How to Write Taglines

A tagline is a quick way to market a business visually and audibly. It is very similar to a slogan, but it often covers an entire company and its products instead of a single advertising campaign. Great taglines come from plenty of brainstorming and editing. The best ones are catchy but also express the benefits of using a business' products or services. Draw inspiration from your business or product in order to write an expressive tagline many people remember.

EditSteps

EditBrainstorming Tagline Ideas

1. Determine where you wish to display the tagline. The place you choose may affect the tagline’s length and other characteristics. Typically, a tagline is meant to be displayed with a company logo. It is often featured at the top of a company website, but it might also be used on social media, business cards, fliers, and other advertisements.^[1]
   
   • When choosing a location to display a tagline, keep aesthetics in mind. A long tagline could crowd out a company logo, for instance. Write a tagline to fit the area you wish to display it in.
   • A good tagline can often be used in a variety of places. That doesn’t mean you have to use it everywhere. A tagline is good as long as it works well where it is needed.
2. Select a target audience for your tagline. Decide who your product or service is meant for. The language you use in the tagline may vary depending on your audience and what you have to offer them. A tagline meant for working professionals sounds far different than one written for kids. Most taglines are simple and avoid jargon to capture as wide of an audience as possible.^[2]
   
   • For example, taglines about financial planning services are meant for adults. They are often straightforward but upbeat. Something for a food company, such as “Finger lickin’ good,” is much more lighthearted
   • One of the world’s most popular taglines is “Just do it.” It’s not very specific, but the brand is very popular among athletes. Customers expect no-nonsense products that help them achieve their goals.
3. Brainstorm words describing the product or service the tagline covers. An effective tagline lets people know what to expect from a product or service. Think about what you need potential customers to know, then jot down a brief list of words. These words form the basis of your tagline. Come up with as many different words as possible so you have a variety to choose from when you write the finished tagline.^[3]
   
   • For example, wikiHow’s tagline is, “How to do anything.” That short phrase lets you know that the site contains instructions on a wide variety of topics.
   • Take inspiration from the product, your website, or any other resource available. For example, if you run a website dedicated to ice cream, it probably has a lot of pictures and gentle colors. Words like cool, refreshing, and soothing are possible descriptions to include in your tagline.
4. List what benefits customers get out of using your product or service. Brainstorm a separate list of descriptive words and phrases identifying what you have to offer customers. A tagline is basically an advertisement. It’s very visible and has to encourage potential customers to check out what you have to offer. Try to be as specific as possible when describing these benefits.^[4]
   • Words and phrases like planning, financial freedom, protecting wealth, and building a foundation are common ways to describe a financial planning service.
   • For example, one insurance company tagline is “In 15 minutes you can save 15% or more on car insurance.” Even if you have never heard of the company before, you know exactly what you are getting from it.
   • Well-known taglines like “I’m lovin’ it” work because they belong to big, marketable companies that have been using them forever. A tagline like that is normally too vague unless your company is well-known.

EditMaking a Basic Tagline

1. Write a couple of sentences describing your business. Take your lists of descriptions and ideas if you have them. Combine them all into 1 or 2 complete sentences explaining what your business does. Try to make the description as specific as possible, as if you’re pitching it to a complete stranger. Don’t worry about making the perfect tagline yet.^[5]
   
   • For instance, you might write, “Acme gives you a space to host your website without a lot of hassle. Our tools help you create, design, and troubleshoot a custom site in ways other hosts can't.”
2. Trim the description down to a short sentence of a few words. Edit the description into a single sentence that flows well but still contains all the important information a customer needs. Once you have that, look for ways to shorten the tagline further. The exact length of your tagline will vary, but usually keeping it around 10 words or less is ideal.^[6]
   
   • Short, punchy taglines are far easier to memorize. They also fit better underneath logos and in other prominent spots.
   • Trim your tagline down to something like, “Acme makes hosting and designing a website easy. Our tools are perfect.” Trim it down again to, “Website hosting, perfected.”
3. Come up with variations to find the perfect tagline. Play around with your shortened description to find alternative taglines. Try switching around the words in your sentence or substituting some words for the ones on your brainstorming lists. Create taglines that show your business from a few different angles until you come up with one you like.^[7]
   
   • Change your tagline to “perfect web hosting tools,” “website design made easy,” and so on. Compare taglines to find the one you like best.
4. Use a tagline to clarify what you do if your name is part of the business. Lawyers, marketers, and many other professionals run into this problem in advertising. Unless you are super famous, nobody knows what you do by reading your name. In this case, write a very specific tagline. List exactly what products or services your business provides.^[8]
   
   • For example, your tagline might be “Chartered Accountants” or “Social media trainer.” Be as clear as possible about what you’re offering. Clarity beats cleverness.
   • Something like, “Speaker, Author, Trainer” is an example of a ineffective tagline. You could be a personal trainer, an animal trainer, or have any number of other roles.
5. Use a tagline generator to help you come up with new ideas. If you’re stuck, try getting some inspiration from an online generator. Plug a word from your list into the generator to instantly create a bunch of taglines. Many of them are generic and won’t quite fit your purpose, but you may find value in some others. Even if you don’t find one you use, you can use the generated taglines as a launching point for something original.^[9]
   
   • You can find tagline generator sites by searching for them online.

EditTesting a Tagline

1. Place your tagline on your website to check its visual appeal. If you plan on using the tagline in your logo, on business cards, or in other places, put it there too. A great tagline loses some of its effectiveness if it looks out of place. It needs to be up front with your name or your logo, one of the first things customers see. Make sure it doesn’t clutter up your website or images, though.^[10]
   
   • Keep in mind the costs of adding a tagline. It adds a new design element to your website or anything you print out. Sometimes the tagline’s costs outweigh its benefits, such as if customers already know what kind of product to expect from your business.
   • Check the tagline’s length to ensure it is easily visible but doesn’t cover nearby graphics. Also, make sure the color and font match other design elements on the page.
2. Recite the tagline out loud to ensure it’s easy to say and remember. Test the tagline’s flow and clarity by saying it to yourself a few times. If you stumble over it, it may need more editing. Find ways to shorten it or look for simpler words that better describe your business’ purpose. Continue revising the tagline until it provides a simple but accurate portrayal of what your work is about.^[11]
   
   • Take inspiration from some famous taglines. For example, something like “eat fresh” or “got milk?” is short and memorable. A tagline like “A diamond is forever” is short and descriptive.
3. Edit the tagline’s tone to match your target audience. Part of the tone is using language every customer can easily understand. Doing this helps keep the tagline light and appealing. Use a more serious tone or jargon only if it suits your audience. Remember that a tagline is an advertisement, so paint your business in a positive light.^[12]
   
   • For instance, you might write “Peace of mind for your financial future” for a bank tagline. The tagline isn’t the place for terms about investment. Instead, make the tagline straightforward and positive.
   • If you’re a programmer, you might list your name, then write, “C++ developer” to specify your area of expertise. However, “computer programmer” is still usually a better and broader title. Some clients may not know what C++ is and get scared off by the tagline.
4. Read the tagline to friends and potential customers to test it. Give your tagline to other people and ask them to judge it. Start with people that you trust, then move on to customers or even complete strangers. Find out how they feel about the tagline. Ask them if it’s memorable and describes your business accurately.^[13]
   
   • For example, ask, “What kind of product or business do you think this tagline represents? Does it sound friendly and engaging?”

EditTips

• Taglines are a small part of marketing unless you’re writing one for a large company. You don’t need to spend hours coming up with something incredible.
• A clear tagline is always better than a clever one. Keep your tagline short and to the point instead of going out of your way to be witty.
• Taglines aren’t right in all situations, such as for websites that cover single, specific topics. If you think a tagline doesn’t add anything to your business or product, consider removing it.
• Marketing is important for taglines. The most famous taglines are well-known because they are used frequently and included in paid advertisements.

EditReferences

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via Peter