The Stats of Social Loving

@Romeo and @Juliet sitting in a tree. L-I-K-I-N-G. First come the likes, now they’re mates, then comes the DM’s and they’re arranging dates.

Not how you traditionally remember the story? Welcome to 2020; where around 40% of heterosexual couples, and 65% of same-sex couples meet online. Many of these relationships start with a single right swipe on Tinder, or a slide into a DM’s on Instagram, but how does social media play a part in the whole relationship?

via GIPHY

The ‘Talking’ Stage

Long gone are the days of whisking somebody out on a date and dropping them off home before dark, now it’s all about the ‘talking’ stage, with your social media presence playing a large part in whether things get more serious.

In fact, some of our favourite celebrity couples actually got together after a cheeky DM or two, like Sophie Turner and Joe Jonas who experienced love at first sight (or profile view) within Instagram DM’s. 

The photos you post on your social media drive 90% of the action in online dating. If your Instagram is linked to your Tinder profile, you’re likely to get 50% more matches. Girls are much pickier when it comes to swiping right and if a girl is unsure which way to swipe, she will do the inevitable Insta stalk. If your account isn’t linked, it’s likely she will think you’re a fake and a swift left swipe will come your way. 

It isn’t just Instagram that you’re likely to have been secretly stalked on either, as 79% of people admit to looking up their matches on social media before meeting in person, and 57% adding or following their matches on social media before meeting.

via GIPHY

Making it Official

The relationship is confirmed in real life, but is it Facebook official? Updating your relationship status on Facebook used to be a necessity, but in recent years the number of couples doing so has plummeted, with 40% of twenty-somethings saying they wouldn’t put a relationship status on Facebook now.

Young people might not want it showcased on their profile that they’re in a relationship, but 59% of them say that social media actually makes them feel more connected with what is going on in their significant others life.

Many couples may feel more connected, as once it’s official, they actually become part of the other’s social media profiles. You’ve seen them around… the Instagram boyfriends. Gracefully snapping away at their girlfriends whilst they pose in order to get the perfect shot; their brunch going cold and their stomachs rumbling as she tries again and again for the perfect angle. They also have to cater for their own following, which means posting pictures of their partners too, with 88% of millennial Instagram users posting a picture or video of their partner on Valentine’s Day.

The Break-Up

Naturally not everybody wants to reach this point but sometimes it’s inevitable. However, if you adhered to stage two and become Facebook official, this is where things get a little more difficult. Once the relationship is removed off of Facebook, the platform will kindly generate a status that you’ve changed your relationship to ‘single’. Just the reminder you want and need.

Getting rid of any reminder of an ex on social media is the best thing to do after a breakup. That might include deleting any pictures on your profile that has them in it, or even unfollowing them. If you don’t want to be as brutal as to unfollow them, muting is now an option on various platforms and prevents you from seeing any of their posts without them even knowing.

via GIPHY

If you need a little extra advice or help when it comes to your social media, we’re here to help. Our Social Media team will create, manage and continuously optimise your social media strategy to create ‘blue tick’ worthy business profiles. Get in touch today.