Two letters drive more sales than any others in the alphabet...

..."er"

By adding "er" to the end of certain words, you turn a one-time action into an ongoing identity. It's borderline manipulative how well it works.

Don't ask someone to test your product → Ask them to be a tester.

WHY IT MATTERS

Marketing shifted from transactional to tribal decades ago. People don't want to do things anymore—they want to BE people. Nouns stick. Verbs do not.

GO DEEPER

The psychology is simple:

Changing a verb-based description (e.g., “drinks coffee”) to a noun (e.g., “is a coffee drinker”) makes it seem like that person’s attitudes or preferences were more dispensational, thus stronger and more stable.

Essentially, it becomes part of someone’s identity, rather than just an attitude they happen to hold.

This has a number of useful applications in marketing:

• ❌ "Update your plan" → ✅ "Become a pro user"

• ❌ "Learn more" → ✅ "Be an early adopter"

• ❌ "Join our list" → ✅ "Become an insider"

• ❌ "Support our mission" → ✅ "Be a partner"

Gyms don't want you to "work out sometimes." They want you to call yourself a member. Peloton doesn't want you to "ride a bike." They want you to become a rider.

This isn't new. Jesus didn't say, "Try following me." He said, "Come, be my disciples."

Christianity has always been about identity transformation—from sinner to saint, from wanderer to child of God, from stranger to brother or sister.

Identity language shaped how they saw themselves and how they lived.

The danger zone ⚠️ for Christians in marketing:

This tool works. But misused, it manipulates instead of serves.

• Bad: Creating false urgency or scarcity to pressure someone into an identity ("Only 3 spots left to be a founding member!")

• Good: Inviting people into an identity that genuinely reflects their goals and values ("Join 500+ pastors using this framework")

Accuracy and invitation, not manipulation and pressure.

Practical Takeaways

Run an Identity Audit on your current messaging:

Go through your website, emails, and sales pages. Count how many times you ask people to do something vs. be someone.

If the ratio is heavily tilted toward actions, you're leaving conversions on the table.

Use this Before/After template:

• Before: "Sign up for our newsletter"

• After: "Become a Story Lab member"

• Before: "Download the guide"

• After: "Join 2,000+ founders who grabbed it"

• Before: "Attend the workshop"

• After: "Be part of the cohort"

Warning signs you're doing it wrong:

• You feel gross after writing it

• Your identity language is vague ("Be a champion!")

• You're creating fake exclusivity to pressure a decision

Identity marketing works because it taps into real human desires. Don't weaponize that.

Bottom Line

Adding "er" to your call-to-action isn't a trick.

People want to feel like they are a part of something.

Your job as a Christian founder isn't just to get people to do something. It's to help them become who they're meant to be.

Use "er" to invite them in.

BEFORE YOU GO

1. If someone in your network needs this, share it.

2. And if you're a Christian founder who needs help translating your ideas into emails, newsletters, or courses that convert without manipulating, Very Good Ghost helps you build audience assets that honor God and people.

—Payton

P.S. I stood in a 4,000-year-old city last week.