But it turns out that your local gym isn’t the only place soon to be overrun with new people.
So will dating apps.
The next big holiday after New Years is Valentine’s Day, so of course it makes sense that people begin 2020 in search of “the one”. However, while Valentine’s Day has a few hundred years of history behind it (and a Saint!), Dating Sunday (Jan 5th this year) has a slightly different origin story.
Apparently the first Sunday of January is the best time to sign up for online dating. It’s the busiest time of the year for dating apps and the perfect time to start fresh. Most people spend their weekdays at work, and leave Saturday to socialize. So it makes sense that Sundays tend to be pretty busy for dating apps. Holiday parties and trips to visit family are over and people are settling back into their normal, everyday routines.
Clearly finding love is a pretty common resolution (up there with eating healthy and saving money.)
According to Coffee Meets Bagel (CMB), more than a million messages were sent on January 6th 2019. It was the most active day in the app’s seven-year-history! The following Sunday was the second most active day for chatting with potential partners, with just a 3% decrease in sent messages. January in general sees a pretty big spike. Clearly finding love is a pretty common resolution (up there with eating healthy and saving money.)
It’s prime time for meeting new people.
Dawoon Kang, the founder and CEO of Coffee Meets Bagel, officially dubbed it Dating Sunday. So what exactly did CMB find on the first Sunday of January 2019? Turns out they saw a 61% increase in new user signups, a 16% increase in activity, a 22% increase in matches, and a 23% increase in chats.
And they’re not the only app expecting a huge increase in activity. According to a Bumble representative, they’re expecting a 30% increase in new users, alongside a 15% increase in user activity compared to an average day. In 2019, Dating Sunday was even the highest registration day in Bumble history!
“Pick one thing and get deeper. If you like hiking, mention your favourite hiking trail or the most recent trip you took. That’s much more interesting than, ‘I like hiking.’”
Rachel DeAlto, Match's “Chief Dating Expert, it’s the“Super Bowl of dating apps” and pretty much every major dating app uses it as an opportunity to double down on marketing. Match created a one-on-one coaching service called AskMatch for users who want dating advice and Tinder has officially declared the entire season (New Year’s Day to February 13) “Swipe Season.”
Not only is everyone ready to start anew, but people are just tired of being on their own. Singles are back from holidays, and inspired to get into the dating game (or at least tired of hearing their family ask “so, when are you bringing someone home?”)
According to Kang, Dating Sunday’s increase in activity usually sticks around until Valentine’s Day before returning to normal. However, Valentine’s Day is the most popular day for new signups on the app, suggesting that the desire to start a relationship isn’t a New Year’s resolution for everyone.
Of course, this also means there will be far more people on dating apps than before and representatives have suggested users make changes to their profiles. Melissa Hobley, Global Chief Marketing Officer at OkCupid, said it’s important to update your profile, especially for people who’ve been on dating apps for a few years. You don’t want people falling in love with the you from 2018, after all.
And Kang mentioned the importance of being specific. “Pick one thing and get deeper. If you like hiking, mention your favourite hiking trail or the most recent trip you took. That’s much more interesting than, ‘I like hiking.’”
So Singles, here’s your opportunity! Didn’t get your New Year's Kiss? No problem, swiping season is on the horizon and Valentine’s Day is next in line!
