What PR Professionals Can Learn from Dating Sites

While blogger/PR types are just now fumbling around, trying to find a way to turn a buck on relationships without cheapening what they do, dating sites are wildly popular. Jut take a look at this link, and you'll see there are many more than the one or two known names. So popular, they're making money -- either from subscriptions, or from advertising. Lots.

What, then, can public relations professionals learn from dating sites?

Clarity of Intent -- Dating sites aren't about starting "conversations." Nor is the role of the middleman ambiguous. For all parties, it's all about the end result. Members want a date. The dating site wants your subscription money (or ad revenues, depending on their business model). The selling proposition -- both for the romantic parties and the dating site -- is efficient and honest.

It's about people, not numbers -- There are no follower counts on dating sites. Authority derives entirely from the quality of a member's character, and how well they express themselves.

Tell your story, or sit at home, alone -- On a dating service, you can't just list a screen name and expect someone to contact you. What are you about? Why should someone bother to say hello? You're more than just a name. Show people who you are.

Only profiles with pictures need respond -- You see this on dating sites all the time. People want to know who they're really talking to -- and nobody speaks to companies. They engage with real people. When you chat online with a company like Dell, you're talking to someone like Richard. Put faces on your public-facing contacts, and don't hide behind an agency name.

Profiles are opt-in -- The sites are designed around pulling interest from individuals about individuals, not sending unwanted information into dozens of email accounts en masse.

Simplicity rules -- All dating sites are basically the same. You choose a screen name, post a picture, and construct a profile. Then you browse the profiles of those who have done likewise. When you see someone interesting, you say hello -- and maybe good things follow. Is your outreach this simple, or are you fencing your company with too-clever titles, features, and choices?

Repeat business depends on disclosure -- Put some spin in your profile, and you might get a date. But if it's not accurate, there won't be a second. Transparency serves both parties.

Connection depends on real interest -- Everyone participating understands that match making happens on the basis of mutual interest and develops over time.

I'd like to see PR professionals behave less like marketers and put more love in what they do. There are many ways to measure PR efforts and correlation to business value. Many more than their direct response colleagues can even grasp.

Now if only they can get back to understanding the simple principles that stand behind successful dating sites -- emotional connection, story telling, simplicity, disclosure, transparency -- they can bank on greater results with social networks. After all, they are in the relationship business, or so they say.



© 2010 Valeria Maltoni. All rights reserved.

Comments

[Ally]

I really enjoyed this post. What an interesting and relevant connection to make between dating sites and public relations. I think it is very true that much like dating sites, people in PR engaged in social media need to consider more than just sending out messages to a large audience. It's about more than just that. It's about connecting with individuals, changing the message according to the audience needs, and recognizing that it's not always about short updates - it's more about telling your story. Sharing who you (or the company you represent) are all about. Another great point was about transparency, it’s important for both parties to be open. Especially in PR for large corporations, transparency in social media can have a great impact on business.

[Valeria Maltoni]

Letting go of old business habits must be hard. If you think the news release was introduced in the '30s. One of the issues is that it's hard to be passionate about all companies and all products, I guess.

Transparency is an interesting conundrum. Take Toyota, for example, did the PR people know what the company was doing? Often executives tell communicators only when the remedy is needed and rarely do they seek counsel from them.

I got a kick out of the dating quiz spam I got on this post :)

[jacob]

I have always been curious about functionality in websites and, well, the world in general. I read this article with great interest. It does seem to me that the reason we comment is to speak our minds so why not have the comment field first? However, as others have pointed out, one gets used to the conventions regardless of reason.
online knowledge solutions

[Aleksandra S]

What a great post! I've been reading so many book on letting go of the old method of PR and embracing the new and I feel that the recession really has changed the way PR professionals will do business.

In fact, I think it's changed the PR industry completely! More companies are spending in social media to truly connect with their customers and engage in meaningful conversations. These tips are a great beginning to this new chapter in PR.

[Jon Buscall]

Funny, I've just done the copy for a Swedish dating site called Singalo. It was a learning experience writing for an audience like that because you have to put the absolute focus on people and connections.

What's more, it has to be meaningful and not cheesy or people won't stick around.

As communicators we have to put people first.

[Seth Hatmaker/Lion and Horse PR]

This helps me to take time to get to know people. I am just started PR work and I want to get all the numbers I can. I will just take one step at a time and do the best for my current client. John Lim For Governor (Oregon)

[Valeria Maltoni]

@Jacob - I'm not sure of what to do with your observation vis-a-vis the topic we discussed in the post.

@Aleksandra - a fun take for sure. There are many PR professionals who are leading the way in the social media space. Good time to be in the profession, as it evolves to what's next.

@Jon - great observation, putting focus on people and their ability to making connections is what community managers can borrow from the dating sites example.

@Seth - thank you for stopping by.