 2020, a study revealed two thirds of dating app users are tired of being judged on looks ahead of personality.
As this suggests; fatigue has been growing for some time. So, what will the future of dating apps look like?
THE NEW WAVE OF DATING APPS
Enter: a new wave of dating apps aimed to banish catfishing, swerve the fakes, and bring a little authenticity into play.
To keep up with a new generation of daters, apps are evolving to put more emphasis on personality. Take Snack, for example. With an age cap of 18-34, the platform has been dubbed the TikTok of dating apps, because profiles are video-first. Plus, instead of the eternal swipe, users can search matches by their interests.
Snack knows how to connect with their Gen-Z heavy audience, too. Their fun and friendly TOV on TikTok and Insta mimics that of the bestie you tell your dating wins (and horror stories) to.
Our favourite feature? Snack is wired to weed out serial ghosters by deprioritizing profiles that have a poor track record.
And Snack isn’t the only new kid on the block looking to disrupt the dating app space.
Similarly, Jigsaw hides the profile pics of its users, slowly de-pixelating as conversation progresses so there’s more of a focus on personality.
Moreover, Thursday only allows users to date on…you guessed it…a Thursday, before deleting all matches and starting the process again the following week.
In addition, POM allows users to link their profiles to Spotify or Apple Music, so they can find love through their love of similar artists.
Saying this, we know finding the perfect match isn’t exclusive to just in-app.
As a result of this tech trickery, 90% of consumers prefer recommendations from their “peers” rather than traditional marketing means.
It’s important to show consumers that their peers are using these apps too, because it allows more people to feel comfortable sharing their experiences. Well, opposed to hiding the apps in their utilities folder (we see you).
So, if you’re an app looking to smash your benchmark CPA, or onboard a network of influencers to spread the word, drop us a line at info@seenconnects.com.