The Weekly Brew

Last week, I was reviewing a client's website.

She helps fiction writers dig deep and fioind their next story, and work like hers requires a level of trust for those writers to be open and vulnerable. As I reviewed each section, I wasn't asking myself, "Is this copy good?" or even thinking about her offer.

I kept coming back to one question: Has this page earned the next step?

I wasn't looking at the header or the hero message.

I wasn't focusing on the call-to-action framing.

Just...

Would I keep reading?

The Proposal Problem

Imagine you're walking down the street.

A complete stranger approaches you.

"Hi! I'm Alex."

You smile back and before you can even introduce yourself, they ask:.

"Will you marry me?"

You'll probably slowly back away, right?

It's not that marriage is a bad idea. Maybe you already have your dream wedding planned out. It's that they haven't earned the question.

You don't know who they are.

You don't know whether you trust them.

You haven't even had a date yet.

It all sounds a bit over the top, huh? Yet websites do this all the time.

Earn the Next Step

Healthy relationships don't start with a proposal.

They start with a conversation.

Then maybe coffee.

Then you keep building the connection.

Marketing works the same way.

Every step should earn the next.

Your headline earns the first paragraph.

Your opening paragraph earns the next section.

Your explanation earns your examples.

Your examples earn your proof.

Your proof earns your offer.

By the time someone reaches your call to action, it shouldn't feel like a leap.

It should feel like the obvious next step.

Here's the Shift

Every time someone keeps reading, they're making a tiny commitment.

They're saying,

"Okay... you've got my attention. What else?"

Your job is to reward that curiosity. Not rush it.

And no, I'm not saying you should bury your main call-to-action or avoid making your offer unti. the very end of your page.

There's a way to do it strategically that won't be offputting. A way to make ytour call-to-action sound more like an invitation to get to know each other over coffee and not so much a request for a life time commitment.

But that's a conversation for the next edition...

So, here's my challenge to you: The next time you review your website, don't focus too much on your call-to-action or where you make your 'pitch'. Start at the top and ask

• Have I earned the next sentence?
• Have I earned the next paragraph?
• Have I earned the next click?

Keep asking that question all the way through your customer journey.

Until the next one,

Emjae

The Content Café Ja