Dec 8
Your Tagline Sucks
Recognize any of these words? Fast, Dependable Service … Low, Low Prices … Serving the State Since 1982. These taglines—and hundreds like them—mean nothing because they don’t say anything.
The only reason to have a tagline is to clarify the name of your business in the mind of your customer with the emotionally compelling benefit you offer them. A tagline’s job is to grab people by the throat and demand their attention in a way your business name may not be able to do.
It’s a statement, a promise, a question, a command made in a bold, memorable way, like the title of this blog post.
To create an effective tagline, you must first know your core customer. What are they looking for from a business like yours? What do they want, need, demand? Focus on that one thing and state it powerfully and succinctly.
Sure you may do other things, and people will get to know that in time, but first you need a clear, simple focus. Will you save them money? Keep them safe? Bring greater health? Increase their quality of life? What is THE compelling benefit you offer the marketplace?
Here’s a great example:
The Kingston Training Group specializes in teaching sales people how to set first appointments. This is a critical part of the sales process. If you can’t get an appointment with a decision maker, you have no chance of ever making a sale.
The group’s six word tagline is this: Make More Meetings, Make More Money. Note the compelling benefit, increasing income, stated in a memorable way. With this tagline I know exactly what The Kingston Training Group does and how they will benefit me.
For the next week or so, study taglines. Look at the ones that suck and the ones that grab you by the throat. What’s the difference? Now identify your emotionally compelling benefit and state it in a bold, brief, powerful way.
In other words, Just Do It!
