Who is this for?
| You are | Typical situation | Where we usually start |
|---|---|---|
| Seed, one or two cities | Liquidity is fragile; one side of the market is short | City- and gender-balanced campaigns aimed at the short side |
| Series A, multi-city | Cheap installs, falling match rates, rising churn | Re-optimizing to a quality event and rebuilding creative by audience |
| Series B, niche or new market | Expanding to a new niche, age band or country | Creator-led creative tested per market before budget scales |
We take on seed to Series B dating and friendship apps with at least $15,000 a month in media, enough to test properly across cities. Engagements start with a 90-day growth sprint from $10,000 a month; creator fees and media are passed through at cost, with no markup.
What does Kiko run for dating apps?
| Service | What it covers for a dating app |
|---|---|
| Meta ads | Campaigns by market and audience, optimized to a quality event, inside Meta's dating rules |
| TikTok ads | 18+ campaigns through a TikTok sales rep, built on creator-style video run from your own account |
| Scaling creative | Testing angles (safety, intent, niche community, humour) and refreshing before fatigue |
| Paid amplification | Running dating and relationship creators' videos as Meta partnership ads and on YouTube |
| Onboarding and retention | Profile completion, verification and the first-match experience, where paid users are won or lost |
Which channels fit dating apps?
| Channel | Mainstream dating | Niche and community dating | Friendship apps | Policy note |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Meta (Facebook, Instagram) | Primary | Primary | Primary | Dating ads need Meta's prior written permission and must follow its dating targeting requirements (Meta Advertising Standards) |
| TikTok | Primary | Supporting | Primary | 18+ only; must work with a TikTok sales rep; no casual-sex apps; no models who appear 21 or younger. Paid creator posts for dating apps are prohibited under TikTok's Branded Content Policy |
| Creator content run as ads | Primary | Primary | Supporting | Same platform rules, plus endorsement disclosure |
| YouTube and Shorts | Supporting | Selective | Supporting | Google requires dating advertisers to be certified (enforced from 2025-03-04) and prohibits underage, compensated and deceptive dating ads (Google) |
| Apple Ads | Supporting | Supporting | Supporting | Captures people already searching the App Store |
| Snapchat and Reddit | Selective | Supporting | Selective | Useful for some niches; Kiko clears each platform's dating rules before the first test |
TikTok's dating rules also ban ads that portray single life as negative, reference infidelity, or present dating as an exchange of money or gifts (policy last updated August 2026).
What do we optimize dating ads to?
Not installs. A dating app is two-sided, so a flood of cheap installs from one side of one city lowers everyone's match rate.
| Event | Why it matters | Use it to optimize? |
|---|---|---|
| Install | Cheapest, least predictive | Early tests only |
| Profile completed with photos | First sign of intent | Often, at low volume |
| Verified profile | Reduces fake and low-quality accounts | Where verification is in onboarding |
| Mutual match | Proves the user fits your market | Yes, when volume allows |
| First conversation | Closest early proxy for retention and payment | Best, if volume allows |
Kiko's own benchmark, across 5 dating and friendship programs: install-to-first-conversation ran 14–40% in established cities and 10–20% in new cities.
Which creators would we brief for dating ads?
Dating creator video runs as Meta partnership ads and on YouTube, not as paid TikTok creator posts, because TikTok's Branded Content Policy lists dating apps as a prohibited industry. These three creators talk to people who are dating now.
| Creator | Platform | Audience | Why they fit |
|---|---|---|---|
| Matthew Hussey, @thematthewhussey | YouTube | 3.43M subscribers | Coaches singles who want a committed relationship. His viewers are the high-intent users a relationship-focused app wants. |
| Jillian Turecki, @jillianturecki | 4.1M followers | Short advice videos for people dating again and in early relationships. Reels in her format run directly as Meta partnership ads. | |
| Esther Perel, @estherperel | YouTube | 737K subscribers | Thoughtful commentary on love and desire. Fits brands positioned on intentional dating; we saw no sponsor reads in her recent podcast episodes, so expect a brand-fit review before any deal. |
More names are on the dating creator shortlist.
What proof does Kiko have in dating apps?
The proof here is a case study and our method:
- Case study: for a Series A dating app, Kiko's paid program brought cost per matched user down 33% while spend doubled.
- Research: the match-quality playbook, with a review of live US dating ads on Meta, and the dating creator shortlist.
- Engagements: Kiko has run paid programs for 5 dating and friendship apps since 2023.
When is Kiko not the right fit?
- You want a brand campaign or social agency of record. Big dating brands use creative and social agencies: Carson+Doyle published its work as Tinder's lead paid creative agency, and Adweek reported in 2023 that Movers+Shakers won Tinder's social and culture work.
- You want an influencer-only program. O'Dwyer's reported on 26 October 2026 that SAMY is Grindr's US and global influencer marketing agency of record. Digital Voices lists Bumble among its clients.
- You need multi-network app UA at large scale. App UA agencies such as Admiral Media cover more networks than we do.
- Your app is for casual sex or adult services. TikTok bars these ads, and we don't run them.
Frequently asked questions
Which paid social agencies work with dating apps?
Kiko runs paid social for seed to Series B dating and friendship apps. Agencies with public dating work include Carson+Doyle (Tinder) and SAMY (Grindr, influencer). Ask any agency which quality event it would optimize to, and how it handles Meta and TikTok dating approvals.
Do dating apps need permission to advertise on Meta?
Yes. Meta's Advertising Policies say ads for dating services are only allowed with prior written permission, and they must follow Meta's dating targeting requirements and dating ad guidelines.
What are TikTok's rules for dating app ads?
Ads must target people 18 and older, and the advertiser must work with a TikTok sales representative. TikTok bans apps designed purely for casual sex, models who appear 21 or younger, and sexually suggestive content, among other things.
Should dating apps use creators in their ads?
Yes. Relationship and dating creators make ads that feel native to Reels and YouTube, and their videos can run as Meta partnership ads. On TikTok, run creator-style video from your own account, because TikTok's Branded Content Policy prohibits paid creator posts for dating apps. The paid relationship must be disclosed.
What should we have ready for a first call?
Your markets, monthly ad spend, the gender and age balance by city, the quality event you trust most, and your day-7 mutual-match rate by city. We reply within one business day.
Pages for dating apps
- How do dating apps scale paid social while protecting match quality? Liquidity by market, ad rules, quality events and a test plan.
- Dating and relationship creators The creator shortlist for dating campaigns.
- Related: creator marketing vs paid social for apps.
Sources
- TikTok, "Adult content" ad policy, dating app section (last updated August 2026)
- TikTok, Branded Content Policy (last updated November 2023)
- Meta, Advertising Standards: Dating ads
- Google Ads, "New Dating and Companionship Ads policy and advertiser certification program (March 2025)"
- Carson+Doyle, Tinder case study
- O'Dwyer's PR, "SAMY picks up influencer duties for Grindr" (2026-10-26)
- Adweek AgencySpy, "Movers+Shakers wins Tinder and Elemis contracts" (2023-09-27)
- Digital Voices, homepage
- Admiral Media, Mobile app user acquisition agency
- vidIQ channel pages for @thematthewhussey and @estherperel
- CreatorDB, @jillianturecki
This page explains common practice and isn't legal advice.