LinkedIn needed users to complete their profiles - more data meant better matching and stickier accounts. The progress meter turned a chore into a compulsion.
The goal-gradient effect
People accelerate toward a goal as they get closer to it. By showing users how close they are to a 'complete' profile, LinkedIn taps into that pull - an 85% bar is far more motivating than a blank one.
Breaking the goal into steps
Rather than one giant task, completion is broken into small, specific prompts: add a photo, add a position, add skills. Each step is a quick win that advances the bar.
Endowed progress
LinkedIn often starts users partway up the bar rather than at zero. Feeling like you've already made progress increases the likelihood you'll finish.
Key takeaways
- 1Show progress toward a goal to trigger the goal-gradient effect.
- 2Break big asks into small, specific steps.
- 3Give users a head start so they feel momentum from the beginning.
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