Let's be real for a minute, does anyone really need kudos? Probably not. If you clicked on this article, you probably want your efforts to be seen. Some of us like to keep our workouts private, but everyone else tends to enjoy some positive feedback. At Strava we want to celebrate all kinds of movement, whether it's big mileage, impressive 24hr world records, or the weekly gym visit. Community is what keeps us coming back to upload our activities and kudos are the way the Strava community shows its support.

There are skills and a few hacks you can use to increase the number of orange thumbs you amass in your activities. Be it a tough yoga sesh at a new studio, your everyday commute, or a grand sunrise-to-sunset hike, these 10 tips can help boost your kudos count.

01 Come up with a snappy activity title

The title is one of the first things people will see in their feed. To come up with a good name, think about what stood out in your activity. Did you stop for pastries? Was it really windy? Maybe you’re sporting a brand new pair of shoes? We can all agree that few things are less descriptive than “Morning Run”. Some of our favorite activity titles aren’t even related to the activity, they’re just hilarious!

02 Upload media

Photos and videos are one of the easiest and most effective ways to make your activity stand out in the feed. If you’re out with your phone, snap a shot of the scenery or something curious along the way. Having a bunch of great photos and videos on your profile will help immerse your followers in your experiences and will entice new people to follow you. If you finish your activity and realize you don’t have a photo that fits, why not add a meme? Everyone likes memes.

03 Add a description

What’s the story behind your activity? Use the description section to tell people how hard the climb was or how exhilarating the descent was. Share your shower thoughts or struggles,  uplifting things you encountered. Keep notes on how you felt during a workout and what intervals you did too. People who do this well will establish a following of people checking back to see how their season is unfolding, like Anton Krupicka who uses the description section of his activities like a blog.

04 Drop kudos like it's hot 🔥

The law of reciprocity is simple: you get more kudos when you give more kudos. Get out there and hand out some love. Comment on friends’ activities and follow people you ran into on your hike or raced with and pretty soon you’ll be getting more kudos than ever. If you were grouped with other athletes in an activity, giving kudos to everyone is easy with the kudos bomb: 

Go to your group activity, tap on the Manage Group button, and then lightly shake your phone. This will drop a kudos bomb – giving kudos to everyone!

05 Take your athleticism to the next level

There are few better ways to get attention on Strava than to do things that stand out. Having your activity grouped with other professional athletes, like at the Tour de France, would certainly fall under that category. If you win, media outlets might share your Strava activity in a race report. Sure, it’ll take years of hard work and sacrifice, but the question is: how bad do you want it?

06 Challenge yourself 

Surely there's a seemingly improbable dream that lives in your thoughts that requires you to summon the courage to go on that bucket list hike or epic multiday quest you’ve always wanted to do. Chances are it's never been done before. Hush those limiting beliefs, make a plan, train hard, and set out to do it. When your followers see that legendary route in their feed, they’ll be flooding you with kudos as soon as it hits the Home Feed, like Chris Burkard's incredible Iceland Traverse. 

07 Make Strava Art

Tap into your creative side and plan your route to draw something meaningful to you. Whether it's on a bike, a kayak, or simply on foot. Take a look at what the streets of your city might offer. Go out and try to create it. Having a piece of Stravart in your profile will definitely attract some fans. It could be a piece that shows your apprenticeship or it could be a masterwork. It took Anthony Hoyte 3 months of planning and 8 and a half hours of riding to complete a virtual portrait of a mustached man, raising money for Movember. 

08 Share your Activity

Grow your Strava following by recruiting the fans you’ve got on your other networks. Share your activity on Snapchat, Facebook, Instagram, or even LinkedIn, and watch the numbers rise.

09 Go Local

If your name gets passed around, people will be flocking to your Strava profile and handing out all the kudos. Get involved in your community, join the group ride the brewery downtown hosts, sign up for that martial arts class in the park. You could be the fastest climber in town or organize a local weekly event, perhaps you volunteer for a race, or want to start your own club. Give to your community and they’ll give back to you.

10 Be Active in a Strava Club

Being active in your local community is great, but you can always go right to the source and be a part of a Strava community! Join a Strava club and participate in club discussions. You might learn something and meet some cool people in addition to getting some thumbs up.

We have observed that injecting some humor in your activity title, adding emojis, and uploading photos and videos increases the number of kudos received by up to 3x. So tap into your creative side and watch your followers pay more attention to your activities.

We’re curious to know if you’ve got a favorite tip for getting more kudos, if so – share it in the comments below!