Strategic Influence: Utilising The Power of Commitment and Consistency in Your Social Media and Marketing Strategies

"It's not just about making a promise; it's about keeping it and aligning your actions with your words."

— Robert Cialdini

In my last article, I explored Robert Cialdini’s principle of Reciprocity and how when we give or do something for someone, there’s an instinctual, almost automatic drive for them to return the favour. A perfect example of this was Derren Brown’s experiment, where he used reciprocity and positive reinforcement to walk away with people’s wallets and keys, without the “victim” realising anything was wrong until they had both taken several steps in different directions.

This principle exists in many of the interactions we have in our daily lives whether it is in the physical or digital world. In the physical world this principle is often used by businesses by offering prospective customers free trials - because once we’ve received something valuable for free, we feel a certain obligation to pay for continued use as a way of repayment for how we have benefited. In the digital world, these offers are utilised similarly by businesses such as offering us exponentially valuable free content to draw us in for a later purchase.

However, in our social relationships, this principle can cause us to behave in humourous ways. For example, imagine you’re feeling good about yourself and have decided to share a post of a photo you've just taken in flattering lighting, but you see your friend has already posted something first. Now, of course, you know the unspoken social contract we all signed as friends. The one that says, “If I like your post, you better like mine too.” So you like their post, hoping they’ll return the favour because clearly, that's what you signed up for as friends and sealed when you followed each other right? But if an hour has passed your post isn't getting any likes and even your friend still hasn’t liked it yet - oh, the absolute betrayal! Surely, as the wonderful person you know and expect them to be, they better like your post within the next 5 minutes or by god, you shall not like their next post purely out of principle and not some petty revenge because we're better than that. Aren't we?

But this article isn’t about reciprocity, it’s about another cornerstone of Robert Cialdini's principles of influence: Commitment and Consistency.

Have you ever publicly declared a goal to your friends or family, such as "This is the year I join a gym and get fit" or "This is the week I start my diet", only to feel the immediate pressure to now actually follow through? Maybe you’ve even posted about it on social media, and now every like and comment feels like a personal nudge to stay on track. That’s the principle of Commitment and Consistency it is a psychological force that compels us to align our actions with our stated commitments, especially when we’ve made them publicly.

I have personally used this principle many times as a clever tactic to make sure I get the most important things I need to do done. When I moved to Bath in February 2023 I wrote down my five 12-month goals on a massive A3 sheet of paper and strategically placed it right next to the door of my flat so I could never conveniently "forget" what I’d promised/tasked myself with whenever I left or returned home each day.

Additionally, it always made me laugh whenever someone visited because, as we do when we enter someone's home we glance around to make some quick silent judgement on the way that that person lives and in this case, without fail, visitors would quite quickly spot my little shrine of personal ambition. At first, I found it a little embarrassing but later I found it hilarious because, after they read it, I'd either get a question like "What the hell is this...?" or there would be an awkward silence where I could tell they thought I was completely mad. Who knows... maybe I am. However, funnily enough though, it actually worked. Out of the five goals I set myself for my time in Bath I managed to achieve four. 

As lovely as that little story was it's time to get back to the real purpose of this article: how do we take this principle of Commitment and Consistency and apply it to business? How can we weave it into our social media, marketing, and brand strategies in a way that nudges our audience to take a desired action, and then to also stick with it?

Understanding Commitment and Consistency

As I previously alluded to above, Cialdini explains that once people commit to something, particularly in a public, or written form, they are far more likely to follow through with it to maintain a consistent self-image. This drive for consistency is deeply rooted in our desire to appear reliable, trustworthy, and stable, not just to others, but to ourselves. It taps into our need to avoid cognitive dissonance, the uncomfortable feeling we experience when our actions don't align with our words or beliefs. That is why when we declare a goal or agree to a request, we feel internal pressure to act in a way that matches that commitment, especially if others are watching. 

Additionally, the more effort or emotion we invest in a commitment, the stronger the pull to see it through. This is why commitments that require active participation or have emotional significance tend to be more powerful. A casual promise made in passing may not hold the same weight as one written down or declared in front of others, but once that threshold is crossed, the internal and external pressure to stay consistent becomes very hard to ignore.

Cialdini illustrates this principle by outlining a study that involved homeowners who were first asked to place a small sign in their window supporting a social cause. Later, these same homeowners were asked to install a much larger and more obtrusive sign in their front yard. The results were honestly fascinating. Those who had agreed to the initial, smaller request were significantly more likely to comply with the larger one. The initial commitment, however small, often led the way for greater consistency in their actions, as saying “yes” the first time subtly redefined their self-image. Now, they saw themselves as supporters of the cause, and to refuse the larger request would not only be inconsistent with that new identity but could also create cognitive dissonance, which most people instinctively avoid.

This principle is also why small, incremental asks, such as what salesmen call the foot-in-the-door technique, can be so effective. Once someone has committed to a small action, no matter how trivial it may seem, it sets the stage for larger requests later on. The first "yes" literally creates a mental pathway that makes it easier for someone to get us to say "yes" again.

But it’s not just the act of committing that matters, it is also incredibly important how the commitment is framed. A commitment that feels voluntary, intentional, and public is far more powerful than one that feels forced. When people believe they’ve made a choice on their own terms, they feel more personally invested in the outcome, and that investment drives them to follow through. Additionally, public commitments carry a social weight. Once others know about it, the pressure to live up to that commitment intensifies. It’s why people are more likely to achieve a goal they’ve publicly shared, such as the ones I displayed in my flat because, after all, no one wants to look unreliable, inconsistent, or a quitter in the eyes of their friends, family, and peers - I certainly didn't.

This principle of Commitment and Consistency can be a powerful tool for motivating behaviour. However, it doesn’t just apply to people trying to achieve personal goals, it also has high utility across social, cultural, and business environments which is what this article was written to cover.

Application to Social Media Strategies

In today's digital world, the principle of Commitment and Consistency can be a powerful tool for fostering deeper engagement and loyalty among your audience and customers. When strategically applied, it can turn passive followers into active participants and loyal advocates.

Micro-commitments:

One effective way to tap into this principle is through micro-commitments. In social media, these would be those small, low-effort actions such as liking a post, commenting, or sharing content that requires minimal investment from the user. These seemingly insignificant actions represent an initial commitment to your brand, and once that first step is taken, the likelihood of following for further more meaningful engagement increases.

For example, imagine you're a fitness influencer or that you run a fitness brand and decide to launch a 7-day challenge on Instagram or TikTok. Signing up for the challenge is small and easy to commit to action that requires no financial investment, just a little time and motivation. But once followers start engaging, they've publicly committed to a goal, either by telling themselves or sharing their progress on their stories or feeds for their friends and family to watch. Each day they engage by completing a daily challenge, it reinforces their commitment, making it more likely they'll finish the full 7-day challenge. By the end, they’ve not only engaged with your content for seven days straight, but they’re also far more likely to convert into paying customers or become bigger advocates for your brand.

Thematic Campaigns:

Another way to apply Commitment and Consistency is through content series or thematic campaigns. Creating a multi-part story, an ongoing video series or a countdown to a big reveal encourages your audience to follow along. If they engage with the first part of the series, they’re now invested in the narrative. Their initial participation makes them more likely to stick with the series and follow it through to the end. This is why cliffhangers in TV shows are so effective as they create a sense of unfinished business, tapping into our desire to see things through.

User-generated Content:

User-generated content (UGC) campaigns also offer a valuable opportunity to utilise this principle. When you invite followers to participate by submitting their own content, whether it’s through a tag and share competition, using the "share yours" sticker, or sharing their experience with your product, they are making a public commitment. By associating themselves with your brand in a public way, they are far more likely to continue engaging with your content, share more, and stay consistent with their self-image as a loyal supporter.

In summary, by getting your audience to make small, low-stakes commitments, you create a path for them to engage more deeply over time. Whether through micro-commitments, ongoing campaigns, or user-generated content, the principle of Commitment and Consistency can help transform casual followers into long-term advocates who stay loyal to your brand.

Research and Data

One of the best examples of Commitment and Consistency in action comes from the 1981 study by Deutsch and Gerard, which explored how public commitments strengthen people's adherence to decisions. In this experiment, participants were asked to estimate the lengths of lines in a visual perception task. Some were required to write down their answers and sign their names, while others kept their answers private. After being shown that their initial answers were incorrect, the participants who had made public, written commitments were far more likely to stick to their original (and incorrect) answers than those who hadn’t.

This phenomenon perfectly illustrates how powerful public commitments can be. Once individuals have declared a decision or stance publicly, even when confronted with evidence that challenges their choice, they feel an intense internal pressure to remain consistent with their original position. Writing down and signing their answers made them feel personally invested in those answers, and the desire to maintain consistency with how they presented themselves to others outweighed any pesky facts thrown their way.

Now, think about how this applies in the context of social media. When someone publicly engages with a brand or public persona, by liking, commenting, or sharing content, they’re making a small, but very real, public commitment. These actions, though they may feel trivial, end up aligning their personal identity with the brand, person, or topic they've engaged with. The same psychological principles seen in the Deutsch and Gerard study apply here: once people commit to a brand, person, or idea in a visible way, they feel more pressure to maintain that consistency. After all, no one likes to be seen as inconsistent or unreliable in their commitments.

Take it a step further, and you’ll see this principle at work in "tribal" brand loyalty or fierce advocacy for polarising individuals online. Once users begin interacting with a brand or an individual, whether through liking, commenting, or sharing content, they feel invested in their success. This sense of public commitment explains why users become passionate defenders of these brands or individuals, tying their loyalty to their own personal identity. It's not just about the product or the influencer anymore, it’s about staying consistent with who they’ve publicly shown themselves to be.

In summary, the Commitment and Consistency principle, as outlined in the Deutsch and Gerard study, underpins many of the habits and behaviours we see in today’s digital world, where everything we say and do is accessible to everyone at any time. What might seem like a small public commitment, whether it’s a simple ‘like’ or a full-blown series of videos defending, advocating, or debating, can end up having a big impact on social media behaviour, which often carries over into the physical world. That’s why it’s important for brands and individuals who understand these principles and psychological triggers to use them in ethical ways. Done right, they can build deeper, more meaningful connections with their audience, turning casual followers into loyal supporters who feel genuinely invested in the brand.

Application to Marketing and Branding

But how can brands utilise the principle of Commitment and Consistency beyond social media to build loyalty and encourage customers toward desired actions? Well again, the beauty of this principle is that once a customer makes even the smallest commitment in either the physical or digital world, they’re more likely to stick around, ensuring their actions are consistent with that initial decision/interaction.

Loyalty Programs and Subscriptions:

When customers join a loyalty program or subscribe to a service, they’re not just getting some reward points, they’re making a commitment to your brand. This tiny act of joining sets the ball rolling. The more they invest, whether by collecting points at their favourite coffee shop or subscribing to a service like Spotify, the more likely they are to keep coming back.

This is where something called the Endowed Progress Effect kicks in. Imagine you’re handed a coffee stamp card with 10 slots. If two of those slots are already stamped for you (even though you haven’t bought a coffee yet), you’ll feel like you’ve already made progress toward that free drink. That small head start makes you more motivated to finish the card compared to someone starting with an empty one. Why? Because when we feel like we’re already partway to a goal, we’re more likely to follow through to completion. It feels like we’ve invested something, even if it’s just a couple of stamps, and our brain wants to stay consistent with that perceived progress.

This same idea applies to loyalty programs and subscriptions. Once customers have invested time or effort, whether it’s accumulating points, saving playlists, or unlocking perks, they’re more likely to stick with it. They’ve already started, and quitting now would feel like wasting the progress they’ve already made.

Brand Messaging and Values:

Consistency in brand messaging helps customers feel aligned with your values, fostering loyalty without needing to twist their arms or try to do a classic hard-sell promotional social media post. Tech and finance brands, for instance, know that trust and security are at the top of their customers’ priority lists. So, they hammer home messages of transparency, reliability, and control at every touchpoint, building relationships based on those key values.

Monzo is a good example of this because of how from day one they have always been all about transparency, control, and convenience. Their messaging hasn’t ever changed: your money is safe, it’s accessible, and you’re in control. This consistency reassures customers that they’ve made the right decision. Supporting Monzo isn’t just about storing your money there, it’s about endorsing values like financial empowerment and transparency. Walking away from Monzo, after aligning yourself with those values, would feel inconsistent with the identity you’ve formed by banking with them. Customers will stay loyal because they’ve built a connection that goes beyond a transaction, it’s an extension of their personal values and trust in the brand.

Product Launch Pre-Orders:

Pre-orders are another brilliant way to get customers committed to your brand before they’ve even received the product. When someone pre-orders a new smartphone, gaming console, or limited-edition item, they’re not just securing their order, they’re making a public declaration of their loyalty and excitement. It’s more than a purchase; it’s about positioning themselves as early adopters and fans of the brand, product, or service.

Therefore, once that pre-order is locked in, the customer is both mentally and financially committed. This is then where another principle of psychology kicks in called the choice supportive bias where after spending money on something, we naturally start to justify the decision to ourselves. Furthermore, nobody likes the feeling of “buyer’s remorse,” so our brains work overtime to convince us that the choice we made was a great one. That's why backing out after is like admitting we made the wrong choice, which clashes with how we see ourselves.

Brands also capitalise on this by sending personalised updates, sneak peeks, and exclusive content to keep the excitement alive. These touchpoints further reinforce the customer’s commitment, deepening the emotional connection while also making the wait for the product more bearable (and making cancellation feel even less appealing).

Think about it this way, if you’ve already told your friends you’re getting the new iPhone, cancelling feels like losing face. You’ve publicly aligned yourself with that decision, and now sticking with it is much easier than admitting you’ve changed your mind. The pre-order isn’t just a financial investment, it’s a psychological one too.

These strategies are all good in theory, but how are they currently being used today in the real world? Let’s look at two brands that have mastered the art of Commitment and Consistency, subtly drawing you in and keeping you loyal through clever techniques, Apple and Spotify.

Case Study: Apple’s iCloud Storage and Spotify's Price Increase

Apple is incredibly clever in how they sell and get you to upgrade whatever products or services you currently recive from them, however, a great product to outline is Apple’s iCloud storage and how they sneakily uses Commitment and Consistency to keep you locked into their ecosystem with each photo you take without you ever knowing. When you first set up your shiny new Apple device, they kindly offer you a limited amount of free iCloud storage. Great! You say yes, of course. It’s free, it’s convenient, and it syncs across all your other devices so what is there not to like? It’s a harmless, tiny commitment. Fast forward a few months, and before you know it, you’ve filled that storage with photos, backups, and documents you’ll never look at again.

Then comes the moment: you’ve hit the free storage limit. Now you’re faced with the classic debate of do I scroll through by 16,000 images and delete all those 3,456 pointless screenshots, the 397 video attempts I took of those stunning cocktails by the pool on holiday last year, or do I just pay for more storage? And let’s be real, scrolling and deleting all the useless bloat on your camera roll sounds like work, and it never seems to add more space anyway. So, you upgrade. Why? Because you’ve already committed. The idea of now ever switching to an Android phone or sharing your files on some other service or device feels inconsistent with your Apple-loving self. And really, who wants to ruin that perfectly synced ecosystem you’ve built across your devices? Congratulations, you’ve just become an even more loyal customer, and Apple didn't do anything but make it more inconvenient to leave.

As another example do you remember when Spotify announced its recent price increase earlier this year? It didn’t matter if it was just an extra pound or two, you were still mildly outraged for about five minutes. But then you thought about all those playlists you’ve been curating for years, the personalised recommendations you’ve come to rely on, and the endless hours of music you’ve liked. Abandoning all of that would be pure chaos. Sure, Apple Music and Amazon Music are there, waving at you, but the thought of starting from scratch? No thank you.

Again that’s Commitment and Consistency in action. You’ve invested so much time into Spotify, building your music library, following artists, and making playlists for every mood, that quitting now would feel like a betrayal to yourself. So again, you stay loyal to Spotify, and they keep your business and get more money from you without even trying.

In both cases, Apple and Spotify have mastered the art of getting you to commit and stay consistent. You make a small, easy commitment, like accepting free storage or signing up for a music subscription to avoid ads, and before long, you’re so invested that the thought of leaving is more painful than sticking around, even if it costs a bit more.

Conclusion

From this article you should be able to see how the principle of Commitment and Consistency really can work wonders for your marketing and branding strategies. And how it all just starts with those small simple commitments, and before you know it, you’ve got long-term loyalty that’s harder to end than a Spotify premium subscription.

Whether it’s rewarding people with a loyalty program, keeping your brand message/story so consistent, or running engaging campaigns that nudge them to participate publicly, the key is simple: align your actions with your audience’s values and make it easy for them to stay true to themselves, by sticking with you.

In a world where everything is trying to grab our attention, understanding these psychological nudges is a literal game-changer. However, it's important to remember that it’s not about manipulating people, it’s about genuinely connecting with them, supporting their journey, and making them feel like their decisions are consistent with who they are (and who they want to be).

In the next article, I will outline the power of Social Proof, aka the “everyone’s doing it, so it must be good” effect. Whether it’s reviews, endorsements, or that influencer/trend everyone’s talking about, social proof can turn even the most hesitant customer into a true advocate. So, stay tuned for more ways to leverage psychology and behavioural science to build more robust business strategies and more meaningful relationships with your audience, without ever needing to swipe their wallet like Derren Brown.

PoweringThought:

Robert Cialdini once said, “Once people make a commitment, they are more likely to act in ways consistent with that commitment.” It raises a crucial question: When someone makes a small commitment, how far does that initial choice ripple through their future actions?

In business and life, we often seek these small commitments to build trust and deeper relationships, but the key is to ask: Are we fostering genuine alignment with people’s values, or are we simply capitalising on their need to stay consistent?

I believe the real power of Commitment and Consistency lies in encouraging people to act in ways that feel authentic to them. It’s about creating opportunities for people to make choices that reflect who they are and want to be, not trapping them in a series of decisions they feel obligated to follow through on.

So, before you ask for that next commitment, ask yourself: Are you helping your audience grow, or are you pulling them into a cycle of obligation? In the end, influence is most powerful when it respects autonomy and fosters true connection.