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According to Statista, the dating market in India is worth $70 million. To put that into perspective, in the United States, online dating brings in $1.39 billion annually, while in England, it generates $198 million annually. On the other hand, the gambling industry in India is estimated to be around €2.65 billion per year. Considering that India has a population of one and a half billion people, dating is not very popular there, especially compared to gambling.



This fact scares off many affiliate marketers for obvious reasons. If dating is not successful in India, it would be better to target a country where this vertical is more popular. However, since there are not many affiliates focusing on India, there is less competition, and affiliates are more likely to get traffic.

In this article, we will explore how to achieve a good ROI when promoting dating offers in India, why the InPage Push format is the best to use, and how to create high-converting ad creatives for this geo.

InPage Push — push notifications that do not require a subscription

InPage Push is a type of push notification that appears within a webpage when a user visits it. Unlike regular push notifications, InPage Push doesn't require a subscription and can reach iOS users. This means that every visitor to a particular website can see InPage Push notifications. Because of its wider coverage compared to regular push notifications, this format tends to be more effective.

The push notification market in India is growing. According to Statista's predictions for 2024, push advertising costs will amount to $51.8 million. This indicates that InPage Push is also growing in popularity because it offers an even broader reach. For average users, the difference between the two formats is barely noticeable.



Firstspot magazine reported that, In 2023, 90 million iPhones were sold in India. InPage Push directly targets these iPhone users, who form a financially capable audience that is more likely to purchase Apple products. Targeting such an audience is always more profitable, including in the dating industry, as they are more likely to take the desired action and respond positively to advertising.

Furthermore, InPage Push notifications are less intrusive to users, allowing them to continue exploring website content without disruption. As a result, it generates a higher click-through rate (CTR). Moreover, the format itself is affordable, with a low cost per click (CPC) of $0.00003 in India on ad networks like MyBid. This enables affiliates to test different campaigns and ad creative options without taking big risks.



Conducting tests is important in any vertical, but it becomes even more important when affiliates target India. The market is relatively small, and the dating vertical is not very popular. Therefore, it's essential to carefully consider approaches to generate at least some traffic. Approaches that work well in most Tier-1 countries may not be as effective in the Indian market.

Dating Trends in India

Deccan Herald magazine conducted extensive research on dating in India in 2024 and discovered what exactly Indians are seeking in a relationship. Here are the key findings:
- 41% of the respondents emphasized the importance of their partner's intellectual development and the ability to engage in discussions about political and socially significant matters.
- 35% mentioned that spiritual unity holds greater importance to them compared to sexual intimacy.
- A third of Indians expressed a preference for long-term relationships, gradually building closeness with their partner.
- 42% of Indian women stated their desire for a caring, reliable, and attentive partner.

Additionally, insights shared by Indians on platforms like Quora shed light on the dating culture in their country. It is revealed that Indians are not fond of one-time dates; instead, they tend to seek long-term partners. Moreover, casual sex dating is generally considered taboo in Indian society.

These findings provide us with a glimpse into the preferences and values of Indians when it comes to dating and relationships.

Adult vs mainstream

Based on the results of affiliates working with the MyBid advertising network, it appears that mainstream dating performs better than adult dating in India. This could be because Indians tend to prioritize long-term relationships over casual encounters.

They believe that a modest partner is more suitable for building a family than someone who engages in one-night stands. Indians are comfortable clicking on ads that promote mainstream dating, as shown in the example ad creatives below.







On the other hand, they are less likely to engage with ads that have explicit adult content:





Therefore, when creating your ad creative, it is important to focus on mainstream dating and select images that do not hint at adult content.

Approaches for converting ad creatives

Considering Indians' aversion to explicit sexual content, using a "first interaction" approach is more likely to lead to conversions than directly stating desires for sex. The "first interaction" approach involves writing, calling, or sending a voice message without explicitly mentioning the content or intentions of the recipient.





In other geos, this approach may be less effective than a more direct and open approach, where a creative girl talks directly about sex or hints at it. However, this approach does not work well in India.





What language should the ad creative be in?

India has two official languages: Hindi and English. It is preferable to choose Hindi. Despite most ad creatives being in English, Hindi is spoken fluently by 337 million people compared to 250 million English speakers. Indian users tend to trust Hindi advertisements more than English ones.





Models or ordinary girls

If you observe the ad creatives above, you'll notice that girls with a model-like appearance are rare, even in the adult category. Indians prefer natural beauty and are more likely to click on an ad creative featuring an ordinary Indian girl rather than a supermodel.

Conclusion

Although my experience indicates that the mainstream approach is more effective and converts better, it's important to remember to experiment and constantly test different strategies. With a population of 1.5 billion people in India and varying cultural differences from state to state, a particular approach may generate a lot of traffic from one site but not at all from another. It can be challenging to come up with testing ideas, constantly change ad creatives, and compile black-and-white lists on your own. The MyBid ad network operates on a fully managed system, and your manager will be there to help you with the entire advertising campaign setup. India is a top traffic destination, and we have insights on what will convert in this geo and what will not.