If you’ve ever encountered an online ad and had no idea what product was being sold, you’re not alone. Maybe you’ve even spotted a tagline that was completely deceptive, leaving you with an entirely different perception of the product or service than what it was meant to market. Again, it wouldn’t be the first time.
If you’re looking to develop a tagline that finds the right balance between overcomplicated and underwhelming and stays true to what you want to say to your consumers, you might find some of these tips useful.
Keep It Simple. As with most advertising and marketing tools, don’t try to squeeze too much information into your slogan. If you’re trying to say too much and you can’t explain to people what you do or sell in five words or less, it will be impossible to communicate your vision to potential employees or generate loyal consumers. Developing a marketable and successful slogan is about saying something that helps others see your business’s vision and mission. Some of the best and most memorable slogans sell both their product and brand with only a handful of words.
Tell Your Story. Think about what you do and focus on what gets you emotional about it. Think on your backstory and how you ended up where you are. Whatever you are thinking about should become your focus and your position. Your logo and tagline should effectively communicate that feeling as specifically as possible. If you can start with a few key words and ideas, you can always use an online tagline generator to help you realize those thoughts.
Describe Who You Are. Going along with telling your story, you should also think about how you can illustrate who you are. Don’t try to be cool, edgy, or trendy. Work toward developing a tagline that summarizes in a few words the best of what your company or your product is. What is it about you that will make the lives of others better? Once you have that, bring that forward with an economy of words. That’s not easy, so you may want to brainstorm with others or hire someone to help you.
Require a Double Take. Good slogans get ingrained in a customer’s head the first time he hears it. Great slogans become unforgettable. If the slogan is quickly and easily recognizable and consumers will only have to spend a second or two to think about it, you may have a winner. Be sure to sell the benefits, not the features of your product or service by using a few brief, catchy words that make the perks of your business or product clear to the audience. The objective is to be able to figure out the business with no other Hints. You want a tagline that tells your audience what your business is without any additional information.
Think Long-term. Think timeless. It may be a tall order, but try to focus on what will work in the years ahead. Adaptability is key to business success, but when you’re looking to develop a slogan, you will want to think of its longevity. References to fleeting technology and phrases like “the only” or “the best” are risky. If you want your tagline to stand the test of time, you have to consider words that are upbeat and appealing in an unforgettable way. You may need to try a few before you hit the perfect one that becomes your keeper.
Consider Your Target Market. Remember who you are focusing on; it makes a difference if your consumers are local, national, or international. Some taglines will make sense to those that live in your community, while tourists may be left scratching their head. If you sell internationally, keep in mind that translating to another language has the potential to change the meaning. Your slogan should be clear and appeal to your target market.
Get Input. It’s never easy to be creative in a vacuum. Some of the best ideas are generated through collaboration. There are ways to avoid going it alone. Try using Facebook’s poll feature to get opinions from your followers or gather ideas from colleagues and employees. Maybe you can use Twitter to host a slogan contest with a designated hashtag to organize and track the entries. If a hashtag generator is not your style, you can always get a free consultation from creative teams at different online marketing firms.
Developing an unforgettable tagline is worth the time and effort. It can make your company memorable and generate more sales. What are some suggestions you have for developing a slogan? We want to hear from you!
