TextYourBrand · Part of the YourBrand Network

You don't need the whole map. You need the nextstep.

You don't have a texting problem. You have a clarity problem. You don't need another tool or a blast schedule. You need the one move that makes your next text worth opening.

Find my texting nextstep →

Two minutes. Six questions. You see your result before I ask for anything.

Or just get Nextstep Notes free

Free · 2 minutes

What's your Text Clarity Score?

I'm Russ. A text lands in the most personal place online, right next to messages from family and friends. Most brands don't struggle with texting because of the tool. They struggle because nobody said what to fix first.

Six questions. Two minutes. One nextstep. No email needed to see it.

Kindness is cool, smiles are free.

How it works

No program. No 40 tabs. One move at a time.

1

Take the score

Six quick questions about where you are with texting today. No list yet or a thousand people, it works.

2

See your one gap

Not ten things. The one that matters most right now, plus three moves for it.

3

Do one move a week

Nextstep Notes lands every Thursday with one trend and one 15 minute move. Do it, then do the next.

Try this today. 15 minutes.

Write your welcome text.

Write the first text a new subscriber gets: who you are, what they'll get, about how often, and how to stop. Keep it under 160 characters. Then send it to yourself and read it on your own phone.

Done looks like one welcome text, under 160 characters, read on your own phone.

That's what a nextstep feels like. The quiz finds yours.

Russ Johns

Nextstepnext · YourBrand Network

Who's behind this

I'm Russ. I write Nextstep Notes every Thursday, and I read every reply.

30 years in corporations and 15 years as an entrepreneur and content creator.

I've stood in the rubble of a plan with no idea what comes next. What helped wasn't twenty-two things to do. It was one.

This site is one small piece of a bigger mission: help more people help more people. One craft, one move at a time.

Read the whole story → (opens in a new tab)

Not ready for the quiz?

Start with the letter.

Nextstep Notes lands every Thursday. One trend, one 15 minute move, and the texting trend lives right inside it. Free, short, and kind to your inbox.

No price. No upsell. Unsubscribe any time.

See a recent issue (opens in a new tab)

Fair questions

Is it free?

Yes. The quiz, your result, and Nextstep Notes are all free.

Do I have to give you my email to see my score?

No. Your result shows up on the page. Getting it in your inbox is your call.

I don't have a text list yet. Is this for me?

Especially for you. Getting permission and a clear promise right before your first text means people are glad to hear from you.

Will this get more people to sign up or click?

I won't promise numbers. I'll help you see where your texting is and pick one useful move. What happens next is yours.

Trust

Playing it straight

Trust is earned one message at a time. Here's how we keep it, and how you can too.

Rules people follow

Follow your carrier and texting tool rules.
Only message people who asked.
Reply STOP to leave and HELP for help, in every program.
Honest claims and safe, clear links. No hidden redirects.

What we do

Opt in only. No unsolicited emails, texts, or DMs.
Every message says it's from Russ Johns and Nextstepnext, and leaving takes one click or one word.
Real numbers only, like 600+ livestream interviews. No promised results.
We never buy, sell, or share lists.

Text the right way

Register first. US business texts from a 10 digit number need carrier registration, called 10DLC: your brand and your campaign, usually inside your texting tool.
Get a written yes (the TCPA), like a checkbox or a texted keyword, and say how often you'll text.
Name your business in your first text.
No texts before 8am or after 9pm, their local time.
Your own list only, no SHAFT topics (sex, hate, alcohol, firearms, tobacco), and keep consent records.

This is general guidance, not legal advice.

Rather talk it through with a person? Book a free Roadmap call (opens in a new tab). We look at where you are and pick your nextstep together.