Swiping right on Tinder could lead to quite unexpected results. Don't get left in the dark: Here's everything you need to know about the pitfalls of swiping right on Tinder.
There is no right or wrong way to swipe on Tinder. And yet, you can still run into problems.
Swiping left on a Tinder profile may save you from a bad date and wasting some money. However, although swiping right may get you a nice date, it could also sucker you into a marketing ploy. While you may know all about avoiding fake profiles, it seems your chances of matching with them are still pretty high. There's a whole new world on the right side of Tinder — and the social marketing tactics are working.
There's no denying it. We've all been there – single, alone, wanting to find a date. And while men and women use dating applications differently, the apps themselves are becoming more and more popular. Dating applications are expected to do their best to match you with someone you'll like dating and mingling with. However, these same dating applications may also be letting marketing agencies use their products to promote.
Swiping Right on Tinder
If you're not familiar with it, one of the most popular social dating applications today is Tinder. Users simply swipe left or right on pictures that they find attractive. If the user on the other end also swipes right a match is made, which opens a chatting window for the two match-made-in-cyberspace users to begin their conversation. If you're trying it for the first time, just make sure you're not being "that guy" while using the app.
This was in the old days on Tinder. Now, marketing agencies, social rights groups, bands, entertainment companies and even sex bots are jumping on the Tinder board.
Sex Bots
Sex does sell – there's no denying it. Ad agencies across all platforms have used sex to sell hair products, clothes, phones and even burgers. While Tinder doesn't explicitly create accounts that sell sex, users have taken advantage of the opportunity to promote their own sites.
It's easy to connect with these Tinder handlers. You see a pretty girl or boy, swipe right and eventually get a spam message with a link from a sex bot that directs you to their site. It's distasteful, but obviously gets results.
Sexual Awareness Campaigns on Tinder
It's not all bad, though. Social media agencies are also taking advantage of Tinder's popularity and creating awareness for sexual abuse causes.
The user swipes right, gets connected and is then encouraged to click on a link. The link that is opened behind Tinder promotes awareness about worldwide sexual abuses causes.
Brazil's Health Ministry used the popularity of the app to promote an AIDS campaign. One profile included a user with the name Alana that claimed to be "looking for men and women for no-strings attached sex, preferably no condoms."
When the user matched with Alana, they we're then greeted with "Attention, it is difficult to know who is an AIDS carrier. Enjoy yourself — but take care. This is a campaign by the ministry of health."
The VP of Tinder tweeted the Ministry and informed them that their public campaign wasn't allowed, as users are not allowed to advertise on Tinder — the tweet has since been deleted.
Connecting With an AI
Sexual advertising is now even promoting movies. Users at the recent South by Southwest (SXSW) event in Austin, Texas were made aware of this when they matched with an attractive 25-year-old girl named Ava. Users who matched with Ava were able to hold a conversation about love, life and being human.
Ava would then invite the user to view her Instagram account, which contained photos and videos promoting a sci-fi film titled "Ex Machina" – that happened to be showing at a local theater.
After watching a short video or two, it became apparent that Ava wasn't an actual girl at all. Ava was, in fact, an AI bot promoting the sci-fi movie and surely crushing many hearts along the way. Though users felt like they were having a genuine conversation, they were just talking with a marketing bot promoting the sci-fi film.
Tinder's Updated Settings
Though Tinder claims that users are not allowed to advertise through their app, Tinder operators have taken advantage of the app's popularity and promoted their own media. Band members have used the app to promote their work through the new Passport location feature, which allows a person to match with users around the world by virtually changing their location.
Even more, users who pay around $15 a month (or a bit more for older people) can take advantage of unlimited swipes (which is great for businesses or chronic swipers), rewind their last swipe (for those accidental left swipes) and turn off advertisements.
Tinder's Video Ads
Speaking of advertisements, Bud Light is the first business to use Tinder's new video ads to promote their "Whatever, USA" advertisement campaign. The videos are aimed at people over 21 years old who are interested in partying and drinking.
Tinder's Head of Sales, Alexis Ginas, thinks highly of the Bud Light campaign and how well it fits into their platform. Tinder plans to work with more brands in the future with similar campaigns.
"We're thrilled to work with Bud Light as we introduce opportunities for brands to connect with our global community. The Bud Light campaign is a unique and fun experience for Tinder users that fits seamlessly into the platform." — Alexis Ginas
Have You Seen Any Tinder Marketing Profiles?
So, what do you think about Tinder? Do you use the app or do you prefer to try online dating websites? Have you seen any fake Tinder profiles promoting sex, films, music, etc? What do you think of these fake profiles?
