Tinder has started the global rollout of Tinder Loops, which lets users add two-second looping videos.
The new feature is being launched on iOS devices in markets that include the US, UK, France, Germany and Spain, among others.
“That’s right,” the company’s blog post announcing the feature begins. “You get two seconds of looping video to show more personality, which is the best way to get more right swipes. You can be flirty, you can be fun, but no matter what, be you.”
The update includes the ability for users to upload an existing video and edit it within the Tinder app. Users tap the “add media” button on the profile page to load a video from your device, and then you can use the in-app editor to clip the video to two seconds.
Along with adding Loops to your profile, Tinder is also increasing the number of images users can post to nine.
During test phase, Tinder noticed that users who added one of these clips to their profile “saw that their average conversation length went up by 20 percent.” In Japan, where Loops launched last month, users saw a 10 percent increase in swipes to the right.
Tinder has also recently started testing a ‘Places’ feature that will let users match themselves with people who’ve visited the same locations.
Hootsuite’s VP of Product, Jeremy Wood, shares his thoughts on how this new feature is a strong reflection on the future of social, and the increased focus on video is transforming the way people use social, and now, with dating too.
“Tinder’s new Loops feature is a strong reflection of the future of social. Like Instagram’s Boomerang, and the recently launched IG TV, social platforms are increasingly focused on compelling video elements,” Wood said. “Video content is transforming the way people use social, and dating is no different. This new feature will not only help daters present themselves in a new context on Tinder, but also offers increased value for the app as the social dating market becomes more competitive, especially with Facebook’s recently announced dating feature coming to market.”
Marketing Director at Optimizely, Ginny Follen, discusses whether rolling out this new functionality is a good idea for the Brand and whether it’s a risk for it to launch Loops globally.
“Tinder’s decision to adopt a new video feature comes hot off the heels of Instagram Stories. Both companies trialled and tested video usage with users before rolling it as a new service,” Follen said. “It not only suggests that Tinder understands that video is now leading the way in how consumers engage with content but it indicates a new wave in how companies develop new features and functionality. By rolling out Tinder Loops gradually to select test regions, Tinder has been able to gather the data to determine whether customers really do want to interact with the app this way. Rolling out new functionalities without running them through a thorough experimentation process first can be a big risk for brands. In fact, we see the fallout from this in the form of botched product launches all the time. However, we’re seeing more and more success stories by companies embracing a feature rollout process. Instagram Stories is now more popular than Snapchat proving their decision to rollout this new product to all its users was a huge success. We’re yet to see if Tinder’s global rollout will have the same outcome but either way, I think users will be quick to let Tinder know if they swipe left or right on the new Loops feature!”
