Introduction
A catchy tagline is your organization’s brand identity in a nutshell; it should be short, memorable and unique. At the same time, though, don’t underestimate how difficult it can be to come up with a great one! If you’re struggling with this task yourself or are simply curious about what makes for an effective tagline, here are some tips that might help:
Write it first. Then write it again.
The first step is to write a tagline. Don’t be afraid of the blank page, but don’t try too hard either. Just start writing and see where it takes you. If it’s not working out, move on and try again later. You can always come back to this idea later if it still sparks your interest (and if no one else has already used it).
Avoid cliches.
Avoid cliches. Clichés are overused and boring, which can be a turn off for potential customers. They’re also not unique or authentic, so they don’t reflect your brand’s voice or personality. And finally, if you use a cliché in your tagline (or anywhere else), it’s likely that someone else has used it too–and they’ve probably done it better than you could hope to!
If you want people to remember your tagline after reading it just once or twice, avoid using common phrases like “best-in-class” and “world class.” You may think these words enhance the message of what you’re trying to say but in reality they have become clichés because everyone uses them all the time! Instead try using words like “innovative” or even better yet create an entirely new phrase for yourself by incorporating several different words together into one catchphrase that truly represents who YOU are as an individual brand!
Don’t be afraid to be a bit irreverent.
Don’t be afraid to be a bit irreverent. You want your tagline to stand out from the rest, so don’t hold back on being bold or daring. If you’re trying for something funny, make sure it’s actually funny–and not just lame and awkward.
You can also try being unexpected or different in some way; maybe use an uncommon word or phrase, or even take a more literal approach that doesn’t immediately make sense until after someone reads it once more (or twice). The key here is memorability: if people remember what your tagline says after reading it once, then congratulations–you’ve succeeded!
Keep it under 10 words…or at least not too far over.
A catchphrase is a short phrase that you can use to describe your company, product or service. It should be catchy, memorable and easy to understand.
It’s important not to get carried away with writing your tagline–you don’t want it taking up too much space on the page! Keep it under 10 words…or at least not too far over. Don’t be afraid of white space; let the words breathe so they have room to shine through their meaning as well as their style. And remember: when in doubt about what makes a good catchphrase versus bad one (i.e., “We sell widgets”), just ask yourself if you would want them printed on t-shirts or bumper stickers around town? If yes, then congratulations–you’ve got yourself an awesome tagline!
Use humor if possible, but don’t be cheesy or overly simplistic.
Humor is a great way to engage people and can be used to convey a message in an interesting way. But humor is not for everyone and you need to consider your audience when deciding whether or not to use it.
For example, if you’re writing an ad for a luxury watch company, then humor might not be appropriate because your target audience will likely be looking for something more serious and sophisticated. However, if you’re writing an ad for children’s toys or clothing then humor may work well as long as it’s appropriate for the target age group (i.e., don’t use innuendos).
Write a new one every now and then, or tweak your existing tagline to reflect how your organization has changed.
In the world of marketing and advertising, a good tagline can make all the difference. A catchy phrase or slogan will help you stand out from your competitors by establishing yourself as an expert in your field. And if done right, it will stick in people’s minds long after they’ve forgotten everything else about your business.
However, there are some pitfalls to be aware of when writing taglines–and even more so when trying to come up with one that fits perfectly with your brand identity. If done incorrectly (or if they’re used too often), even great slogans can become stale and ineffective at communicating their message clearly!
Test it out with potential clients/customers who fit your target market. (The same goes for brand messaging in general.)
When you’re working on a tagline or slogan, it’s important to test it out with potential clients/customers who fit your target market. The same goes for brand messaging in general.
You can get feedback from friends and family, but they may not be as critical as someone else would be when evaluating your tagline. They also might not know you well enough to understand how their perception of your business aligns with what others might think about it (or whether their perceptions are even accurate). For example, if someone has never heard of your company before and only has one interaction with its representatives or products, then he or she will likely have a strong opinion about whether or not he likes the way things feel overall–and this opinion could easily be influenced by factors like price point and customer service experience rather than just how catchy the slogan itself is.*
Don’t obsess over word count limits too much, but be mindful of them.
While word count limits can be a good thing, they shouldn’t hold you back from writing a good tagline. Don’t obsess over them and don’t let them hold you back. Be mindful of the word count limit, but don’t let it dictate how long or short your tagline should be.
It’s better to write an effective tagline that uses all of its allotted space than it is to leave some words out because they wouldn’t fit into the box provided!
Be willing to look at things from a different angle than what’s considered standard or common sense.
When you’re looking for a catchy tagline, it can be helpful to think about your business from a different angle. Think about the problem your company solves and how you solve it in terms of what others might not have considered before. You may have come up with an idea that has never been done before–or at least not done very often. This is what makes it so memorable!
If you don’t have any ideas yet, consider brainstorming with friends or coworkers who know more than just sales and marketing. They might be able to give some insight into what customers are thinking that could help shape your next tagline idea!
When in doubt, do research and consult with an expert early on and often.
Don’t be afraid to invest in expert advice. When in doubt, do research and consult with an expert early on and often. It’s worth the money: you’ll save yourself time and money by avoiding costly mistakes or failing to get the results you want from your marketing efforts.
For example, if your company has a new product or service that isn’t yet well known or understood by consumers (or even if it is), there may be an opportunity for some consumer education around what exactly your product does–and why people should care about it. If so, consider hiring a firm like mine (Advertising 2 Go) who specializes in creating compelling content that will help educate consumers about the value proposition of whatever it is they’re selling while also helping them understand how their products work so they can make more informed purchasing decisions when they come across these offerings online or elsewhere
Conclusion
Hopefully, these tips have helped you get started on your journey to writing a great tagline. Remember: there is no one way to write a tagline, and there are certainly no rules. But if you keep these tips in mind when crafting yours, then chances are it will be more effective than most others out there!