Online Personals Watch: News on the Online Dating Industry and Business

Online Dating's Most Unusual Web Sites

CNBC - June 9 - Online dating has been one of the great success stories of the internet. As with all profitable businesses, everyone wants to jump in and carve out a niche. That's led to an astonishing number of diverse web sites connecting people from every conceivable background with every conceivable interest. Daily Diapers is a web site for "adult babies" who favor wearing adult diapers. Not because they need to. Because they want to. "Date Me, Date My Pet" seeks to bring pet lovers together. Farmers Only boasts 100 marriages among like-minded farm folks. "Twilight" and "True Blood" is forl members of the Vampire Community. The list is seemingly endless: Women Behind Bars, STD Friends, Poker Faces, No Longer Lonely....there's someone for everyone out there. FULL ARTICLE @ CNBC

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Let's Say You Want To Date A Hog Farmer

NY TIMES -- Apr 27 -- A growing number of people have found love on dating sites that pair members based on a specific shared interest or background, like Nerdsatheart.com, DateMyPet.com, STDmatch.net and Veggielove.com. "Singles are increasingly eager to narrow the audience and really target their needs," said Mark Brooks, a consultant who keeps his own blog, OnlinePersonalsWatch.com. "It's the same reason why Procter&Gamble makes so many detergents. We are all drawn to things that cater to our very specific desires." According to Hitwise there are now 1,378 U.S. dating sites, up from 876 three years ago. Mr. Brooks estimates that 44% of those sites in the U.S. are niche sites, up from 35% in 2006. Large companies like Match.com, eHarmony, Yahoo Personals and SinglesNet.com have the general market cornered, Mr. Brooks said, "the only real entrepreneurial opportunities left in the online dating world lie in the niche market." FarmersOnly.com has attracted 90,000 members so far, 50,000 in the last year alone. One month's membership costs $15.95. Mr. Brooks said the most successful niche sites pair people by race, sexual orientation or religion. The 20 most popular dating sites this year as ranked by Hitwise include JDate, Christian Mingle and ChristianCafe.com, Manhunt, Love From India, Amigos, Asian People Meet, and Shaadi. "A few years ago, a company called Spark Networks was putting major funding into its general dating site, American Singles," Mr. Brooks said. "But when executives saw that the Jewish market was huge and relatively untouched, they switched gears and ratcheted up JDate." FULL ARTICLE @ NY TIMES. Also in THE LEDGER

How Do I Catch A Valentine?

CHICAGO TRIBUNE -- Feb 5 -- Fewer people are checking out online dating sites. According to Comscore, the number of visits in December dropped by 10% to 20.2 million Americans, compared with December 2006 figures. "There are fewer people, but they're more serious," says Mark Brooks, who provides marketing and other services for online dating sites. "The revenues continue to climb because the looky-loos have gone away; they can't get much service without paying a subscription to a Web dating service."  "Paid online dating should grow from about $890 million in 2007 to an estimated $1.9 billion in 2012," says David Card, of Jupiter Research. The average monthly subscription is now $25 a month, up $20 a month from a few years ago, but more free sites might start popping up, thanks to the skyrocketing popularity of PlentyofFish. Plentyoffish.com is free and among the most visited Web sites -- not just dating sites -- in Canada and the U.S. Many so-called niche dating sites are growing, Farmersonly.com attracts those who like the agricultural way of life, while gk2gk.com appeals to self-described geeks. MyPartner.com welcomes gays and lesbians.

Romance, Farming Mix On This Site

CHICAGO TRIBUNE -- Jan 2 -- FarmersOnly.com, an online dating service that plays matchmaker for farmers with the credo, "City folks just don't get it." FarmersOnly has more than 80,000 members and takes credit for hundreds of relationships and at least 40 marriages, said Jerry Miller, an advertising executive from Ohio who came up with the idea two years ago.

The full article was originally published at Chicago Tribune, but is no longer available.

Mark Brooks: I was quoted in NY Times today saying JDate is the best example of a super successful niche dating site. FarmersOnly.com is another favorite. It's an amusing example of just how far niche dating is reaching, along with DateMyPet.com. The 'sugar daddy' sites such as SugarDaddyForMe.com and MllionaireMate.com and WealthyMen.com are also amusing examples. (Full Disclosure: I was Senior Marketing Manager at FriendFinder in 2003. WealthyMen.com is a client of Courtland Brooks).

Web Site Links Lonely Farmers

SANTA CRUZ SENTINEL -- Aug 24 -- Nearly 500 farmers and ranchers are booting up and surfing cyberspace for their soul mates. Enter FarmersOnly.com.

The full article was originally published at Santa Cruz Sentinel, but is no longer available.

Mark Brooks: Just when I think I've seen it all...