Branding is incredibly important for any business. From small home-based companies to global industries, branding helps you to get noticed, makes you more memorable, gives you a way to stand out from the crowd and your competitors, and helps you to be taken seriously as a professional business. However, many small businesses find branding difficult. Many of us spend too long on logos and colour schemes and neglect other branding elements, like brand stories and taglines. Here are some top tips to help you create the perfect tagline for your brand.
The Importance of a Good Tagline
A good tagline is important because:
- It’s memorable – think of some of your favourite brands and businesses. You probably know their tagline.
- It gives people an idea of what your business is about straight away, helping to create a strong brand identity.
- A tagline sets you apart, even if other branding elements are similar.
- A tagline can be used consistently across different media and designs.
- A tagline can create an emotional connection with your customers, boosting loyalty and increasing return visitors.
- A well-crafted tagline can last the test of time, sticking around even if you rebrand in the future.
Get Some Inspiration
As with other branding elements, you should never directly copy a tagline from another brand. But that doesn’t mean that you can’t be inspired by them. Take a look at some of the most famous campaign slogans and taglines. Think about which you like and dislike and why you think they’ve connected with customers above others.
It can also be worth looking at taglines that haven’t worked and thinking about why and what you’d have done differently. This can help you to avoid similar mistakes.
Consider How it Works with Your Brand Name
Your tagline will often run alongside your brand name, so make sure the two work well together. Try not to repeat words or use synonyms. Think about alliteration and whether the words sound right together, and make sure none of the words are contradictory. Try writing your tagline underneath your brand name to make sure there are no obvious issues with how they look together.
Keep It Simple
Your tagline should be short. You aren’t telling the story of your brand or going into detail about what you sell. You are just trying to grab your target market’s attention and explain your core values or key business model in as few words as possible. Don’t try to be complicated or use confusing, overly long words. Just say what you need to in a short, simple line.
Make it Memorable
Keeping your tagline short, clear, and concise will help to make it memorable. But so will the words you use and the message you convey. Think about those famous taglines. What makes them so memorable? In many cases, it’s the message rather than the words themselves. For example, Nike’s ‘Just Do It’ is short, easy to remember, and has a message that perfectly suits their brand, its message, and the products they sell.
Write it Down
Sometimes, things sound great in our heads but don’t look right written down. When the words are on a page, they don’t seem to flow.
You should also consider the font you want to use and how the letters will look. For example, capital letters can look like other letters in some fonts, creating confusing or sometimes unfortunate misunderstandings.
Add a Hashtag
Taglines are a great way to get noticed. So is social media. When we create hashtags on social platforms, we get rid of the spaces between words, pushing them all together to create clickable tags.
Most words are still clear when pushed together. But sometimes, removing the spaces creates brand-new words. Make sure your tagline isn’t saying anything that you don’t want it to.
Make Sure it Aligns with Your Values
Consider your brand values (and find out what they are if you haven’t already), and make sure any taglines you are considering meet them, or at least any promises you make in your tagline don’t contradict your values.
Your marketing needs consistency, so make sure everything from logos to taglines to brand colours meets your values and standards and offers excellent accessibility.
Get Some Feedback
Fresh eyes and ears often notice things we don’t, especially when working on something for a while. Ask for opinions and feedback, even if you are sure you are on to a winner.
A brainstorm or list can be a great way to get started. Remember to take your time, test things out, and ask other people what they think before committing to your tagline.
