Tinder, the popular mobile dating app that has been “growing like a weed”, according to chairman of IAC’s Match Group unit Greg Blatt, is looking to make some money from all its active users who are constantly swiping left and right on their smartphones in hope of finding the one. Aiming to reach $75 million in annual earnings, Tinder has been warming up to advertisers this year. Now three approaches are reportedly in consideration for generating revenue: subscription, advertising, and “freemium”, as in “free to use with paid premium features”.
Considering that OKCupid, another successful online dating platform that also hails from IAC’s Match Group, employs the latter two approaches, it looks most likely Tinder would follow suit. But given the inherently distinctive user experience of Tinder, incorporating ads and premium features will no doubt require some careful thinking. As with all good marketing efforts on mobile, monetizing effort should not come at the cost of hindering the Tindering.
