What Makes Bumble Different? Marketing Insights to Inspire
Did you know that in 1958, women were given “129 Ways to Get a Husband” in McCall’s magazine article? Since then, the dating scene has come a long way, with blind dates replaced by swipes and matches on dating apps.
A recent YouGov survey revealed that one-third of single people now use a dating app to find a partner, and Bumble and Tinder are two of the most popular ones.
❓But what makes Bumble stand out? While Tinder holds a much higher global rank, Bumble’s metrics are impressive in their own right, with a 44% market share.
So, how did Bumble manage to catch more customers in a short period?
In this article, we’ll explore some marketing lessons we can learn from Bumble.
1️⃣Lesson 1: A great FTUE (First Time User Experience)
Dating can be intimidating and exhausting, with the fear of rejection and the pressure to impress, or what if you met with a scammer?
Bumble, understands this and aims to make users feel at ease from the very beginning.
One way they do this is by addressing users’ concerns and making them feel less scared. They provide clear information on how user data will be used and give the option to edit inputs later.
To address growing privacy concerns, Bumble added an extra eye icon to act as a guide for users, helping them feel more secure and in control of their data.
Bumble’s attention to small details and privacy concerns during the onboarding process creates a sense of trust with users. By establishing trust early on, Bumble can retain users and build a loyal user base.
Bumble understands the psychological factors involved in dating and aims to make the experience as stress-free as possible.
2️⃣Lesson 2: People are Lazy, Make it Easy!
Are you tired of filling out long onboarding forms? Does the idea of writing a catchy bio make you cringe?
Don’t worry, Bumble asks for low-effort inputs.
Bumble understands that every time they ask for information, they risk losing users’ energy and attention. So, instead of burdening users with free text entry fields, they opt for easy yes/no questions and multi-select options.📌
By reducing the cognitive load on users, Bumble keeps them engaged and less likely to churn.
And, when it comes to harder sections like selecting the perfect photo or interests, Bumble provides prompts and tips to help users along.
So, if you’re tired of filling out robotic onboarding forms, give Bumble a try and enjoy the low-effort onboarding with their helpful prompts and engaging inputs.
3️⃣Lesson 3: Aesthetic-Usability Effect
Have you ever used an app with a beautiful design that made you overlook its flaws? That’s the Aesthetic-Usability Effect in action.
Bumble’s UI is simple, easy on the eyes, and uses cool and subtle colours, compared to Tinder’s.
Bumble’s designers have also implemented Fitts’ Law (Fitts’ law explains that the time to acquire an object depends upon the distance and size), which means they’ve designed the app to be used with one hand for the most part. This allows users to easily navigate the app with minimal effort, reducing cognitive load. Think about those Continue Button.
Finally, Bumble uses Jakob’s Law, which says that users spend most of their time on other sites and want your site to work the same way as all the other sites they already know.
By making their app similar to Tinder, users can easily transition from one app to the other. So if you know how to use tinder, you’ll know how to use bumble. That’s the power of familiarity.
4️⃣Lesson 4: Slowly and Steadily, let the Product Sell Itself.
📌More isn’t always better, especially when it comes to onboarding processes.
Have you ever felt overwhelmed by too many options when you first use a new app? Bumble is different here. They introduce their features gradually, so you can get comfortable with each one before moving on to the next.
In fact, in the first five profiles, they only show you three actions: swipe left, swipe right, and rewind.
This helps users avoid feeling confused or lost during onboarding.
Another interesting thing about Bumble is that they offer a freemium product (the same as Tinder), which means that some features are free while others require payment. This allows users to try out some features for free before deciding whether they want to pay for more.
This way, they are letting the product sell itself. Have you ever received a salesperson’s call from Tinder or Bumble?
Bumble can focus on activation and monetization without overwhelming users.
5️⃣Lesson 5: Build your vision in consumers’ minds
Have you ever heard someone say that Tinder is only good for hookups?
It’s a common thought, and it’s not just one person’s opinion.
But Bumble has a different reputation, It’s more like “meet-the-parents-ready” marriage material.
Why is that?
Well, one reason is because Bumble gives women more control.
This puts women in a position to choose their mates more wisely, which is a fundamental survival mechanism that goes back to the days of the cavewoman.
With that tag, they are convincing people that “We are not just another dating app, we are here for a reason”
🦋“This is the world that Bumble is trying to create. A world where women don’t have to wait for someone to come to them. A world where they can take charge of their love lives and make meaningful connections.” 🦋
Wow!! Inspiring, right?
This is how you should build a reputation when the market is already filled. Share your vision with consumers.
Narrate to inspire, make them aspire, and deliver an experience.
❓So, what does this mean for Bumble’s user base?
If you do a little niche research, you’ll find that the female profiles on Bumble are more compared to Tinder.
The story doesn’t end here, look at their login screen.
Bumble has only two options: either Facebook or Mobile Number; this makes it more ‘Trusted’ compared to Tinder. Bumble won’t accept any Tom, Dick & Harry with a random email address.
Lesson 6: Make-Believe
In our last lesson, we talked about Bumble’s claim that when women make the first move, they feel more empowered.
It’s a great idea, isn’t it?
But, let’s take a closer look to see if it’s really helping women.
A study on speed dating conducted by evolutionary psychologists Eli J. Finkel and Paul Eastwick showed some interesting results.
In the traditional setup, women waited at a table while men approached them. The researchers found that women were more selective than men in this setup.
But, when the researchers flipped the script and allowed the women to approach the men, something surprising happened. The men, who were now in the passive seated role, became more selective while the women, in the active role, became less selective.
This means that whoever does the least amount of work ends up being the pickiest.📌
This raises an important concern — does this approach really help women find the right match or men?
Bumble doesn’t empower women with selection. It loads them down with more work. So, “Women first Move” is good news for guys looking for love, but bad news for busy women who don’t have time to send cutesy messages to strangers holding up fish.
But it’s hard to believe after reading their vision, right?
So build a story and narrate it to your advantage with a make-believe style.
In conclusion,
Bumble’s marketing strategies can serve as a useful guide to creating successful products.
📌Tinder taught us: It’s better to be first than it is better.
📌Then Bumble taught us: If you can’t be first in a category, set up a new category you can be first in.
It is a prime example of how the right marketing strategy can make all the difference. Everyone is interested in what’s new. Only, a few people are interested in what’s better.
🎁Love to read more marketing lessons, check here.
