Many channel incentive programs require some sort of “enrollment” process. Almost every person in the program will have to agree to a privacy policy and program terms and conditions before they can play in the program.

That’s friction many clients hate to include at the beginning of the program. They’d much rather simply have everyone just automagically be enrolled.

But that’s not going to happen.

But you can leverage a bit of brain science to make that process less of a problem and nudge more people to sign up faster. Simply start them with a loss.

Losing to Win

For years we’ve used enrollment bonuses as a carrot to drive enrollment.

Now we use non-enrollment losses.

We start everyone we invite to the program with a positive point balance in their account. But to keep their points they must sign in within 30 days of receiving the invite.

Sign up on or before day 29, KEEP your points.

Sign up on day 31 or later LOSE your points.

Loss aversion is a powerful nudge. Framing as a loss instead of a gain creates more influence.

People are more afraid of losing something than they are of gaining something of equal value.

Do you leverage that with your program?

The best program design does.