Anyone tried different ad networks for dating campaigns

So here’s something I’ve been mulling over lately. When it comes to running a dating advertising campaign, the biggest question that keeps popping up for me is which ad networks actually make sense. It feels like everyone has a different opinion. Some say stick to the big, obvious ones, others swear by smaller niche platforms. Personally, I’ve been experimenting and wanted to see if anyone else has been through the same rabbit hole.

When I first started, my main struggle was not knowing what “type” of ad network would even suit a dating campaign. Display? Native? Push? Social? It all looked the same from a distance, but when I actually tried, the results couldn’t have been more different. For instance, I remember throwing money into one broad network where my ads were basically everywhere. Lots of impressions, sure, but the sign-ups? Barely a trickle. That was my first wake-up call.

What I noticed early on is that dating traffic behaves differently compared to, say, e-commerce. You’re not selling a product that people already plan to buy. You’re selling the idea of connection, and that means ads need to show up in the right environment. My mistake was thinking that “bigger reach” would equal “better results.” It doesn’t.

So here’s a quick rundown of what I’ve seen:

• Display networks: Good for volume, but I found a lot of my clicks were junk. Tons of traffic that looked cheap at first but had zero real engagement.

• Native ads: These felt more natural. People scrolling through content seemed less annoyed by the ads. The CTR was lower, but the conversions I did get felt genuine.

• Push notifications: Surprisingly effective in bursts. They felt more immediate, like tapping someone on the shoulder. But you need to be careful—too many and you’re just spamming.

• Social platforms: The tricky part is approvals. Dating ads can get flagged really easily. But when they do run, the targeting is insanely sharp.

One thing that worked for me was mixing them. Instead of relying on one type, I tested small campaigns across each and doubled down on whichever gave me the best cost per sign-up. It’s slower, but it saved me from burning money on just one channel.

Another lesson: don’t underestimate the audience. Some networks have “dating-friendly” traffic, while others are a nightmare to get approved on. I spent weeks fighting with policy issues before realizing I was just on the wrong platform altogether. If you’re running a dating advertising campaign, I’d say half the battle is picking networks that even allow this vertical without constant rejections.

At one point, I found this breakdown online that mapped out the pros and cons of different ad network types for dating. It helped me frame things better than the random guesses I was making. Here’s the link if anyone else wants to dive deeper: Best Ad Networks for Dating Advertising Campaigns. It’s not gospel truth, but it gave me a decent starting point.

From my own trial and error, I’d say the “best” network really depends on how much testing you’re willing to do. If you’re expecting one-size-fits-all, you’ll be disappointed. But if you’re open to experimenting, you’ll probably discover that different ad formats play unique roles. For example, I now use native ads to build initial interest, push ads to trigger quick actions, and smaller niche networks for steady, long-term sign-ups. It’s not perfect, but it feels balanced.

So if you’re in the same boat, my advice is: don’t let the options overwhelm you. Pick one or two network types, start small, and track everything. What worked for me might not work for you, but sharing stories like these makes it less of a shot in the dark.

Has anyone else here tried running dating campaigns on multiple network types? Curious to hear if others had similar ups and downs, or if I just overcomplicated things.