Technique · Hooked
Ask for shares and referrals right after a win
Place share, referral and review asks at the moment users have just succeeded, never before value, with a prefilled message they can edit. Measure enthusiasm before scaling the asks: sharing should be something users want to do, not a trick.
Plain label: ask after successAlso known as: evangelists, referral timing, review ask, enthusiasm-first sharing, share prompt, prefilled share
How it works
Users who just got value are most willing to recommend the product, and a recommendation from someone they know reaches friends at almost no cost. Tricked or forced sharing spends users' goodwill with friends; once they notice, they complain and leave.
Evidence warning
Incentivized fake reviews are deceptive; reviews must come from real customers in their own words.
Before you start
- At least one segment already has product-market fit.
How to build it
- Mobile
- After a finished workout or a solved problem, one optional share card with an edit option.
- E-commerce
- Ask for a review after delivery and first use, not at checkout.
- B2B
- Ask for a case study or referral after the customer reaches a goal they stated.
- Email and SMS
- A post-success email with a referral link and a line saying it's optional.
What can go wrong
- Referral pop-ups on first launch.
- Rewards that buy reviews.
Pairs well with
- Invites that carry value to the person invited.
- Free-to-say-no wording.
In practice
Where it shows up
Limits
What we don’t claim
- The Hook Model is a practical design tool, not a validated or complete theory of behavior.Hooked, Introduction
- Left Brain and Right Brain are a metaphor for extrinsic and intrinsic motivation, not a claim about neuroscience.Actionable Gamification Ch.13, pp.342-343
Sources
Hooked · Nir Eyal
Ch.1 · Ch.2 · Ch.3
Source IDs: HK-MON05HK-TRG10HK-ACT13
Book content is paraphrased, never quoted at length. Last verified October 24, 2026.
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