The Hook Model is a cycle consisting of 4 stages. The hook model argues that triggers, actions, variable rewards, and investment steps must be followed in order for users to start using the product. By following these steps, users form habits for product use and by reinforcing these habits, the value of the product increases for the user. The user starts using the product with the trigger, the action to reinforce the trigger, a reward for the action, and finally an investment, the product becomes more valuable in the eyes of the user. 

1. Trigger 

Triggers, which are divided into two types, external and internal, are the first step in building a habit. In this step, external triggers such as email, anchor links, application icons are used first. Thanks to habits that start slowly with these triggers, internal triggers are now activated. Thus, users use the product voluntarily without any external intervention. 

2. Action 

In the action step, the user performs the desired action. Behavior designers leverage motivation and ability for users to perform this action. The most critical moves to be made in this step are to increase the motivation of the users and present the action to the user in its simplest form. 

3. Variable Reward 

The variable reward is the reward that users will receive when they perform the action in the previous step. Reward expectation is also an example of a feedback loop. Studies have shown that reward expectation increases dopamine levels. With the increase of dopamine, the desire of the users to take action and to perform the action increases. The reward in this step should not be considered as physical rewards. It is also a reward for users to enter an application that you have designed and see different features in this application that will attract their attention. 

4. Investment 

This step is the part where the user is asked to take action. The investment step is the actions taken to improve the service; such as inviting a friend, creating virtual assets, discovering new features of the product. 

Imona Game Team