At the beginning of February we said that our members were in for a treat and we’d like to think we delivered on our promise!
Comms activity for the month was, predictably, centred around Valentine’s Day. There were special offers, ‘Free Read’ access and activity-based incentives flying in all directions in the weeks running up to the 14th, and the results did not disappoint! Uptakes of the special offer ranked in the top 5 most successful promotions of all time, whilst the ‘Free Read’ on Valentine’s Day evening saw an increase in basic members online, up a massive 180%, giving a big boost to basic and full member engagement alike.
Whilst Valentine’s Day is (more-or-less) a universal celebration, we also spent February tailoring our campaigns to some of our much smaller markets. We operated a special trial offer for members in New Zealand to mark Waitangi Day, the national holiday commemorating the signing of New Zealand’s founding document, and a similar trial for members in Wales to celebrate St David’s Day. These geo-niched promotions naturally didn’t reach the dizzy upgrade heights that the Valentine’s Day offer achieved, but served to convince targeted members that their site knows them well. This helps to raise the brand’s profile above the “one-size-fits-all” feel of those non-niched, bigger brand dating sites.
As well as running general upgrade-driving promotional activity, we’ve also been working hard to increase engagement across the platform, with profile completion/update and photo upload campaigns. There have also been further campaigns to promote specific application features, like the Who’s Near Me search facility.
All this worked alongside the usual backdrop of cross-sells, up-sells, testimonials and featured member emails. These have all been updated in terms of interactivity and design by our new Comms team designer, Ben, who joined us just after Valentine’s Day.
And so, once again, we look to the month ahead. All eyes are focused on Easter and the long weekend that accompanies it in certain territories. Have no fear! There will be a few stops on the way, with Mother’s Day in the UK and Ireland, plus St Patrick’s Day. Not to mention the continuation of engagement campaigns to keep the sites buzzing! Here’s to another month of successful comms!
Matt Harman, WhiteLabelDating.com Comms team
