The Perfect PR Pair: Dating Apps and Social Media

Posted on March 10, 2016, at 10:15 p.m.
by Morgan Martin.

Adweek published an infographic showing the relationship between dating apps and social media. The findings were interesting, yet predictable. As it turns out, dating apps and social media may just be the perfect public relations pair.

Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and even Snapchat all utilize partnerships with dating apps. Two of the most popular ones being Tinder and Bumble.

Tinder allows individuals to browse through people active on the app within their geographic area. If they find the match attractive, they swipe right. Two mutual right swipes create a connection. You can then message the individual to learn more about one another.

Bumble functions similarly to Tinder in reference to pulling individuals from one’s geographic area as well as using the swipe technique; however, Bumble allows women to make the first move. If a woman doesn’t say something to a new connection within 24 hours, the match disappears forever.

Social media and dating apps are similar in the idea that individuals are able to manipulate their personal brands. People upload appealing photos of themselves and provide the most interesting and relevant information pertaining to their lives.

Lexy Wright, a brand ambassador for both Bumble and theSkimm, discussed why she believes social media and dating apps go hand in hand.

“In today’s society, social media pages are like résumés and headshots. Having social media accounts comes with the opportunity to present yourself to millions of people and be judged based on the information you put out and the manner in which it is delivered,” said Wright. “Since people are seeking more information about the people they match with, people are motivated to maintain their social media pages to keep up with standards.”

It’s proven that people present the best version of themselves on social media, so linking one’s dating profile to his or her social media account would seem beneficial. Companies quickly caught onto this.

Lauren Balch, who has worked as the public relations and social media manager for Trident Music and as a Bumble brand ambassador, explained essential partnerships with social media.

“There are certain dating apps that you can’t log onto without having a Facebook or Twitter,” Balch said. “Tinder, I know, uses a Facebook login while you can also link your Instagram account, so when people view your Tinder profile, they can view your recently posted Instagrams.”

The relationship between Tinder and Instagram received endless praise upon release. Users enjoyed the access to more information, and both companies reaped the benefits. Leo Sun described the positive effects of this partnership for Tinder, Instagram and even Facebook.

“The closer relationship between Tinder and Instagram benefits Facebook,” Sun wrote. “Tinder doesn’t have to worry about adding new social networking features, Instagram becomes the app’s official photo stream, and Facebook serves as its social backbone.”

Bumble, like Tinder, allows social media handles to be linked on the users’ profiles as well.

“Since dating apps only provide a limited amount of information about your match, many users look to social media to find out more about people,” Wright said. “I offer my Instagram handle in my bio.”

Wright described how Bumble even reached out to Snapchat and found serious success.

“Bumble has really mastered the game,” Wright said. “They worked with Snapchat to have promotional geofilters promote Bumble in areas booming with young people. People’s Snapchat stories are constantly filled with snaps with Bumble filters, and the knowledge of the app keeps spreading.”

Now that the dating world has gone online, it seems as if these partnerships were inevitable. Dating apps just offer yet another way to connect. Endless individuals have reaped friendships, partnerships and romantic relationships from these apps. Wright described her own experience connecting with people by using these specific dating applications.

“When I first moved to New York City, I didn’t know a soul, so I used dating apps as a way to go out and meet people — just casual conversation. Immediately, I met really interesting people: some locals, some tourists, ultimately, other people in my shoes that were simply looking to meet other interesting people in the area,” Wright said. “Most of my experiences with dates from dating apps lead to some good conversation and a civil parting of ways, but I have actually had some boyfriends and many friends from all around the world that I now consider close friends.”

These apps have influenced the realm of social media much more than many realize. It’s easy to see that these PR partnerships will only grow from here, creating more and more ways for people to connect.