Joining niche dating sites… and Twitter recruitment
In every bit of humour, there is a thread of truth. Or so they say.
Recently I was listening to the Snortle Comedy Podcast (starring Jamie, Chris and Steve), and Chris (who I met on a few AYMP events) talked about a recent experience he had had trying to interact with a Uniform Dating site via Twitter. Here is a snippet of Chris (@Knightyjr) tweeting with Uniform Dating (@uniformdating):
Chris: Are you a fetish website? Would you let war re-enactors join your site?
Uniform Dating: Hi @Knightyjr we’re a genuine website for uniform personnel or anyone who would like to date someone in uniform.
Chris: Hello @uniformdating What about the war re-enactment question that was in my tweet? Where does the uniform dating criteria end?
Uniform Dating: @Knightyjr Why not join the site for free and see where the criteria ends!
And it all gets a lot more bizarre. Chris grills them about their policy on clowns, zoo keepers, strippers and strippers in zoo keeper outfits, and more. Here is the segment:
AYMP Podcast – [Snortle Comedy] Uniform dating and Twitter
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A few thoughts
In this podcast, there are two themes that (as someone trying to better online dating) are of particular interest to me: firstly niche dating, and secondly brands (in this case dating brands) using Twitter in their communication strategy.
Niche dating ~ blurry lines
I’m fascinated (and as you can tell, sometimes amused) by the ever growing field of niche dating online. There are dating sites not only for people in uniform, but sites specifically for sugar daddies, for cougars, sites that are faith specific, race specific, sexual orientation specific, fetish-based, social class based, for swingers, for cheaters, for certain types of book lovers, wine-lovers, friend recommendation based… the list keeps getting longer.
The point Chris makes in the podcast about “What qualifies as a uniform for uniform dating?” can be applied more widely to any niche dating site; how blurry can the criteria get when your entry parameters are such a specific unique selling point? I personally never joined a niche dating site when I was single for that reason – it seemed so limiting. And how do you sort the sheep from lambs, so to speak? (There probably is a dating site that involves sheep and lambs, but I’m not going there.)
I said it before (even in a Flashback episode) and I’ll say it again: you often don’t know what you like (or love) until you see it. Does a uniform make a difference when it comes to first impressions? Or what books someone claims to read? Are these important enough to merit a niche site? Are supply and demand in balance? And that segues into the second point; recruitment.
Using Twitter to recruit
It is also clear from the responses Chris got to his tweets that whoever was manning the Uniform Dating Twitter feed was following the script: recruit, recruit, recruit.
There are lots of brands that use Twitter – some to have conversations with their customers, some to sell things or highlight deals, some for PR purpose or to show celebrity credentials, but pretty much all dating sites I see with a Twitter have one mission: close the deal.
Join. Now. Free.
Get as many people through the door as possible to pad out the database to serve two symbiotic purposes: 1) Attract even more users by boasting how many people “Are dying to meet you” and; 2) Generate revenue through subscription or advertising (show the advertisers how many eyeballs you have.)
I see a conflict of interest here, but that is for another post. I’m keen to hear from anyone who uses niche dating sites to get their opinions on if they really are better places to date than mass market dating sites? So please comment below or drop me a line.
All of this feeds into shaping the way AYMP approaches things.
Special thanks
Special thanks to the guys at Snortle for permission to reproduce the segment. You can read (and hear) more of their material here: http://www.snortle.co.uk/
Tags: chris knight, podcast, snortle, twitter, uniform dating
2 Responses to “Joining niche dating sites… and Twitter recruitment”
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I completely ‘get’ and understand what you are saying, however, there is a flipside. I am a guy in uniform, a policeman and I have joined this and other such similar dating sites purely because of the fact that I work irregular hours – generally people who wear uniforms do. So it is not about a uniform fetish, it is about meeting and dating people who will understand your irregular work hours and, perhaps, find some cohesion through this irregularity.
Hi Josh,
Thanks for commenting… Really good point, and even more valid coming from someone who is actually in uniform (i.e the target market). So (if I may ask), do you feel that a niche dating site should specify “EMT” or “swing shift hours” to really narrow down their proposition and get the right people to sign up instead of just “uniform” (which is really broad)?
And a follow up question: how does a niche uniform dating site compare to a general dating site where you could state on your profile that you work irregular hours? Does a “uniform” spin mean more quality and understanding in your experience? Curious to know.
Finally, how do you feel about their Twitter exchange with Chris? Instead of having a conversation along the lines of “Do you work irregular hours? Then this is the place for you” to see if he is right for the site, they were blatantly recruiting anyone and anyone who tweeted them? Does that give you confidence that they are living the creed?
No right or wrong answers, just curious how things could be better. Appreciate your time.
Thanks
Allan