Anyone figured out how to improve dating app ad funnels?

[datingads]

I’ve been digging into online dating promotions lately, and one thing I can’t quite figure out is why some ads bring in tons of sign-ups but barely any actual users who stick around. You know that feeling when your campaign looks great on paper—CTR is fine, cost per click is okay—but conversions just fall flat? Yeah, that’s where I was stuck.

It’s easy to blame it on “bad creatives” or “the audience isn’t right,” but I started to realize the problem might not be the ads themselves—it’s the funnel. Dating apps are tricky. People don’t just tap “install” and start swiping right away. There’s curiosity, hesitation, profile fatigue, and privacy concerns all playing a part. So, figuring out how to keep people moving from curiosity to commitment (literally) is a whole different challenge.

The Pain Point

When I first started running campaigns for dating apps, I focused almost entirely on the top of the funnel. I’d spend days tweaking ad copy, testing photos, or choosing the “right” interests for targeting. The metrics looked good—high engagement, lots of clicks—but installs and sign-ups lagged behind. Worse, even when people did sign up, the drop-off rate was painful.

I remember one campaign where everything looked perfect. The ad got a ton of attention because we used a “real people” approach instead of stock photos. It led to a great CTR, but less than 15% of users actually finished creating a profile after downloading the app. That’s when it hit me—maybe the issue wasn’t who I was targeting, but what happened next.

What I Tried

I started mapping out the user journey from the moment someone saw the ad to when they actually started using the app. It was eye-opening. Most people didn’t make it past the sign-up screen. Why? Too many steps, confusing prompts, and no real incentive to finish.

So I tested a few things:

1. Simplified the landing flow. Instead of dumping users straight into a long sign-up, I experimented with a “get started” page that asked just one fun question like “What’s your ideal first date?” It made people feel like they were already part of something.

2. Aligned ad copy with app experience. One of the biggest mismatches I noticed was that the ad promised one thing (“Meet genuine people nearby”), but the first screen inside the app didn’t reflect that tone. Fixing that small detail actually helped reduce bounce.

3. Added micro-conversions. I introduced small checkpoints—like letting users preview matches or take a short compatibility quiz before creating a full profile. It gave a sense of progress and curiosity.

What Worked and What Didn’t

The simplified funnel worked wonders. Once I stopped trying to sell the app in one go and focused on getting users interested enough to take the next small step, everything started improving.

CTR stayed roughly the same, but installs improved by 22%. Even better, the number of users completing profiles almost doubled. The compatibility quiz idea, on the other hand, backfired a bit because it added friction. People loved answering one or two questions but dropped off if it took too long.

Another insight that surprised me—retargeting warm users with context-specific reminders worked better than throwing new offers at cold audiences. For example, showing an ad that said, “Still looking for that weekend match?” to users who had clicked but not signed up felt more personal than generic “download now” pushes.

A Soft Solution Hint

If you’re also running online dating promotions and can’t seem to figure out why people lose interest mid-funnel, it might help to step back and look at the full journey instead of just the ad side. Sometimes it’s not about spending more or targeting differently—it’s about making each step feel natural and rewarding.

There’s a detailed write-up I found helpful that breaks this down better than I can here. It walks through how advertisers can actually Optimize Conversion Funnels in Dating App Ads, from ad setup to user retention. It’s more of a deep dive into what happens between “click” and “commit.”

At the end of the day, people download dating apps for a feeling—curiosity, connection, maybe even boredom. The job of the funnel isn’t just to push them faster; it’s to make that journey feel easy, safe, and worth finishing.

If you’ve cracked this in your campaigns, I’d love to hear how you approached it. Did you focus more on creatives or on what happens post-click? I feel like everyone in online dating promotion has their own version of what works, but the common thread seems to be: less pressure, more flow.