Don’t let interest walk away capture it and continue the conversation

At a weekend makers’ market, a photographer watched people step into her booth, smile at the landscapes, then drift to the next tent. She slipped business cards into a jar and hoped the cards would become emails. They didn’t. By Sunday, her coffee tasted like paper cups and missed chances.

The next month she brought a small tablet with a simple header: “See next week’s photo drop two days early.” When someone lingered over a mountain print, she said, “Want the preview?” People typed an email, tapped submit, and kept browsing. That evening, she sent a short note with three photos from the day and asked which they liked most. Replies trickled in while her cat pawed at the charging cable.

Two days later she sent the preview. She didn’t push, she just showed what was new and where to find it. A teacher replied, bought a small framed print, and later sent her sister. The list grew, but more important, the list stayed. Each message was light, helpful, and predictable. When she missed a week, she said so. The relationship felt like a conversation, not a funnel.

This is “pull and stay.” Capture interest when it’s highest, then stay present with small, reliable value. It works because of the mere exposure effect, commitment consistency, and the peak‑end rule. People remember how you made the moment feel and return when your name means “helpful.”

Set up the simplest possible sign‑up at your next touchpoint and label it with one concrete benefit. As soon as people opt in, send a same‑day thank‑you with two useful links and one question to start the conversation. Then commit to a micro‑update on a cadence you can keep, even if that’s one tip or three photos. Ask for a tiny permission before they leave so saying yes gets easy. Prep the tablet and the first note now.