As of September 20, 2018, Facebook tested its very own dating services in Colombia. Instead of releasing an entirely different application, Facebook implemented their dating services as a feature. It doesn’t work as a separate application but instead functions in Facebook’s own mobile software.
Facebook dived into the marketplace of online dating and provided dating services of their own by promoting both familiar and unique features in their software. Facebook’s own dating feature avoids the “swiping model” popularised by Tinder to encourage users to start conversations with others based on people’s profiles.
It’s a bold move by Mark Zuckerberg to implement such a trending feature on their already popular social media network. Yet, it’s also a smart tactic to employ, since Facebook’s users continue to grow in numbers. However, how exactly can Facebook stand out in a marketplace full of tried and tested rivals such as Tinder, Hinge, and Bumble?
Taking advantage of what’s already established
For years, Facebook has already acted like an unofficial dating app or site. Users would message another user the same way someone would message another on a different dating software.
However, the lack of a balanced profile matching system makes it risky and difficult to use Facebook as a dating app. With a new and improved profile matching system, Facebook’s dating feature functions like a normal dating app but with a few added benefits from their content.
From a digital marketing perspective, a dating feature works well for Facebook due to the already established dominant presence on the web. Facebook knew thousands of users were already utilising their platform as a community for dating, so they made it easier for everyone by incorporating key elements of dating apps.
Learning from the competition
Zuckerberg ensured Facebook would be a dominant platform on social media. The results exceeded expectations as millions of users came to flock together and treated the popular site and app as a medium for social media. As such, Facebook continued to grow by learning from other various social media platforms.
Take Snapchat’s “story’ feature for example. You could view recorded videos from Snapchat users for a limited time of 24 hours once the story has been published. Other platforms noticed the feature, with Instagram and Facebook following the trend.
Just like the idea of Facebook“borrowing” Snapchat’s story feature, the decision to incorporate dating services in an already dominant platform is smart. Learning from the competition enables your brand to utilise as many trends as possible.
As of December 31, 2018, Facebook has accumulated over 2.32 billion monthly active users. If you have this amount of consumers, why wouldn’t you cash in a guaranteed strategy which will rack in more customers? It’s a wise business choice to provide your consumers with more optional features for almost anyone to use. A low-risk and high-rewarding choice such as Facebook’s idea to launch dating services is almost a guaranteed boost to gain more consumers.
Introducing similar features with established content
Since Facebook is already dominant as a social media platform, why wouldn’t they utilise their content? Features such as viewing mutual friends and sharing of images are included in their dating services. Combining both old and new features should allow users to be familiar with their dating services.
In a way, it’s like establishing an innovative feature without utilising anything new at all. All you have to do is follow a trend, incorporate it in your content, and combine it with old features. Doing so will introduce your content to users, familiarising them to avoid confusion.
Like how the saying goes: ”If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.” If you plan on bringing something new to the table, make users comfortable by giving them the benefit of adding brand-related content into the mix. This way, the brand’s content will be somewhat unique and familiar at the same time. Such is the case for Facebook utilising their new dating services. There’s a fresh yet familiar feeling when you test Facebook’s dating feature to find their usual content mixed in between.
In conclusion, there’s nothing too innovative with Facebook’s decision to add dating into their services. It’s just one of the many ways we can learn how to borrow ideas and trends to enlighten customers and widen the desired target market.
When it comes to executive decision-making, following trends has always been a fundamental basic of marketing. However, with digital marketing as a leading marketing decision in our world today, brands have found it reach more audiences thanks to quicker and faster market research.
There so many ways you can incorporate digital marketing in your brand’s strategies. Learn more about digital marketing and its capabilities by visiting our website. Stay updated with digital marketing’s latest trends.
