Human beings have an innate desire to align their actions with prior commitments and identities. Once someone publically or privately commits, they’re far more likely to follow through to stay true to themselves.
For example, if a kid is signed up for swimming lessons, no matter what else is going on - there is considerable consternation if they cant go to a lesson for whatever reason.
You can use this emotion to solidify engagement, deepen habit formation, and reduce churn.
Why this psychology is so powerful
- Self perception:
- After committing to a path or ideology or activity, people see themselves as ‘that kind of person’. Going against the grain in that way - creates real doubt and discomfort.
- Getting your foot in the door:
- Once a person has committed to a small initial commitment, they’re often already primed to expect larger requests as you go if they’re getting value.
- If the work is part of a group and they make a commitment it’s a written or spoken pledge - This amplies follow through.
Tactics to exploit this kind of feeling
- Setup micro-commitments - Ask users to take a simple action to teach themselves something. E.g. “Try one AI prompt now” - then follow with the ‘Next steps’ in the same flow. If they enjoy the entree they may be included to keep going.
- Progress trackers - get people to update you with their progress. That helps make them feel committed to complete what they started.
- Subscription anchoring - Get them to commit to an extended period of support - that’s heavily discounted. It brings in cash flow - and they’re on board for an extended period.
- As simple as it sounds - check in on them andsee how they’re going. By following up, you can get a recommitment from them.
Conclusion
By embedding consistency and lock in psychology - micro-commitments can transform people from one time users, to habitual builders. Each completed step reinforces their self image as a Protagonist, dramatically boosting engagement, retention and ultimate success.