Facebook demonstrates the increasing power of habit-forming technology

The chain reaction that forms a habit always start with a trigger. Triggers could be external or internal.

A external trigger is embedded with information, guiding users what to do next through a call to action.

Reducing the cognitive load required to take the next action increases the chances that users will do what the company wants.

External triggers could be of four types: paid, earned, relationship, or owned.

Internal triggers are tightly coupled with a thought, an emotion, or a preexisting routine. These kinds of triggers manifest automatically in our minds and are those that companies aim to create in users through their products.

The goal of a habit-forming product is to solve the user’s pain by creating an association between the problem and the solution solved by the product or service.

The author highlight six points:

1. Triggers are the first step in the Hooked Model.

2. Triggers come in two types: External and internal.

3. External triggers guide the user to the next action.

4. Internal triggers stored associations in user memory.

5. Negative emotions frequently serve as internal triggers.

6. Makers need to link their solution to a frequently felt internal trigger and leverage it by a external one.