A tagline is often one of the most memorable aspects of your brand. Think about how many times you’ve walked around singing a catchy jingle or reciting a funny tagline that caught your eye. Taglines are like a little taste of your favorite piece of cake. They’re enough to stick in your brain and entice you into wanting more. Let’s breakdown what makes the perfect recipe for a successful tagline.
Speaks For Your Brand
It should come without saying that a good tagline should always be the voice of your brand. Think about your target audience and the product or service you’re trying to sell. The tagline should be in line with those objectives and it should act as a little teaser about what you have to offer.
Short And Sweet
Taglines should be under five words and definitely never more than eight words. They’re meant to be short, sweet and to the point. It’s difficult for customers to remember an entire sentence and you want to be absolutely sure that your tagline sticks in their brain. Plus, your tagline will most likely be used in branding and even in your logo. Finding the perfect balance of a short tagline that packs a punch can be a bit tricky. But, with enough persistence and creativity, you can get it done.
Points Out A Benefit
A great tagline should always highlight a benefit that your company offers. For example, think about Allstate Insurance. Their tagline says, “You’re in good hands.” It’s short and simple but it gives customers a sense of security, partnership and help in a time of need which is exactly what an insurance company is providing.
Memorable
Most of us see or hear hundreds of taglines every week. They’re so prevalent that we’ve become somewhat desensitized to them. That’s why it’s so important to make your tagline memorable. I bet you can remember exactly who says, “I’m Lovin’ It” or “Just Do It.” Do you know why you can recall who says those taglines? Well, okay, maybe it’s partially because they have spent millions of dollars to sear it into our brains. But, they’re also very memorable.
“I’m Lovin’ It” from McDonald’s makes our mouths water and the “Just Do It” tagline from Nike evokes a call to action for us to get off the couch and get things done. They’re fun, short, simple and they float in our memories endlessly.
Stands Out
It’s so easy for a brand to get overshadowed if they don’t have something that sets them apart from their competition. Think of taglines that can embody your brand but also something that sets your brand apart from the rest.
For example, let’s say you have a credit recovery business. You want to change the lives of people with less than perfect financial histories. Which of these taglines stands out more?
“Repair Your Credit Fast.”
“Change Your Credit, Change Your Life.”
Obviously, the second tagline is much stronger than the first. Telling someone they can repair their credit fast means almost nothing. But, by implicating that credit repair can offer them a new lease on life, you’ve now caught their attention and got them thinking about how you can help them live again.
Catchy
A catchy tagline goes hand in hand with a memorable one. These taglines are like the song lyrics you get stuck in your head. You repeat them over and over again and you just don’t know why. If you can create a tagline that’s fun to say, chances are you people will remember it and pull it from their memory bank when they need whatever you have to offer.
That “I’m Lovin’ It” tagline from McDonald’s is almost always sung with a catchy tune that we just can’t seem to drop from our minds.
Positive And Uplifting
You always want your tagline to shine a positive light on your services. You might be able to say the same thing two different ways but evoke entirely different feelings. For example, “We’re There When You Need Us” sounds entirely different from, “We’ll Be Waiting For You” or “We’ll Help You When You’re Down.”
First of all, “We’ll Be Waiting For You” sounds incredibly creepy. “We’ll Help You When You’re Down” is marginally better but gives an overall negative tone. It implies that the customer is beneath you, which is never the case. “We’re There When You Need Us” offers a sense of security and partnership, rather than a creepy stalker waiting in the bushes to pick you up when you fall.
Taglines can be tricky but their potential impact is worth the time and effort to find the perfect fit for your business.
