Has Anyone Tried Retargeting for Dating Ads?

I’ve been running small ad campaigns for a few online dating projects lately, and something that kept popping up in conversations with other marketers was “retargeting.” Honestly, at first, I didn’t pay much attention. I thought it was just another marketing term thrown around to sound smart. But after a few failed campaigns where people clicked but didn’t sign up, I started wondering—maybe retargeting is worth a shot.The tricky part about promoting dating platforms online is how unpredictable user behavior can be. You might get tons of clicks on your ad, a few sign-ups, and then complete silence. It’s not that people aren’t interested—they’re just hesitant. Maybe they got distracted, or they weren’t ready to create a profile right away. That’s when I started thinking about how retargeting could help re-engage those same users instead of constantly chasing new ones.To be honest, my first reaction was skeptical. I figured people who didn’t sign up the first time probably never would. But I kept seeing examples from other campaigns—especially in dating promotion—where retargeting apparently improved conversions. So, I tried it myself.Here’s what happened.I ran a small test with Facebook and Google Ads for a dating app I was helping promote. I set up retargeting campaigns that only showed ads to users who had clicked on the site before but hadn’t signed up. I kept the tone of the ad friendly and casual, not pushy—something like, “Still looking to meet someone interesting nearby?”The results surprised me. The click-through rate on these retargeted ads was nearly double what I got from regular cold traffic. Even better, the sign-ups that came through retargeted ads were more serious users—they filled out their profiles and actually stayed active. It made sense once I thought about it. These were people who had already shown some interest; they just needed a small reminder or nudge.Of course, it wasn’t perfect. I learned quickly that showing the same ad too often can backfire. People start ignoring it or even get annoyed. I found that limiting ad frequency and refreshing creatives every couple of weeks worked much better. Also, timing mattered—a gentle reminder two or three days after someone visited seemed to perform best. Anything longer and they seemed to lose interest.Another thing I noticed: visuals matter a lot in retargeting for dating ads. When I used images that felt too polished or model-like, they didn’t perform well. But when I used more relatable, natural-looking visuals—like a coffee date setting or casual smiling faces—people responded better. It’s almost like users want to feel like they’re being spoken to by a real person, not an ad team.After running these campaigns for a few weeks, I finally understood why so many marketers keep emphasizing retargeting. It’s not about pestering people—it’s about reminding them why they were interested in the first place. Especially with something as personal as dating, that subtle reminder can make all the difference.If you’re working on or exploring online dating promotion, it’s definitely worth reading more about how this strategy fits in. I found this article really helpful in breaking down the concept:  Retargeting’s role for Online Dating Promotion . It explains the logic behind retargeting in a simple way and shows why it’s such a big deal for dating campaigns in particular.My biggest takeaway from all of this is that retargeting doesn’t have to feel manipulative or “salesy.” It works best when you use it thoughtfully—like gently reminding someone who already showed interest, instead of chasing people who never cared in the first place. For dating apps and sites, where timing and emotion play such big roles, that gentle follow-up can turn a “maybe later” into a “why not now?”So yeah, I’d say retargeting is one of those things you don’t fully appreciate until you try it. If you’re running ads for an online dating platform, test a small retargeting campaign before writing it off. Keep your tone human, limit frequency, and refresh creatives often. You might be surprised at how many people just needed that second look to take action.