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All social networks live and die by the engagement of the user.
<p class = "canvas-atom canvas-text Mb (1.0em) Mb (0) – sm Mt (0.8em) – sm" type = "text" content = "Like Facebook & nbsp;puts& nbsp; it: "Advertising revenues could be negatively affected … by the time spent on our products." "data-reactid =" 32 "> As Facebook says:" Advertising revenue could be negatively affected … by the time spent on our products. "
<p class = "canvas-atom-canvas-text Mb (1.0em) Mb (0) – sm Mt (0.8em) – sm" type = "text" content = "This is how & nbsp;most social media workis in part why it is common today to consider social media as toxic. (Data-reaid = "33"> That's how most social media works, which is part of the reason why it's common today to think of social media as toxic.) The social media networks themselves same are bursting with articles on how to leave social media.)
But not all social media companies aim to monopolize the attention of their users. Strava, a fitness-based social network with 41 million users, takes a very different approach.
"We're not just trying to make you blindly look at your screen," says Strava CEO James Quarles.
Other technology companies also understand this and have advanced the concept of digital wellness. Facebook has redesigned its algorithm to have more human contacts. Apple and Google have added a time limit for apps, helping users get closer to a healthier relationship with technology and social media. But nowhere is this effort more apparent than on Strava.
"We love the fact that every minute in Strava spends 50 minutes doing something else," Yahoo Finance told Quarles. "We are trying to learn the lessons of quality versus quantity."
Quarles would know it. Prior to Strava, he spent six years on Facebook, where he was vice president at Instagram.
"Compared to other places," says Quarles, "it's a very uplifting and positive place – not coincidentally."
This is because everyone who comes to Strava is interested in fitness.
"The world we are in is a vertical social network, in which everyone chooses to self-select," says Quarles.
For many of them, they are interested enough to pay, which is rare in the world of social media.
<p class = "canvas-atom canvas-text Mb (1.0em) Mb (0) – sm Mt (0.8em) – sm" type = "text" content = "In general, social media was free and you report money.by placing ads. "data-reactid =" 43 "> In general, social media is free and saves money by showing ads.
<p class = "canvas-atom canvas-text Mb (1.0em) Mb (0) – sm Mt (0.8em) – sm" type = "text" content = "Strava does not say how many of its users Pay for its services subscriptions, which are available in three different packs, which users can buy according to their needs, at a rate of $ 2 per month or $ 5 per month for the three services. Some third parties tried to estimate the number of subscribers paying, with & nbsp;Outside the magazine recently find& nbsp; about 5% of users (sample size: 500) were paying members. "data-reactid =" 44 "> Strava will not indicate how many of its users pay for its subscription services, offered in three different packs, combinations can be purchased by users according to their needs, at a rate of 2 dollars per month or $ 5 per month for all three countries. Third parties have attempted to estimate the number of paying subscribers, the Outside magazine having recently discovered that about 5% of users (size of Sample): 500) were paying members.
Clearly, this is one of the reasons why CEOs like Quarles place so much importance on growth.
<h2 class = "canvas-atom canvas-text Mb (1.0em) Mb (0) – sm Mt (0.8em) – sm" type = "text" content = "Niche social media has an advantage over big players like Facebook and Twitter"data-reactid =" 46 ">Niche social media has an advantage over big players like Facebook and Twitter
The scope of Strava's mission is by no means limited. According to Quarles, its goal is to become the "home of your active life," which is an ambitious proposition. But it's not as ambitious as Facebook's goal of connecting everyone on earth or Twitter to become the digital public square. The lack of pride is one of the reasons why Strava has become so popular despite its niche character.
"We are not trying to do the work of non-sports networks where we are entering other types of content," says Quarles. "Our goal is to get you active and let you put your phone on."
In practice, this means that Strava is a place where you can grab activities such as bike rides, shopping, walks, peloton sessions, yoga classes – almost everything the Quarles team can think lies on the application, thanks to partnerships and links established with nearly 400 devices from Garmin, Peloton, Wahoo, FitBit, Apple Watch, and so on.
An activity page of Strava sponsored by Suunto. This is another way for the company to make money. (Strava)
All of this is grouped in a timeline of social media as well as in an individual page. It features multiple functions of a training diary, a guide and a map of things to do, as well as sports-specific Facebook, with friends, publications, photos, photos and the possibility to comment on them and give them what you like. called "kudos" on Strava.
Unlike the big players in the world of social media, the emphasis on physical fitness gives the application a very different feel, which seems more intimate and reliable.
"I worked at [Facebook and Instagram] and they see a trend there for groups and private messaging, "says Quarles. "When the size of your network gets too big, your comfort level for asking questions goes down and you become more of a consumer than an active participant."
And if you ask the community on Facebook what are the best running shoes, the answers may not be as credible. But if you ask for it on Strava, says Quarles, you'll get much more thoughtful and trustworthy answers.
<h2 class = "canvas-atom canvas-text Mb (1.0em) Mb (0) – sm Mt (0.8em) – sm" type = "text" content = "Avoid the pitfalls of social media giants"data-reactid =" 78 ">Avoid the pitfalls of social media giants
Strava is fully aware of the need for a social network to keep its users active, literally and figuratively, to achieve its goals, including profitability.
One of the difficulties faced by Strava and other social media companies is finding a balance between big and small. Users want an intimate, personal but connected place; dynamic and active with things to discover, but also not as an invasion of privacy or impersonal.
This is especially important for an application based on GPS tracking. After all, you do not want everyone to know where you are at all times. Strava tries to balance the personal and the private with the wider community
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"We want to develop discovery and training," says Quarles, presenting both parts of the application. The training part is personal because it contains your GPS data, so it is usually isolated from the public, except perhaps for professional athletes who use the platform. Next to it is a "discovery and exploration experience". "Data-reactid =" 82 ">
"We want to develop discovery and training," says Quarles, presenting both parts of the application. The training part is personal because it contains your GPS data, so it is usually isolated from the public, except perhaps for professional athletes who use the platform. Next to it is a "discovery and exploration experience".
If you stay active, it means that seasoned consumers and passive content consumers do not really have a place on Strava – unlike Facebook, Twitter or Instagram, where you can simply scroll through your feed without publishing anything on your own. . Strava has content, but it's not a high priority, although adding fitness-related content may seem like a natural choice for publishers.
For now, the focus remains on users and user-generated content, such as publications and activities. Quarles wants people to be engaged.
"They want to be active," he says. "People are largely there to encourage each other and to witness the act of staying to achieve their goal, not for political rants or cat gifs, or to sow discord."
The process of user self-selection and the rigorous application of community standards has allowed society to escape most of the trouble that other social media companies have encountered – and that they have mismanaged.
<h2 class = "canvas-atom canvas-text Mb (1.0em) Mb (0) – sm Mt (0.8em) – sm" type = "text" content = "The responsibility of having GPS data"data-reactid =" 87 ">The responsibility of having GPS data
How to handle mountains of consumer data – especially GPS data – the company was another point of deliberation. Strava has always allowed users to easily download, download and delete data from their profiles – a necessity given the way GPS files were previously downloaded via a Bluetooth front cable.
The control removes a small amount of viscosity that Strava has, as it is possible to move your "active life" and its activities on another platform if you wish. But this is in line with Strava's philosophy of data.
"Our general mantra is to avoid surprises. Things should work as expected, "says Quarles.
The heat map of Strava shows the activities of its users at the same place. (Screen capture via Yahoo Finance)
<p class = "canvas-atom canvas-text Mb (1.0em) Mb (0) – sm Mt (0.8em) – sm" type = "text" content = "Strava is however not immune to controversy or surprises.It has & nbsp;dangerous behavior inadvertently encouraged& nbsp;accidentally revealing a military base& nbsp; through its thermal map, which lists anonymised data on the places of activity of people. He was criticized for not having features such as the thermal map be & nbsp;opt-in rather than opt-out. "data-reactid =" 111 "> Strava, however, is not immune to controversy or surprises, she has inadvertently encouraged dangerous behavior, accidentally revealing a military base through her heat map, which lists anonymized data On the premises where their activities are taking place, been criticized for not having features such as the thermal card, be opt-in rather than opt-out.
Strava does not hesitate to stammer the tools created in response to criticism, indicating the confidentiality zones that can hide your place of residence (so that you can always participate in competitions such as the most popular race or bike segments). fast of a road or trail) or allow your defender. settings to be private only.
"[We have been] actively communicate to make them as simple as possible, "says Quarles. "We do not sell data to third parties for marketing purposes. Our business model is based on subscriptions. We do not try to sell you when you browse the web. "
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Strava does not share the number of paid users it has or how things have changed since the company went from premium service to $ 60 a year to its Summit service, the à la carte offer – a moving that, says Quarles, better shows the reasons for subscribing, something that Strava is still struggling with, he says.
But being the platform that hosts people's active lives has some key benefits to monetization, in addition to subscriptions.
<p class = "web-atom canvas-text Mb (1.0em) Mb (0) – sm Mt (0.8em) – sm" type = "text" content = "Strava earns money through relationships with Fitness Brands as People Discover Apps, Devices and Services via Strava If you work with certain devices or services like Peloton, Wahoo or & nbsp;Zwift& nbsp; for example, thanks to agreements made between Strava and these companies. "data-reactid =" 117 "> Strava earns money through its relationship with fitness brands as users discover apps, devices and services via Strava – work with certain devices or services such as Peloton, Wahoo or Zwift, for example, and it is prominently displayed because of the contracts between Strava and these companies.
Although Strava does not have a large content company, the fact that users are well-defined according to their interests could facilitate more advertising – the target group is clear.
Asked if Strava could use the strong community level – for example cyclists, runners, swimmers – Quarles presented a higher quality version of Craigslist, eBay or Facebook Marketplace, but pointed to the company's data and how it might be exploited in an interesting way – and anonymized.
"We start with GPS graphics with many routes and clubs to which you should adhere and we have a lot of data on the device, the shoes and the bike from someone," says Quarles. "Strava could very easily tell you the top 10 players [for a race or segment] and what shoes they wear, which devices are the most popular. "
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In the future, however, the company's goal remains focused on growth. The rate is currently about one million new users every 45 days, says Strava.
The second priority for Quarles is to ensure that Strava communicates better with its users to show what the application can do. ("Too many people do not have enough experience with the best parts of Strava," says Quarles.) The third is to make more features useful, something that seems obvious, but that Strava has had trouble coping.
At the end of 2018, Strava declared that its growth was accelerating. (Strava)
Strava may not be a substitute for other social media platforms, but its healthier approach to online communities can provide lessons for big players – and illuminate some of the directions that social media might take, whether it is the niche model that requires less network effect or subscription.
For the moment, he has no interest in acquiring or making public, says Quarles. The company has raised $ 70 million in 10 years and claims to be on the road to profitability with the ultimate goal of becoming the "next big sports brand of the 21st century".
"We are making good progress, but we are not trying to achieve profitability at the expense of the offensive," says Quarles. "As we execute our plan over the next few years, we do not have a lot of costs. It is ultimately the content and community generated by the users. "
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