A great tagline is one of the most compact pieces of marketing copy you’ll ever write — typically six words or fewer — and yet it carries enormous weight. It can instantly communicate your value proposition, set you apart from competitors, and stick in a customer’s mind long after they’ve scrolled past your ad or walked by your storefront.
What Makes a Tagline Work?
The best taglines do one or more of the following:
- State a clear benefit (“Saves you time every day”)
- Create an emotional connection (“Where families come home”)
- Challenge the customer (“Think Different” — Apple)
- Establish authority or trust (“America’s Most Trusted Name in X”)
- Provoke curiosity (“What will you discover?”)
The worst taglines are vague, generic, and interchangeable. “Quality you can trust” or “Service that matters” could belong to any business in any industry. These phrases don’t communicate anything meaningful and fail to make any impression.
The Four Types of Taglines
Benefit-driven: Focuses on what the customer gets. Example: “Sleep better tonight.” — for a mattress company. The customer immediately understands the outcome.
Differentiator-driven: Focuses on what makes you different. Example: “The only bookkeeper who speaks your language.” — for a small business accounting firm.
Personality-driven: Focuses on how you do what you do. Example: “Seriously good coffee.” — for an independent café. It communicates quality with a side of character.
Promise-driven: Focuses on what you guarantee. Example: “Done by dinner.” — for a dry cleaner with same-day service.
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The Tagline Writing Process
Start by answering three questions:
- What is the single most important benefit my business delivers?
- What feeling do I want customers to associate with my brand?
- What’s the one thing I want someone to remember about my business?
From those answers, write 20 taglines without filtering. Quantity first. Then eliminate anything vague, anything that sounds like everyone else, and anything that takes more than two seconds to understand.
Test your survivors by reading them to five people who don’t know your business. Observe reactions. The best tagline is the one that makes someone say “Oh, that’s interesting — tell me more.”
Common Tagline Mistakes
- Too long (more than seven or eight words rarely sticks)
- Too clever (if you have to explain the joke, it doesn’t work)
- Too focused on features rather than benefits
- Uses jargon your customers don’t use
- Sounds like every other tagline in your industry
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Where Your Tagline Lives
Once you have a great tagline, put it everywhere: your website header, business cards, email signature, social media bios, signage, and any paid advertising. Consistency builds recognition. The more times someone sees the same tagline in different contexts, the more deeply it gets associated with your brand.
Evolving Your Tagline
Your tagline can evolve as your business grows. Many iconic brand taglines have changed multiple times over the years. Don’t be afraid to retire a tagline that no longer reflects your brand or resonates with your audience — just make the change deliberately and consistently.
A powerful tagline is an asset that does sales work 24 hours a day. Take the time to write one that’s genuinely good. For more copywriting resources and messaging strategies for small business owners, Internet Chicks Worth offers a range of practical content on how to communicate your value in fewer, better words.
