Zumba · dance fitness brand and app
Add chat threads where users talk about classes and their health journey
Users didn't engage; feature turned off
Failedcommunityretention
What they did
Built several chat threads (discuss the classes, a health journey, starting out with Zumba) on the hypothesis that people want to talk about classes after taking them. Next attempt will be contextual, closer to interactions inside a live class.
What happened
People did not want to engage outside the context of the class; the feature was turned off.
- Effort
- Built and shipped as a basic community feature
Related topics
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More from this episode
- Zumba: Ask each user's goal, then put them in a matching workout programProgram users watched 2x as many videos; month-2 retention about doubled
- Zumba: Let people pick a plan in the app, then pay on a bare web pageSign-ups fell 25% (35% at first) but lifetime value rose 17%
- Zumba: On the web checkout, show Apple Pay or Google Pay first when availableHelped conversion a little; no numbers given
- Zumba: Make onboarding longer: ask about goals and level, show value, recommend a programMuch higher paywall conversion than the short flow; no numbers given
- Zumba: Show the paywall right after onboarding, before people see the appHelped overall conversion; no numbers given
- Zumba: Give non-payers one free beginner class, then show the paywall when they stopHundreds of thousands of views; that paywall converts well, but no numbers
- Zumba: Push new users to finish 3 classes: default weekly goal of 3 and a counterUsers who reach 3 classes are much more likely to stay
- Zumba: After each class, celebrate, ask how hard it was, and suggest the next classMore people come back for their next class; no numbers given
- Zumba: Send workout reminders at the day and hour each user usually works out
- Zumba: Drop the free trial on the monthly plan and cut it from $19.99 to $14.99Great results per the guest; annual mix rose from ~30% to ~60% (other changes too)
- Zumba: Give only a 7-day free trial on the annual plan, priced at $99Trial-to-paid rose from the 30s to ~56%; no drop in trial starts
- Zumba: Interview people who quit after one class, not just your biggest fansFound many churners leave for live classes; shaped the beginner focus
- Zumba: Build the app for shy beginners with easy, high-quality classes70-75% of new users say they're beginners; credited as a big retention shift
- Zumba: Treat every launch as a test and check the numbers every morningGuests credit it for fast iteration; no numbers
- Zumba: Run one instructor training and continue only if 60+ people show upAbout 120 came, double the bar; became the core instructor business
- Zumba: Label the paywall button "Start Today"Won an A/B test of several button labels; no numbers
- Dipsea: Test sending paywall taps to a web checkout pageRealized LTV down 6% at first; fewer web subscribers turned off auto-renew