How User Motivation Drives Content Growth: Insights from a 58 Tribe Case Study

Research Background

Content growth is the result of users taking actions; the study aims to better activate user initiative to achieve growth. Two common content sources exist: professional teams and platform users. 58 Tribe primarily relies on user‑generated content, so the research focuses on this source.

Research Approach

Growth is driven by incentives that create motivation, leading to sustained behavior. Motivation is split into internal and external drivers, influencing content publishing behavior, while production capacity defines actual output. Thus, content growth = internal driver × external driver × production capacity. The study investigates these drivers and capacity.

Step 1: User Segmentation by Content Production

Users are divided into four layers based on contribution: head, torso, tail, and consumer users, each showing distinct behaviors and common traits.

Step 2: Influencing Factors for Each User Layer

A qualitative study invited eight users (two from each layer) for one‑on‑one phone interviews over a week. Findings were visualized to highlight the main influencing factors for each segment.

Step 3: Research Conclusions

The study identifies key points for each user tier, creates a content‑growth design pattern, and defines design objectives. Since growth = internal × external × capacity, changes in any dimension positively affect results; designs consider ROI of factors for different tiers.

Design Practice and Validation

Improving External Drivers

Example: the “Cash Task” (formerly Small Treasury) uses monetary incentives to encourage posting, increasing task participation.

1. Low‑cost rewards make earnings easier, attracting further actions. Adjusted the sign‑in area on the homepage.

2. Gamified guidance prompts users to continue behavior, enhancing task reward visibility.

3. Visual feedback on task completion makes earnings tangible, boosting ongoing participation.

Improving Internal Drivers

Example: the “Growth Base” leverages achievement and belonging feelings to sustain user activity.

1. Achievement: publishing upgrade achievements satisfies users and encourages more posting.

2. Belonging: monthly performance summaries and a privilege system (moderator team, mentor mechanism) reinforce community ties.

Enhancing Production Capacity

1. Reduce operational cost by simplifying the cash‑task posting workflow.

2. Reduce production cost by adding “semi‑teaching” guidance, segmenting user abilities to meet diverse posting needs.

Design Validation

The cash‑task redesign showed consistent participation growth after each rollout, and posting rates increased significantly. The newly introduced growth‑base mechanisms also yielded notable improvements in key metrics.

Summary

The content‑growth model (internal driver × external driver × production capacity) guides design for different user tiers across three axes. Future projects should consider user segmentation and the three dimensions when setting design goals, adapting to product stages and resource constraints.