Creating the perfect tagline for your business can be a real challenge, but it’s a challenge that’s worth devoting your time (or money) to. That’s because the right tagline can be a powerful marketing tool for any brand.
To give you an example, try describing your brand (or your products) in a way that leaves a lasting impression on potential customers.
The chances are that you can do this easily, but can you do it in 6 words or less?
That’s not so easy, but that’s exactly what writing a tagline involves.
In this post we discuss all things tagline-related, including what they are, why they matter and – most importantly – how you can write the perfect tagline for your business.
What is a tagline?
A tagline is a short, memorable description that succinctly and clearly communicates your brand message. It’s effectively a catchphrase for your brand that shapes your brand’s personality and, in turn, helps position your brand within the market.
Why are taglines important?
Taglines may be short, but they’re mighty. The best taglines leave a lasting impression of a brand in the audience’s mind. They can improve brand recognition, encourage brand loyalty and even influence a brand’s position in the market. That’s a lot of power for a few simple words.
5 tips for writing taglines
There’s no magic formula for writing the perfect tagline, but here are some tried and tested tips to help you along the way.
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Keep it short and memorable
The perfect tagline should be short and simple, don’t overwhelm the reader. Long, complicated taglines are off-putting and won’t stick in the reader’s mind. If you can’t explain what you do in a few words, it will be nigh on impossible to communicate your vision to customers.
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Make it relevant to your industry
Your tagline should help people understand what kind of business you are, by highlighting your offerings or values. Clever taglines are useless if they don’t reflect your sector or brand personality.
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Funny isn’t always good
Humour has a place, especially if you’re aiming for a bold, edgy brand personality. Be careful though, there’s a fine line between edgy and offensive, and humour won’t be right for every brand or every industry.
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Match it to your branding strategy
There’s no point having an edgy tagline if your market strategy aims to build a serious, professional brand persona. Equally, you could have the funniest copywriters in the world working on your website content, but your brand identity will suffer if your tagline doesn’t match the humorous tone of your other content
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Don’t overwork your tagline
It’s simply not possible to explain your products, brand mission and philosophy all in one tagline. In fact, the broader your tagline, the less likely people are to remember your product. So, pick one aspect of your organisation and highlight that. There are several different styles of tagline, which we’re going to talk about next. Selecting one of these styles will help keep your tagline focussed and impactful.
What are the different types of tagline?
Taglines typically take on one of six main styles:
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Visionary Taglines
These inspirational taglines communicate the brand vision to the target audience. One example would be “We try harder” from Avis.
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Specific taglines
This type of tagline highlights a firm’s product, or the sector that it operates in. One memorable example is HSBC’s tagline “The world’s local bank.”
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Descriptive taglines
As the name suggests, these simple taglines describe the brand product, benefit, or promise. A great example is KFC’s “It’s finger-lickin’ good”. It conveys the brand’s promise to deliver on flavour.
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Provocative taglines
These taglines are thought-provoking and stimulating. They are crafted to stir up emotions and make you stop and think. A famous example is “Impossible is nothing” from Adidas.
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Imperative taglines
These authoritative taglines – such as YouTube’s “Broadcast yourself” – often begin with a verb and instruct the reader to perform an action relevant to the brand’s vision. The overall aim is to make the brand sound bold and edgy.
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Superlative taglines
These taglines use comparison to position a brand as the best in its class. For example, Gillette has used “The best a man can get” to describe its shaving products.
Now you know what a tagline is and which pitfalls to avoid, so it’s time to get writing! Which style of tagline would best suit your brand?
Wordsmiths offers copywriting, editing, and proofreading services for the business and publishing sector. We support firms who are looking to launch new products and services, as well as those seeking to rebrand. To get in touch and talk about your needs, contact us at info@wordsmiths.org.uk, or reach out to us on Facebook or Instagram.