Small companies as well as large ones can all benefit from having a slogan or tagline. The benefit is that a slogan, which is a catch phrase or a group of words that are combined in a certain way to identify a product or service can increase growth, be used in advertisements, websites, business cards, emails and almost anywhere to cause people remember you.
A good slogan should be short, memorable, appeal to your customer’s emotions, have a ring to it, be specific, and reflect your target market and philosophy of doing business. Sounds like a tall order and in many ways, for such a few short words, it is. That slogan or tagline is what people remember and it is often what will bring you referrals, more business and keep you top of mind.
Some slogans are easy to remember. Ones that come to mind are: just do it from Nike or finger lickin’ good for Kentucky Fried Chicken. Others are American Express, don’t leave home without it, or UPS moving at the speed of business. There are hundreds more that come to mind. How many slogans have been taken from the “Got Milk” campaign? I have even used “Got Referrals” on some of my marketing materials.
Does your business have a slogan? How do people remember you? Just like when you have a song stuck in your head for a day, a brilliant slogan or tagline can stay in your subconscious for years and continuously influence others in what they purchase or what provider they use. Having a memorable tagline or slogan is an expression of your business in the same way a logo is a visual representation of a company or a brand. Have you ever noticed the arrow in the Fed Ex logo? Look for it and you will see what I mean.
A slogan or tagline is something that causes the listener to immediately relate to the business or brand when it is heard. How much would your business increase if you had a slogan that was well known and associated with excellent service or a stellar product? I suspect that it is quite a lot. It is an invaluable tool to communicate critical business information and name recognition to your target market. Coming up with a slogan or tagline is easier said than done but with time and effort, you can create one that will make you and your company more memorable which means more business and money in your pocket. Here are a few steps if you want to try this yourself.
First, make sure you know and understand the benefits that your target market is looking for and then list them in the order of importance. Next, know what you want your audience or target market to think of when they hear your tagline or slogan. Put yourself in the position of your ideal customer and this exercise will be easier to do. Then do some serious brainstorming to come up with ideas. You can use a dictionary or thesaurus to write down different uses of a word and then cross reference that to other words. Then use that list to create new ideas. Brainstorm some more and then take your list down to a few favorites and start using rhyme, alliteration or catchy phrases to come up with that tagline or slogan that will stay with people and convey your marketing message. Finally, make it simple and rewrite your slogan or tagline until is short, memorable and conveys a message that people will remember and associate positively with you or your product or service.
When you have narrowed down your slogan to less than three choices, try them out on others. See what opinions you get and then go back to the drawing table and make your final choice. Remember, this is how people will remember you and associate you. Make sure you sample your slogans with many people before you make your final selection. In this case, less is not more.
Here are a few do’s and don’ts when it comes to creating your slogan or tagline:
1. Do research the taglines of other companies and study them to see what works and why.
2. Don’t use language that people cannot understand. Make it simple and easy to remember in plain English.
3. Do make your tagline or slogan specific enough for people to remember you and associate you with your product or service.
4. Don’t make your tagline or slogan so general that it is not unique to you or your company.
5. Do keep it short and simple using rhyme, alliteration or something that makes it easy to remember.
6. Do make sure that your tagline is easy to say, upbeat and easy to repeat as well as original.
7. Don’t assume that your tagline or slogan is right without doing the market research and checking with others to see if they associate your slogan with your product or service.
So as Nike once said, “just do it”. Until next week, remember that you are just two minutes and two people from your next referral.
Rhonda L Sher: The Sloganator Rhonda L Sher was born talking. She fell in love with words as a child and has never stopped communicating since. Her father once commented that she was vaccinated with a phonograph needle. Not only has Rhonda inherited her father's humor, but it's that quick wit that has become the signature that has helped propel her clients to stardom.Acclaimed Keynote and workshop leader, Rhonda has authored two books, "The 2 Minute Networker" and "The ABC's of LinkedIn," "Get LinkedIn or Get Left Out" as well as numerous action guides, articles, workbooks, jingles and corporate slogans.
In addition to writing, Rhonda uses her gift of gab as a featured keynote speaker, consultant and corporate trainer throughout North America. She has successfully taught hundreds of business men and women on the art of business networking and written hundreds of elevator pitches and slogans.Rhonda's greatest talent lies in her ability to create fabulously catchy slogans that are memorable, upbeat, easy to repeat and create instant brand identification. In addition to the books, audio and video, Rhonda creates slogans and taglines for her clients which are memorable, bring them business and make them, money. She works with you to create a corporate slogan for your business that sets you apart from your competition. Her creativity and energy will tap into your customer's mind and have your phone ringing off the hook with new business.
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