The CTA isn’t the problem. The context is.

“We’ve changed the CTA three times, and nothing’s working!”

If you’ve worked in marketing for more than five minutes, you’ve probably heard this before - maybe even said it yourself. It’s one of our go-to fixes when conversions stall: swap the button, test a new phrase, try a fresh colour.

And sure, sometimes that helps.

But more often than not, the CTA isn’t the problem. The real issue is what happens before someone ever gets there. It’s the scroll that didn’t stop. The ad that didn’t register. The page that didn’t earn a second glance.

CTAs don’t create desire - they cash it in. And if your audience didn’t care enough to keep reading, why would they care enough to click?

Let’s talk about the moment before the moment. Because that’s where conversions are really made.

We Love to Blame the Button

When in doubt? Blame the CTA.

It’s easy. It’s visible. It gives us something to point to when the numbers aren’t behaving.

“Maybe ‘Get Started’ is too vague.”

“What if we try ‘Join Now’?”

“Let’s test the red button again.”

It’s low-lift, low-stakes, and kind of satisfying, in a false sense of control kind of way. But here’s the thing:

No CTA will save a page nobody wanted to read.

You can’t slap a “Shop Now” button on an offer people don’t understand.

You can’t “Learn More” your way out of confusing copy.

You definitely can’t “Subscribe” someone who didn’t feel a thing.

The button isn’t the beginning of persuasion. It’s the final nudge - and if everything before it didn’t build momentum, that nudge falls flat.

Still want to change the button? Cool. But maybe… start with the message.

The Moment Before the Moment

Conversion doesn’t happen when someone clicks. It happens when they decide to click.

That decision - often made in a split second - isn’t about the button. It’s about the context leading up to it.

Did the subject line make them open the email?

Did the first line make them read the second?

Did the headline speak to something they actually care about?

In the best-performing campaigns, the CTA is just a formality. By the time you ask, they’ve already said yes.

Because the real work happens in the lead-up. In the second their brain goes, “This is for me.”

A flower is not a flower. It is a symbol of love if given on Valentine’s Day, and a symbol of guilt if given after a fight.

Context changes meaning. Perception drives action.

And if the moment before the moment isn’t doing its job? Your button never stood a chance.

What Actually Drives the Click?

If we stop obsessing over the button and zoom out, here’s what actually moves people:

A. Relevance
Is this meant for me?
Right person. Right time. Right tone.
Personalisation matters, but perceived personalisation matters more.
(“This feels like my problem. My life. My inbox.”)

Example:
Bad: “See how our tool helps businesses like yours”
Better: “Running a team of 5–10 and still drowning in emails?”

B. Clarity
What is this? Why does it matter?
Your audience should get it without thinking too hard.
This is copy + design working together.

Example:
A landing page with one job - and doing it well.
Not 6 buttons fighting for attention.

C. Emotion
We don’t click because of logic.
We click because something stirred us.
Curiosity, relief, frustration, hope. Make them feel something.

Example:
“Start your free trial” → nah.
“Finally take back your workday” → now we’re talking.

D. Momentum
The scroll is sacred. Once someone’s reading, your job is to keep them moving.
If you stall? You lose them.

Every line should pull you into the next. Momentum builds trust, and trust leads to action.

Why We Miss the Real Problem

Marketers love CTAs because they’re… safe.

They’re measurable. Testable. Tweakable.

It feels productive to run 6 A/B tests with “Try now” vs. “Get started.”

It’s easy. But it’s also a distraction.

Because if the positioning is fuzzy, if the message falls flat, if the scroll didn’t earn their attention? No button copy in the world can save you.

Fixating on the CTA is often a way of avoiding the real problem:

• The offer doesn’t resonate

• The emotion isn’t there

• The message doesn’t hit

• The intent isn’t aligned

So no, you don’t need a better button. You need a better build-up.

Okay, So How Do You Fix It?

Here’s the practical part. A few dead-simple steps to reframe how you approach conversion.

🧠 Audit Your Funnel Backwards
Start at the CTA and work your way up. Ask:

• Does the user actually understand what they’re saying yes to?

• Were they primed emotionally before the ask?

• Was there momentum carrying them forward, or did the copy stall out?

If the lead-up’s cold, the CTA will be too.

⏱️ Run the 3-Second Skim Test
Pretend someone sees your ad, landing page, or email for just three seconds.

• Can they tell who it’s for?

• Can they feel the benefit?

• Do they know what to do next?

If the answer isn’t a fast “yes,” your CTA doesn’t stand a chance.

🧭 Write for the Scroll, Not the Click
Good copy is a path, not a push.
Each line should create momentum.
Like stepping stones, not a sales trap.

🎬 Steal from Movie Trailers
They don’t give it all away. They tease.
They hook you. They stir emotion. They build curiosity.
Then, just before the cut to black - that’s when they ask.

A great CTA doesn’t demand action. It makes action feel inevitable.

If someone doesn’t feel seen, doesn’t feel curious, doesn’t feel anything - they’ll never even make it to your button.

So stop polishing the punctuation on a sentence no one’s reading.

Zoom out. Build tension. Create momentum.

Then, and only then, ask for the yes.

Persuasion isn’t about forcing a choice. It’s about shaping the context in which that choice feels obvious.

Want help shaping the context that actually converts? Let’s chat.