Bear411 is a widely known site for dating that attracts bears – a subculture of gay men characterised by a androgynous, big build and beard. Since it was created in the early 2,000s, Bear411 has been a central site for not only men who feel like this can identify with this particular label or target them. However, what many people may not realise about Bear411 is that it is actually a compilation of a wholesale dating directory. In the following section, we provide an overview of Bear411 and its ownership of other dating communities as well as its position within the environmental context of queer dating apps.
Bear411: The Core Platform
Bear411 for example is designed largely to cater for the ‘bear’ scene within the gay community; the site’s aim and function is to simply provide the men with a clear way of making contact and possibly friendship, companionship or dating. The site provides users with personal accounts, interaction options, and enables members to communicate their interest on the grounds of attraction or hobbies. In the course of time, Bear411 turned into the platform facilitating the meeting of men who like their body type and appreciate others the same.
Connections to Other Sites
Bear411 targets bears and is connected to other dating websites for people who are interested in other queer identity types or special subgroups. The elements of many of these sites include a creating profile, message boards as well as photo gallery. Some of Bear411’s affiliated sites are part of the large collections of niche-related directories and platforms that it owns or operates or they can be standalone sites that encompass different specialised sections for distinctive segments within the queer community.
Some of the other popular sites under Bear411’s ownership include:
Chubsters.com: This site is another of the specialised dating sites which caters to bears, or men described as ‘chubby’, a term that is slightly broader, encompassing not only the fats of bears. Chubsters is designed for those men who do not fit the bear category but still have the same preferences and physical characteristics.
Daddyhunt.com: While not being exactly in the same league as Bear411, Daddyhunt targets older men and the persons attracted to them, which also includes the bears. Bear hunters and those with an interest in older or more mature, or different body types may also be members of both Bear411 along with Daddyhunt.
Bear Mates: Bear Mates is another site that works in the same sphere with Bear411, but here you will not only find matches for bears and bear lovers but there are added options like web cams, group chats and even broadcasts.
Why Building for Multiple Platforms?.
Bear411 and its related dating web sites offer a tactic that relies on the multiplicity of the sexual and identity orientations of the bear community. While Bear411 targets the “bears”, specifically gay men who fall under this category, there are others like Chubsters, Daddyhunt and Bear Mates, which also connect other groups but focus on somewhat different segments. This way the group behind Bear411 can expand the number of its users while still focusing on specific niches. All sites provide the same feature set to provide user continuity, and also target a somewhat different audience.
This approach also enjoys the provision of high traffic across the different sites. For instance, a man who creates a profile on Bear411, but has not found his ‘soulmate’ there, may turn to Daddyhunt or Chubsters, where less attention is paid to perfect taste and shape.
Larger LGBTQ+ Network
Bear 411 is one of the biggest players in the ‘bear and chub dating’ market, however, it is only one part of a much larger system of every day dating site that are targeted at different sectors of the queer community. Most of these websites are even focused on particular niches and can include everything from the leather community to age preferences, and user can easily find out how to meet people they like.
Some of the broader LGBTQ+ platforms that work with Bear411’s owner may include mainstream services such as:
Grindr: There is another short app that is familiar all over the world as one of the biggest gay dating apps, Grindr. Although it is not directly connected to Bear411 it is closely related, as a large number of people apparently use both systems.
Scruff: Another app is also targeted at the bear community or men with body types similar to them: Scruff also has a very similar user base to Bear 411, providing a variety of men seeking men of all types, including bears, chubs and more.
Taimi: The aforementioned platform is still relatively contemporary and provides many options for the members of the LGBTQ+ community ranging from A to Z. If not bear-oriented, many of the individuals who consider themselves bears do find partners on Taimi as well.
A Look Toward the Future
In light of the positive growth especially for the future of Bear 411 and the networks of niche dating sites &apps,it is promising given that the market is ever evolving for the lgbtq+ dating services. Considering the rising popularity of various platforms that offer users spaces for finding other people with similar interests, it can be expected that Bear411 will also be developed as a platform – adding new tools and features, such as video calls, streaming, and other engaging activities in communities for members.