T aglines communicate a key aspect of a brand in a punchy sentence to stand out from the competition. If you’re a small business or freelancer, you don’t need a clever tagline like Just do it!, you need to communicate what you do with clarity.
This article discusses how to write a tagline (and whether you need one):
What is a tagline?
How big businesses use taglines
Does a small business or freelancer need a tagline?
When you must have a tagline
When a tagline fails
How to write a tagline
How to write a tagline
Oh my. Taglines …
You might think I’m a competent copywriter.
But I hate my own tagline.
Taglines are probably the hottest debated pieces of content in any marketing department. I’ve been there. Tagline debates are time-consuming, energy-slurping, and emotionally draining. Yes, it can get that bad.
But recently, I’ve wondered whether crafting taglines is a waste of time for small businesses.
Could I simply delete the tagline on my website?
The traditionally schooled marketer in me shivered. No tagline? How could my business thrive without a punchy tagline? The idea seemed crazy at first.
When I started my business late 2012, I wasn’t sure about my business direction. To get my website ready, I wrote a “temporary” tagline in a couple of minutes:
Grow your business with online marketing
That temporary tagline has stuck for over four years, and I’ve comforted myself with the idea I have a business name I’m proud of.
But still, that tagline kept nagging. It’s not punchy. It’s not memorable. It lacks oomph. Is my business that boring?
What is a tagline?
A tagline communicates an aspect of a brand or business in a punchy sentence or soundbite. Taglines help a company stand out from the competition; they’re usually communicated together with a logo.
What’s the difference with a slogan?
The difference between slogans and taglines is fuzzy, and many marketers use the words interchangeably. A tagline tends to be a semi-permanent soundbite about a company, while a slogan is used in a specific marketing campaign.
What is the difference between a headline and a tag line?
Sometimes, a tagline is used as the headline on an home or about page. But not every headline is a tagline. The tagline is what is used consistently together with a logo to promote a business or brand.
How big businesses use taglines
In big business marketing, a tagline has to be punchy and memorable. Like a soundbite, it lingers in customer minds. Well-known examples include:
- Just do it
- I’m lovin’ it
- We try harder
- Think different
But why do we all know these taglines from Nike, McDonald’s, Avis, and Apple?
Yep. Because they’re advertised like crazy.
Big companies spend millions of dollars so these slogans stick in our minds. We see them on billboards, TV ads, product packaging, marketing flyers, brochures, and when we pass their stores.
But as small businesses, we don’t have these big-bucks opportunities to advertise a catchy tagline.
So, does a small business or freelancer need a tagline?
As I started preparing a website refresh, I dug into the topic of taglines, and noticed many businesses go without one.
Orbit Media, for instance, is a Chicago-based web design agency … without a tagline.
This is what Andy Crestodina, strategic director at Orbit Media, says:
We used to have the tagline “digital design and production” but we dropped it. Taglines add visual noise, so there is a cost to adding one. That cost would need to be outweighed by the benefits to the visitor. But visitors typically find us by searching for web design related phrases. They already know what we do. Those extra words weren’t really adding any value … but they did add clutter.
Design (and writing) is an art of subtraction. When you can’t remove anything else, you’re done! With that in mind, the tagline had to go.
Pamela Wilson is the founder of Big Brand System and a coach helping small businesses grow. Pamela’s tagline is:
Your business may be small, but your brand can be BIG
Pamela uses her tagline as headline on her home page and mentions it on her About page. Her website header doesn’t have enough space to display her tagline on every web page, but she uses it in her email signature and will soon redesign her blog update emails to include this tagline, too.
What about your tagline? And my tagline?
To decide whether we need a tagline, think about these two questions:
- Where do you want to use a tagline?
Consider business cards, email signatures, your website, social media profiles, and any printed marketing material. - What information should your tagline communicate?
Consider what you do, or for whom, or how your customers benefit from working with you.
When you must have a tagline
One specific situation exists when you must have a tagline.
And that’s when your company name doesn’t tell people what you do or how you help them. Many accountants, lawyers, builders, and freelancers use their name as company name. In this case, the aim of your tagline isn’t to be memorable and punchy. It’s simply to clarify what you do.
For instance, Gill Andrews is a web consultant. Her website is GillAndrews.com and her logo is her name. To make instantly clear what she does, her tagline is:
Gill Andrews | Content Creator & Web Consultant
Heidi Cohen is a marketing professor and consultant who shares practical marketing advice on her popular website. Heidi’s tagline communicates what she provides:
HeidiCohen.com | Actionable Marketing Guide
My accountant keeps it simple, too:
Jonathan Ford & Co | Chartered Accountants
Big business marketers might kill themselves laughing about such simple taglines. Where’s the creativity? How do you stand out?
But everybody knows what Nike, McDonald’s, Avis, and Apple do. And hardly anyone knows who you and me are. Plus we don’t have a big budget to advertise our slogans so they become memorable.
So, as small business, it’s more important to communicate clearly what you do. Be simple and direct.
When a tagline fails
Some people choose three words to communicate what they do. Something like:
Hannah Green | Speaker. Author. Trainer.
Hank Meadows | Educator. Consultant. Keynote speaker.
But these words aren’t meaningful. Speaker about what? Trainer in what? For whom? Or why?
Be sure to communicate a concrete message, like:
Hannah Green | Social media trainer
Hank Meadows | SaaS Consultant and keynote speaker
Creating a strong tagline means choosing what’s most important. Be selective.
What should you communicate to people who don’t know you? What’s absolutely essential?
How to write a tagline
Have you decided you need a tagline?
But scratching your head because you don’t know what to write?
Here’s how to write a tagline in less than 30 minutes:
- Write down in one or two sentences (a) what you do, (b) for whom, and (c) how customers benefit from working with you
- Trim your writing down to a few words
- Play with different options
For example, here’s what I do:
I help small biz owners and solo-flyers become confident writers and find their voice so they can attract their favorite clients and sell more.
I could trim this down in several ways, and then play around with variations:
- Writing advice for small biz
- Your business writing coach
- Irreverent copywriter and coach
- Irreverent writer
- Find your voice. Grow your biz.
Remember, clarity trumps cleverness.
Shopify has created a tool to create a tagline for any business.
As a test, I entered the word “copywriting,” and it come up with 1,076 slogans, including:
- Copywriting is the only way to be happy
- Copywriting empowers you
- Worldclass copywriting!
Hmmm … Use at your own risk.
But I don’t need a tagline
My business is online.
I printed business cards 5 years ago, but I rarely use them. I don’t go to networking events, and rarely visit conferences. I don’t do client meetings.
My website and weekly emails are my main communication channels:
- My weekly emails don’t have a fancy design; they look like personal emails. So no tagline required here.
- My website visitors are either repeat visitors or people who searched for something like “how to improve writing skills” or “how to write web content.” They already know what content I offer.
My business name already gives a hint what my website is about, plus it adds a dash of personality—this site is not about pushy marketing; it’s about enchantment.
Conclusion? My tagline clutters my website header, so I’ll remove it. I don’t need a special tagline for social media. And my Twitter bio currently states: Irreverent writer on a mission to stamp out gobbledygook. I’m happy with that; it doesn’t need to be shorter.
Less is more
Web readers are busy.
They glance. They skim. They quickly make up their mind whether to hang around on your site or not.
So why do they come to your website?
And what’s absolutely essential to communicate?
Avoid clutter. Embrace brevity. Boost clarity.
PS Thank you to Irina Bengtson for inspiring this post.
Recommended reading on writing business content:
How to write a business manifesto
How to write a sparkling About page
How to throw a party on your Home page
Suzanne says
Just found your site by doing a search on how to write a tagline. Love your articles! I also like your CTA about enchanting opinions.
I write a small blog called Some Small Things. I struggle to write a tagline (for now I have “see the ordinary in the extraordinary” and “small stories about small things”) because I guess I’m realizing that my blog doesn’t add much value, sigh. I write because I love it, but it would be especially nice if it did something for others. Wondering if you have any articles on finding the “value-add” (yikes, corporate jargon) in what one does. I’ll search after leaving this comment.
I started writing about seeing wonder in ordinary things and experiences because I found that it increased my sense of joy. Not sure who my target audience would be (people who like small things? people who might learn to like small things?!), so I never know where to market and how.
Thanks for your great site. I’m going to search it now!
Henneke says
Your blog name already suggests what it’s about (small stories about small things), so what’s missing is the benefit if that. To find the benefit, the key question is: So what? Or: Why would people want to read small stories about small things?
And I think you’re on the right track with suggesting a sense of joy.
It sounds to me like your blog is an expression of a wish to slow down, to live life more fully, or be more present / mindful , although you don’t need to use such words if they don’t resonate with you.
I think you might like this: https://www.enchantingmarketing.com/art-of-noticing/
Suzanne says
Dear Henneke,
I am beyond grateful for this advice, and I loved the article. I left you a long comment over on the noticing piece.
With so much appreciation,
Suzanne
Henneke says
Thanks so much for your comments. One more tip: If you find it hard to decide who you’re writing for, try writing for your younger self—doesn’t need to be much younger, can be just one or two years.
Paul Smith says
I’ve been reading your blogs for a long time now. They’re very helpful particularly in providing actionable tips that I can implement right away.
Henneke says
Thank you, Paul. Happy writing!
Oscar Choks says
Thank you Hennecke for this timely article yet again gem. When I come to your site, suddenly, we don’t want to leave.
I am helping a friend to set up a blog to help young students and professionals learn professional skills in order to boost their recruitment. And also, allow them to evolve quickly in their professional careers.
This is what the company will do. He would like to put a slogan because his site will bear his name
at. “Boost your recruitment. Learn professional skills with us”
b. “Coach of novices to develop professional skills”
What would your advice be?
Henneke says
Have you asked students and young professionals what they make of these slogans?
My guess is these slogans don’t speak to them. The first one could be targeted at HR professionals who want to get better at recruitment. And for the second one, I wonder whether young students and professionals identify themselves with the word novices. And do they want to develop their professional skills? Or do they want to get their first job? Or a better paid job?
Ask your audience what they want, and use their words to speak to them. You’ll get the best advice from them (rather than from me 🙂 )
Tara Craig says
Hi there,
I stumbled on this post in my search to understand taglines, slogans and how to convey what I do as i put together a website. Thank you. I have followed the tips, written down all that you suggest. I do think I need some sort of tagline as my Business and website name doesn’t convey exactly what I do. My business name is “Well Able Kids”
I help families and children understand the body-brain connected, how and why developmental challenges happen and how movement-based sensory-motor therapy is used to help overcome these challenges. I am to inform parents about movement and brain development and help children overcome developmental challenges.
My audience is parents, families seeking help or information for their children.
Benefits are primarily they can flourish and gain new abilities; a better sense of body awareness, physical abilities, learning potential, social interactions and behaviour.
I have come up with lots of variations.
Enabling movement to overcome challenges and thrive
Releasing potential to learn and flourish with sensory-motor therapy
Building better body-sense and abilities
Helping children make sense of their body and overcome challenges
Lots more playing with words and phrases. I unsure much of the time
Henneke says
Hi Tara, I would recommend speaking to your existing clients. Why did they seek you out? What kind of help were they looking for? How do they talk about the challenges their children are facing? And what difference do you make?
Getting your tagline right is less about creativity and more about using the language that resonates with (potential) clients.
NS says
I’ve been reading your blogs for a long time now. They’re very helpful particularly in providing actionable tips that I can implement right away.
Henneke says
Thank you, NS. Happy writing!
Dina says
Hi Henneke,
Thank you so much for your articles and posts, truly inspirational!
I am trying to help my friend to develop a good tagline for her small acupuncture business, called Acupuncture Arts. In the future she would also like to add some additional services like psychology counseling. Here’s what we came up with:
Acupuncture Arts: Ancient Art in Compassionate Hands.
But I’d like to shorten it to Acupuncture Arts: Ancient Art, Compassionate Hands. Or Ancient Art, Compassionate Heart. My friend doesn’t like my versions.
What do you think? Which one works better in your opinion?
Henneke says
The first question to ask is always whether you need a tagline, and if so what for. In my mind, Acupuncture Arts is pretty clear: This website is about acupuncture, so I would not add a tagline to the website header as it might only provide clutter. But there might be other places where you’d like to have a tagline?
The second question is what you want to communicate with the tagline. I don’t know who your target audience is so it’s hard to comment, but I guess they know that acupuncture is an ancient art, so what does this add to the tagline? Perhaps consider instead adding a word that suggests what benefit people will get from the acupuncture—e.g., the word “healing”, or you could refer somehow to healing both mind and body (especially if there’s also counseling).
I like your choice of the word compassionate!
Liz says
Thanks so much for this article. It was a take on the tagline conversation that I’ve never considered – that my tagline can be as simple as my name and occupation, and probably should be.
Henneke says
Yes, it can be that simple! It too me a while to realize that 🙂
Thank you for stopping by, Liz.
Hamilton Lindley says
When I was in journalism, headlines were my favorite part. They had to tell the story in a few words and create interest in the reader. Taglines are no different. They have to be relevant to the business and make a difference. I am a fan of rhyming. They are the easiest to remember. I mean, if it doesn’t fit you must acquit right?
Henneke says
Yes, rhyme makes it easier to remember. That’s why we all still remember nursery rhymes 🙂
Andrew Healey says
Thanks for the post, Henneke. I don’t write taglines very often, and, like you, I’m far from satisfied with mine. However, a client has asked me to write some, so your post has been most helpful.
Henneke says
I’m glad this post was helpful, Andrew. It makes me happy when “old” posts continue to inspire writers. 🙂
Happy tagline writing!
Gordon Conner says
Loved your analysis of taglines. I’ve been developing these for 40 years and really enjoy it. I think it needs to be a version of your Value Proposition, which should be the heart of your brand. In my case, I’m a conversational copywriter who writes to sell. Therefor, my tag line is “Snappy Copy That Sells Stuff”. Works for me.
As for your Twitter line, how about “No More Gobbledegook”. And from a branding perspective, shouldn’t all of the taglines be the same?
Just food for thought.
Henneke says
I think there’s a difference between corporate and personal taglines. “No more gobbledygook” doesn’t suit me as it sounds too corporate and it doesn’t convey the action and passion of what I am trying to do.
My Instagram presence is more personal than my blog, Twitter or LinkedIn, and I experiment more so that’s why I also use a different tagline. As my brand colors and drawing style are so easy to recognize, I think I can allow myself more freedom to play with my tagline / bio, giving a better indication of what I do on Instagram.
Gordon Conner says
To each his own, I Suppose. If it works for you , that’s what counts. Mine works for me. At least for now.
Gordon
Sonna says
Hi Henneke,
Thank you.
This is another gem of a post.
Not only do I find your material clear, straightforward and easy to implement. It’s actually inspirational. I file all your emails, however I love taking action straight away on what I learn. Case in point, even though I’m pretty new to the online world and hadn’t even thought of having a tagline, I spent a little time mulling over what my tag line would be and I feel this is a good fit – Plans & Possibilities | Live Life, Organised. I’d be happy to hear your feedback.
Thanks again,
Sonna
Henneke says
Hi Sonna – I’m glad to hear my writing inspires you to take action 🙂
I like “Live Life, Organised” but I do wonder whether your clients only want to be organised or whether there’s a deeper desire, like feeling more fulfilled or finding calmness in chaos that might resonate with them stronger. I don’t know—you know your clients better than me. What would appeal to them? 🙂
Annamarie Muirhead says
On the spot, Henneke, just love your writing and information.
Entertaining and interesting, as always, many thanks for that.
Henneke says
Thank you, Annamaire. I’m glad you enjoyed this one!
Eric says
Hey, can you please help out with this tagline/slogan?
a)By the students for the students.
b)For the students by the students.
Of the two statements which one is wrong and which one is right? I have a feeling that they are both okay.
I just want to have a tagline for a student movement and i have already printed T-shirts with option a.
Henneke says
Your slogan doesn’t explain a lot apart from that it’s something run by students for students. It only works if your name explains what your organization does.
Charlotte Cave says
As always, a great article that stimulates thought. Think you should do one on how not to second-guess yourself – which is my biggest problem in writing.
Henneke says
Hi Charlotte, I’ve learned that self-doubt and second-guessing ourselves is quite common when writing. You may find these articles useful: about dealing with my inner critic, or how to decide whether your writing is good enough . If that’s not quite what you’re looking for, please let me know and I’ll try to help.
Sirisha says
Hey Henneke,
I’m starting a content writing services business. Of course, it is an online biz. My two business name options are “Contexperts” and “Prowritz”
Do I need a tagline? If yes, how short or lengthy should it be?
Thanks in advance
Henneke says
It’s a bit tricky with made up names as it’s not always immediately clear to web visitors what they mean. Contexperts may be clear, but I’m not sure how many people would grasp at a glance what Prowritz is. To be on the safe side, you might want to get a tag line or show your website to some people without tagline and see how quickly they grasp what you offer. It also depends on what the rest of your website looks like and how much you specialize.
Nigel says
Pamela Wilson’s tagline would be better as ‘Big branding for small businesses’.
Henneke says
I like that!
Rohan Bhardwaj says
This is interesting. Tag line is something I felt the need to add.
It adds as an extension to my website when a new user comes up.
So they see it is a blog by a person – and after reading the tag line they get a gist of what they might get.
I am not sure if it works for now. But it sounds cool.
Henneke says
Yes, as your web address is your name, it’s best to have a short tagline so web visitors can instantly see what to expect from you.
Thank you for stopping by, Rohan. I’m glad you found this post useful.
Lisa Scott Jones says
Thank you! I was struggling with the whole tag line issue. I feel like I have some space and options now.
Henneke says
Great! That makes me happy.
Siri says
Hi Henneke,
I found your blog yesterday and have been binge reading all the posts. It was quite by accident that I stumbled on this post while I was creating a tagline for a Fitness Studio.
Came up with few while going through the comments and blog
Unleash| TURNAROUND FITNESS | WHEN YOU ARE TIRED OF LIVING IN A CRAPPY BODY
Henneke says
It’s hard to comment as i don’t know anything about your business.
Do your clients refer to their bodies as crappy?
You might want to test your slogan against a more positive tagline. Or alternatively, ask people why they come to your studio and see what answers you get. Is it about feeling more energetic (less sluggish)? Looking fit and lean? Feeling healthier? Being stronger? Sleeping better?
Robert says
Hi Henneke,
I’m still a newbie to blogging and it takes me some time to find an interesting tagline for my post. I think that for blogging a tagline is powerful, because you can also add keywords in it. Anyway an interesting post and I’m gonna try some tips out into practice. Thanks for the insight. Best regards, Robert
Henneke says
Hi Robert
I think you might mean a headline for a blog posts? I’ve written about headlines here: https://www.enchantingmarketing.com/headline-formulas/ and here: https://www.enchantingmarketing.com/how-to-write-blog-post-titles/
Andrew M. Warner says
Henneke,
Great stuff.
I absolutely HATE taglines. Mainly because that’s the one thing I’ve always struggled with. No matter how hard I try, it just never gelled into something I liked.
Interesting to see many prominent businesses and entrepreneurs ditching the concept of taglines. Makes me happy that I don’t currently have one — or even need to rush and create one.
Henneke says
Yes, I’m with you, Andrew. I’m not a fan of writing taglines either, especially not for my own business!
No need to rush creating one. Your business name already gives an indication what you’re about.
LJ Sedgwick says
Mine simply says “I write the words so you don’t have to”!
Henneke says
Where do you use your tagline? I don’t see it on your website.
Manoj says
A tagline is important for any business model nowadays. I should be simple and able to attract customers at sudden moment.
Thank you very much for your tips. This post will help us to develope an effective tagline for our models.
All the best.
Take care,
Sonja van Vuren says
Love this blog, Henneke. Creating a tagline for yourself is always more difficult than for customers. Now I’m going to try again, after reading your thoughts, tips and ideas. 🙂
Henneke says
Ha, yes! It’s just like with About pages—they’re fun to write for other people, but hard to write for ourselves.
Why is your URL different from your business name / logo?
Sonja van Vuren says
That’s a legacy from the past. At the start in January 2013 I wasn’t sure if Soncere would last or change. So using my name seemed a safer/better choice, as that will stay with me as long as I live. 🙂 I do own the url soncere.nl (it redirects).
I haven’t thought about this for a very long time and no one has ever asked me. Your question starts me thinking again… Most people use my name, not my company name. Perhaps also because it’s not straightforward clear how to pronounce it…
Henneke says
I thought it might be some legacy! I’ve wondered about it before, but never mentioned it to you.
Unless you have a specific reason to stick to Soncere, I’d consider changing it to your name. It’d be clearer and simpler. I like simplicity 🙂
Sonja van Vuren says
Glad you asked, Henneke and thank you for thoughts on this. There is a story behind the name Soncere, but it doesn’t resonate as much anymore as it did at the start. So I’m going to consider it very seriously, as I agree with you about clarity and simplicity.
Ryan Biddulph says
I like it Henneke. Brief, clear, simple and powerful.
I nabbed a really good tagline 3 years ago: how to retire to a life of island hopping through smart blogging. Vibes well with blogging from paradise. Most understand the benefits of how blogging intelligently helps you become a full time blogger who circles the globe. Easy to see that dream. But even without the tag line I could still goad folks to see that Blogging From Paradise is beneficial in and of itself.
The challenge for most bloggers: whether to tagline or not to tagline.
You summed it up well: if readers easily feel the benefit of your site name, no need for a tagline. If however they need expounding, or greater clarity, because the site name is a person’s name or kinda generic, go with the tag.
Ditto with generic taglines. We think in terms of benefits to ourselves, not in terms of vague professions. Your example: we know what your account does and how they can help us. Clear to see. But if someone is an author, what niche do they cover? What 1 of a million niches? Same deal with a speaker or trainer, or blogger.
I help folks retire to a life of island hopping through smart blogging. If people know that, they know that clicking on my coaching page means I can help them become pro bloggers who travel the world, or even, pro bloggers in their home town, because many of the same concepts apply to both niches, or both blogging lifestyles.
Gotta get super clear to make this tagline thing work well, so people easily see and feel the weight of the tagline and how it benefits them, how it improves their life.
Thanks Henneke.
Ryan
Henneke says
I think your business name & URL (Blogging from Paradise) is brilliant – it instantly evokes a strong sensory image, and connects the what (blogging) with the why (enjoying life in paradise).
I noticed your business name is not in your site header. Does your theme not allow it?
Thank you for stopping by, Ryan! I appreciate it.
Ryan Biddulph says
Thanks for that question 😉 This is one change I’ve been meaning to make. I have my biz name on the home page but need it on my blog pages, in the header.
Vidya Sury says
I loved this post, mainly because I help write taglines for businesses. Invariably we argue about why it should be simple and short, especially because of the SEO angle.
My tagline is “Did you smile today” and since I didn’t confine my blog to a niche, I show up on all sorts of things (or so I’ve been told).
Happy Easter, Henneke! (You know I read all your posts even if I am a lazy bum about commenting! I will remedy that as an Easter resolution. By the way–in India it is the Tamil New year today!) Hugs!
Henneke says
I hope you had a lovely Tamil New Year!
I love your tagline “Did you smile today?” It’s great for a blog about gratitude, mindful living, and lifestyle. It says a lot about your attitude to life. I hope you smiled today 🙂
Thank you for stopping by to leave a comment, Vidya. I appreciate it!
David Hartshorne says
Hi Henneke,
What an excellent post! And rather timely as I’ve been working on my services site over the past few weeks. I thought it was looking OK and that I’d conveyed my message on my homepage. Until somebody said, “What do you write about?” I’d said who I wrote for (small biz) but not on what topic. I know it’s slightly different to the tagline, but it’s still about conveying your message.
I like the example of Gill Andrews, as we’re both content creators. And I like Gill’s content. But does Gill’s tagline tell us enough? Your ‘bad examples’ showed people with three words that weren’t specific. Does Gill’s tagline tell us enough? ‘Content Creator and Web Consultant.’ For whom? I’m just being picky now…
Thanks
– David
PS – I’m another who never noticed your tagline. But I noticed your content. And it’s smashing!
Henneke says
I’m not surprised you’ve not noticed my boring tagline… and I take that as another vote for removing it 🙂
I don’t think a tagline can communicate everything (what you do, for whom, how your customers benefit, and what’s different about you). On a home page, you’ll also have a headline & subhead to communicate more. It’s about pulling your web visitors into reading your content by confirming they’re in the right place and making them curious enough to read on.
Thank you for your compliment on my content. 🙂
Marti Andera says
Great conversations! I’ve read everyone. I’ve learned alot and the conversations generated a few questions for my next project, a website.
I’m working on a website and thinking about changing the tagline I have. My work is custom designed wedding veils and accessories both online via an Etsy Shop and a Shop in our home. In addition the Shop has jewelry, jeweled haircombs, little girl headbands/jewelry, boys bowties and a select line of gifts for brides and bridesmaids. My company name is Marti & Co which falls into the category of saying nothing about what I do. Hence, I’m working on a tagline. I’ve used Glam Accessories & Veils in the past. Someone I trust recently said that doesn’t cover what I do nor does it set me apart from the saturated wedding market. Trying to not be lengthy and to include the resale items I have in the Shop has been difficult. Some of my ideas and of colleagues:
•Custom Designs for Your One-of-a -Kind Day
•One-of-a Kind Handmade Designs for Brides & Bridal Parties
•Personalized Custom Wedding Veil Designs & Accessories
Any thoughts? I so enjoy your blog posts and the commentary. Great work! Happy Easter!
Henneke says
I don’t have any experience with Etsy, so, I’m not sure whether the tagline has impact on search engines.
If it has SEO impact, then it’s important to use the phrases people would use to search for your products. So, for instance, these would all work:
Handmade Wedding Veils and Bridal Accessories
Custom-made Wedding Veils and Accessories
Glam Accessories & Wedding Veils
If there’s no SEO impact, then you can probably assume that people already see what your shop is about from the pictures? In this case, you can be a little more creative:
Handmade Glam Accessories for Your Special Day
Luxurious Accessories, Hand-Crafted for You
Or even something along the lines of: Be Drop-Dead Gorgeous on Your Special Day (or that might be too edgy? I don’t know what your positioning is)
You can play a little more with different words. You can use a thesaurus to find alternatives for glamorous, such as dazzling, exquisite, gorgeous, lovely, seductive. E.g. Exquisite Wedding Accessories, Hand-Crafted to Your Specifications. Think about which words suit your brand and your designs best.
Happy Easter to you, too!
Jonathan Tee says
I’d not even spotted you had a tagline, Henneke! How unobservant.
I had clocked your logo though: the way the ‘g’ of ‘enchanting’ gently entwines with the ‘G’ of ‘MARKETING’, as if it’s giving a helping hand. Lifting it. Discretely demonstrating what you do. Neat.
By the way, your new, high-level topic pages are spot on. Helps orientation no end. And prevents the abundance of advice from getting overwhelming. Appreciated 🙂
Henneke says
Well, I guess that proves the point that it was a rather unimpressive tagline. You might have read it on your first visit here, and then quickly forgotten it 🙂
I’m glad you like my new high-level topic pages! When I was trying to put these together, I was getting overwhelmed myself by everything I’ve written. Somehow the articles accumulate when you keep writing. Weird! 🙂
I also appreciate your compliment on my logo. 🙂
Marie Lumholtz says
Honestly. I didn’t know what a tagline was until reading this post. Or that I needed one. I don’t feel the pressure to get one either. I will probably think about it in the next few weeks. And decide if I will create one. Thanks.
Henneke says
It looks like you already have a tagline. I just can’t read it as it’s Danish … but it’s the text below your name in your logo (kroppe som laerer). I don’t know what it means!
Marie Lumholtz says
It means ‘Bodies that learn’
Marie Lumholtz says
And btw. I find it funny. Ha ha. 🙂
Henneke says
I like it. It’s intriguing and still hints at what you’re about.
Sue-Ann says
Henneke:
When I was in grad school, the big thing for top companies was all about “excellence in business,” “continuous improvement,” and “innovation” so EVERY company became those striving for excellence kind of tags. Some helped their audience a little by adding “striving for excellence and continuous improvement in accounting,” for example. What I’ve learned about web content, and from you, is online has to be about UX, first. Respecting readers’ time and helping them get to know what you’re all about.
My first tag line for my online freelance writing biz is: “I’ll write for your business as if it were my own.” I wasn’t thinking (because I never had heard the term UX) at the time or knew anything, really, about web content in particular. Now, instead of a freelance writer for business, copywriter, or writer of any kind, I think of myself more as a “Content Creator” but, still it IS all based on quality writing so I still use and feel like that original tag works. Though, I often don’t use it in conjunction with my visual LOGO design because I think it speaks without words! Hmmm. A mixed tag line message, I am!
Hmmm. I’m like an Easter basket filled with colorful delights—who knows what tag you’ll get—especially as business evolves and I find my place. Happy Easter lovely, Henneke:)
Henneke says
As your business name is Write Mix for Business, I’m not sure you need to worry about a tagline for your company—you make it instantly clear that you write for business. So that’s well done!
For a personal tagline (for social media), I like content creator. To stand out from other content creators, you might want to think about an adjective that hints at how you differentiate yourself from others. Just like I use “irreverent” and Alison (somewhere in the comment section, too) uses “light-hearted.” This can be a nice way to set the tone.
Always good to see you again, Sue-Ann. Happy Easter!
Eric Hansen says
Hi Henneke From Australia…
Always great to receive, your weekly healthy dose, of copywriting vitamins supplement.
I’m looking forward, to getting my relevant marketing chunks of info, in a capsule of easily digestible tablets.
Have a wonderful Easter to you and your family, and thank them for letting us have a slice of you as well(:
Cheers & blessings
Eric
Henneke says
Hi Eric,
Thank you for your lovely comment. I wish you a wonderful Easter, too!
Lee Nourse says
Henneke, I DO say B2B Copywriting. Did you see that on my Facebook page? You’ve just alerted me that I neglected to add B2B when I made that change months ago. YIKES. Thank you!!
Henneke says
I clicked on the link to your website (Leenoursecopywriting.com); the logo at the top left says “Lee Nourse | Copywriting.” I don’t have a Facebook account, so I didn’t look there. 😉
Lee says
I love ❤️ this discussion Henneke. I’ve been freelancing for about 2 years now. My business name is my name and the service (copywriting)I offer. My tag is just more detail about the type of writing I do. Every now and then I ? yup you guessed it…pine for a creative, catchy tag that rolls off the tongue. But now, thanks to your logic, I feel I’ve made the best choice. Thanks for the clarity!!
Henneke says
Yep, your tagline is spot on:
Lee Nourse | Copywriting
If you’d want to make it more specific, you could go for:
Lee Nourse | B2B Copywriting
But the rest of your site makes it pretty clear you’re a B2B copywriter, so it’s not really necessary.
Like you, I’ve been pining for something more catchy for years. But I’ve stopped pining a few weeks (months?) ago when I realized I could simply remove my tagline. Such a relief!
Mary Ann says
Thank you for that Henneke. I’ve been thinking about changing my tag line to one of those three word ones. Glad I didn’t now. For anyone who is inclined to comment. I’m wondering if I need a tag line to clarify my website. The name is Life Is Better With Tea. Without a tag line I’m not sure you would know what the site is about specifically. My tag line is “simple healthy tea recipes for body and soul” I think that limits me to recipes but I also talk about tea and how to brew along with the health benefits of tea. My new tag line was supposed to clarify that and not limit me to recipes. It was going to be “Stay healthy. Live well. Drink tea”. Or I could just scrap them both. Any thoughts?
Henneke says
I’m not sure you need a tagline. Your name “Life is Better With Tea” tells us a lot already.
I don’t know what the limitations are of the theme you’re using, but I’d use something like “Tea recipes for body and soul” as a prominent headline on your home page.
I don’t think you need “simple healthy tea recipes for body and soul” on every single web page. If people land on, for instance, a recipe page, then it’s also instantly clear this is about tea recipes.
I’d be tempted to declutter. I’m a big fan of simplicity 🙂
Stan Dubin says
Thank you for defining “fussed.” ?
In today’s content marketing world where more and more folks are removing their comments section, your site is one of those real gems where you can get great content from the post AND from the comments.
If I had a nickel for every guru that talked on and on about engaging with your prospects and customers…well, here’s a site where the engagement occurs in the real world and is a delight!
Henneke says
I feel lucky with such a lively and smart community. The comments always add a lot of value to the post (I’ve heard from someone who comes first to read my post, then later returns to read the comments!). The comments help me sharpen my thinking, too. I’m grateful!
Thank you for stopping by again, Stan! Good to know you’re still around 🙂
Stan Dubin says
Well, I think you (Henneke) make your own luck by the amount of care you put into your posts and ‘your people.’
Henneke says
That’s a lovely compliment. Thank you. But still I feel lucky 🙂
Jon P says
Hi Henneke,
I don’t really think of a tagline as a description of what a company does. Because it adds no value to the company’s name. For instance, your accountant. His so-called tagline could describe thousands of other people. Your own (soon-to-be-former) tagline actually detracts value from what you do—but not much, because it’s so innocuous. You’ve done such a good job with your name that you don’t need to say more.
IMHO, a tagline should be about what you stand for, and be more about your customers than yourself. Enchanting Marketing does a great job of saying what you do for clients, what you stand for AND what your customers will be able to do when they read your books and take your courses. All in two words!
The well-known business author Clayton Christensen believes that companies should understand on a deep level what the job is that people would hire them to do. (He calls it ‘The jobs to be done’ theory.) This is not a bad way to think about taglines. But to get it right requires research into the needs and motivations of your audience—and self-examination to understand where those feelings intersect with what you do best.
This is a fascinating topic, and I could go on in length. But I have a job to be done. 😉
Best, Jon
Henneke says
I agree with Clayton Christensen that companies should understand on a deep level why people hire them. But I don’t think we can expect the tagline to communicate all of that. We have other content on our web pages to help us connect at a deeper level.
My accountant, for instance, had been suggested by someone, so I went to his website to learn more. I knew I was on the right website because his “tagline” said “Chartered Accountants.” That’s all I needed to know before reading on what he could do for me and how he might be different from my former accountant whom I didn’t get along with.
I think it’s impossible for each accountant in the UK to come up with a unique tagline to communicate their unique values. There are too many of them, and I don’t need a unique accountant. I need someone who’s a good number cruncher, who keeps to deadlines, who I can call when I have a problem, and who understands my type of business. It’s nice to get along with him, too, but his tagline doesn’t need to explain that to me. I can figure that out from the look and feel of his site, his blog posts, and then a phone call.
It’s indeed a fascinating topic, and we could continue debating this forever! 🙂
Jon P says
Yes, we could have a (friendly) debate.
You said you didn’t need a unique accountant, but then you listed all the qualities you hoped for: Keeps to deadlines, someone you can call with a problem, understands your type of business, easy to get along with. Just based on that, you or I could give him a far better tagline than ‘Chartered Accountant’.
For instance. “Chartered by HMG, recommended for SMBs” or “Government-approved, user-friendly” or “Chartered Accountancy where you’re not just a number to us.”
A recommendation from a friend will always be the most persuasive ad. But for people who don’t have that, one simple line could make all the difference in deciding to choose what would otherwise be viewed as a parity product.
Henneke says
It’s not that I disagree with these suggestions. I only think that they don’t need to go in a tagline.
When you look at well-designed websites, you’ll find very few with a tagline because a tagline adds clutter. I think this is more and more driven by mobile responsive websites. There’s not enough space, so the key message needs to be communicated, and, in this case, that’s letting me know they’re accountants.
Jon P says
Well, the moniker ‘tagline’ is tricky. Because most people think of it as something that gets stuck beneath your logo. But I think of it as something that defines your values. If it’s so inconsequential that it just feels like clutter (in whatever medium), then sure, why bother? Apple once used the iconic phrase ‘Think different’. But it wasn’t called a tagline because they didn’t put it in small type beneath their logo.
Katharine says
I write advice for home-educating moms. No one knows me, or if they do, many are not willing to admit it. Ha!
I have an ancient site that is mostly an archive of advice for home-educating moms, called “Home’s Cool!” Although it is a coveted name in my niche, newbies do not always get the pun. (Once they do, it’s an instant memory kick, so it’s good.) So, I need a tagline, and have chosen “Stop merely dreaming about it; GO HOME!” Many would disagree with the philosophy, but few forget where it is.
My second site–which I try to keep current–is Bible-based counseling for women who have been wounded by the mistreatment available to all women, worldwide, and is entitled “The Conquering Mom dot com”. Again, maybe not completely indicative… So another tagline: Woman. God’s way. It works.
As for my business cards, which I also use in my role as a writer, I have the three-word thing you mentioned, almost: “Writer. Speaker. Professional Mom.” Folks love that one. 🙂 Seriously, I get compliments on it. Ha!
Henneke says
You are wearing so many hats. I don’t know how you can keep it up!
“Writer. Speaker. Professional Mom.”
I love this because other moms (and dads) can immediately relate to it, and it shows a nice touch of humor. The “Professional Mom” gives a good indication what you’re speaking about, so it’s not vague like the examples in my post. For instance, “Writer. Speaker. Educator.” would be vague, but your version isn’t. It gives a nice contrast, too.
“Stop merely dreaming about it; GO HOME!”
You could consider shortening this slightly:
Stop merely dreaming ; GO HOME!
I like “Home’s Cool!”
Katharine says
Well, I started to say, “My VA does laundry,” but I thought it best to tell the truth… 😉
Actually, my two sites overlap a lot, as yours could be said to consist of several expandable topics, such as writing, marketing, and blogging. One difference is that I wanted to stop writing about homeschooling so much and leave it more as an archive for referral, since I’ve retired from that, and give so much more time to the counseling that I thought it deserved its own look.
The entire truth is that I never completely wanted to do the blogging, but was told that I needed to have a web presence, to find a publisher. So I blog (and do my own laundry, haha) and the book languishes in the files on our desktop. She sighs.
Thanks for your kind words! And I have shortened my tag line. 🙂
Henneke says
“My VA does laundry”
That made me laugh!
I blog and do the laundry, too 🙂
Gill Andrews says
Here I am, reading your post as usual, when suddenly I see my own name there! 😀 I had to blink a couple of times to be sure. What a nice surprise! Thank you for the mention 🙂
I love the point you are making (something I haven’t seen in any article about writing taglines so far): It’s ok to omit that tagline! And I see it resonated with many people who have commented.
Some people think out of the box. You think as if there is no box. Which once again proves that boxes, as well as taglines, are overrated! ;D
P.S. Now I’ll go see what Kitty is saying 😀
Henneke says
Haha! I don’t like boxes (nor labels), so I try to escape them as much as I can 😉
Most articles about taglines I’ve come across are about famous taglines and, therefore, big bucks marketing. We need more common sense for our small businesses. Just like you do perfectly for your own tagline!
David Webb says
I’m becoming an avid reader of your blog, Henneke. Another great post here.
Henneke says
Thank you, David.
I see you kept your tagline simple, too: David Webb | Copywriting
Perfect 🙂
Jessica Blanchard says
Nice post! I’ve been playing with making my bio more specific about what I do. Because nutrition and wellness is a very big area.
When I saw the option: Irreverent copywriter and coach. I thought. Yes. That’s perfect. But you’re right, you don’t really need a tagline.
Henneke says
I still use “irreverent copywriter and coach” in social media profiles (or slight variations of it). I just don’t think I need it prominently on my website.
I think that’s the same for you. You may want to think about an adjective that makes you different, too (similar to my “irreverent”). If you can’t think of an adjective that describes you, ask your clients, colleagues or friends for a series of words, then see which one you like best 🙂
Irina Bengtson says
Hi Henneke,
I remember our discussion on taglines during the Copywriting class, and it’s still a pressing issue for me. I like your thoughts and approach – use it if you need it, if not – don’t waste your time and energy on it.
In my case, I think I might need it because the name of my website “LoveGrowBeHappy” is not exactly telling the audience what I (can) offer. I had started the exercise before I was done with the article 🙂 To me, it’s still about figuring out what I want to offer but I think I’m getting somewhere.
Thank you for the article.
Happy Easter!
Henneke says
You have to look at the context, too. What else do people see when they arrive on your website? For instance, on your home page, the call to action for your email course (together with your name Love Grow Be Happy) gives people a good indication what you’re about.
My name “Enchanting Marketing” doesn’t tell people exactly what I offer either. But it gives enough direction. Then the rest of the content gives more guidance.
Happy Easter!
Irina says
My existing tag line “woo you life and relationships” will go when the course comes. At least it’s how I imagine it. Then I wouldn’t have any tag line. Do I understand you correctly, Henneke, you don’t think I need one?
I hope you enjoy better weather than we are having here – cold and rainy.
Henneke says
Yep, that’s correct. I don’t think you need one.
If you would get another tagline, it’ll only distract people from your free course. You want to focus attention as much as possible on joining your free course to maximize email subscribers.
Irina says
Thank you, Henneke. I appreciate your thoughts. 🙂
Dave LeBlanc says
You made a good point about taglines that I have always had running in the back of my mind. You confirmed it for me. Taglines are noisy and often in the way.
Nike’s “Just Do It” was short, memorable and promoted everywhere and the promotion was probably the key for it’s success.
Small businesses don’t have that luxury huge promotion budgets and too many times, and I am guilty of this as anyone, we attempt to be clever at the expense of communicating what we do or truly need to say. People visit websites to solve problems, not find clever sayings. The content of the page is what convinces someone click on the contact form, not a memorable tagline. Content sells on the web, not a pitch.
The tagline generator is fun to use, though. I have to get off of it and back to work. Do you think someone will buy the idea of “flakiest marketing?”
Happy Easter!
Henneke says
Did the tagline generator suggest “flakiest marketing” as your tagline? I think it’s brilliant! 🙂 🙂 🙂
“People visit websites to solve problems, not find clever sayings. The content of the page is what convinces someone click on the contact form, not a memorable tagline. Content sells on the web, not a pitch.”
And this is so true. I like how you put it. Let our content speak for itself.
Happy Easter to you, too!
Dave LeBlanc says
Henneke,
Thank you for the compliment. I appreciate that very much.
Yes, “flakiest marketing.” That is sort of phrase some people will find interesting and feel compelled to click the “Learn More” button just find out what flaky marketing is. With the right graphic, flakiest marketing could at least be kind of funny and irresistible to some. Now that I think about it, those could be my kind of customers.
Or it’s the kind of phrase someone is going to read and decide that’s too weird to trust this guy with my money and click back to the SERP’s.
And thanks for cleaning up my stray comma.
Henneke says
I’m happy to clean up stray commas. 🙂
Flakiest marketing is edgy and might attract the right customers. It’s hard to say – you can ask some of your favorite clients who you think will give you an honest view?
Dave LeBlanc says
That would be the best solution, just ask.
Henneke says
Yes, I think it’s risky just to go for it. Consider showing clients two or three options.
Christian Krauß says
Hey Henneke,
nice coincidence: Just the other day, I had the “pleasure” of creating a tagline for a fire security business. And yes, opinions about taglines and their meaning and power differ extremely …
It was a couple of years ago that my tagline came to my head (it’s in German and there really isn’t a proper translation because it plays on “Wörter” vs. “Worte” – both “words” in English). I was literally standing in the shower when I had the idea. I didn’t even have a business back then. But when I started some time after that, I chose it because it stuck with me over the time. So it just came to me. I neither invested time nor money.
After I had used it for some time as a freelancer I wanted to get rid of it because, you know, who reads it anyway. But then I met with one of my first clients again and he said, I HAD to keep it. Because, to him, it summarized my USP perfectly: No marketing drivel, just (meaningful) messages. (Not really a USP nowadays, but you get the point …) Alas, so I kept it and even made it more prominent again …
As you might suspect: No, I don’t really think you NEED a tagline. Before you write a standard phrase or complete meaningless blabber, better keep it to yourself. 🙂
And although I have a somewhat “creative” tagline, I would recommend using a more descriptive one. Especially for small businesses.
And even though I use a tagline myself: I think, investing enormous amounts of time and money is a complete waste. Better use that energy to craft compelling messages for your target audience. That is much more likely to drive sales.
And if nothing else works, just use “XY is the only way to be happy” 😀 Loved that one!
Have a great Easter week!
Chris
Henneke says
That’s a great story, Chris. I agree with you … when you strike gold, keep it.
As a freelancer, I don’t think it’s possible to have a totally unique selling proposition, but it sounds like your tagline sets the right tone and establishes what you do for your customers, in your way. That’s all a “USP” needs to do. And I’m with you on “no marketing drivel” 🙂
Thank you for stopping by again, and happy Easter!
Jeff says
All good food for thought.
Good point about cute or edgy taglines: They only work with lots of advertising behind them.
I’ve been using Customer Experience and Brand Story Marketing for my business, but I have come to realize my market doesn’t know what that is.
So, for the time being, I’m using: Going further with social media and content marketing.
Boring as heck, but it’s a start for those that are looking to put me in a box so they can hire me.
I keep coming back to something a speakers bureau shared with me (I’m a professional speaker). He said, “Jeff, the process usually starts with a CEO asking an assistant or meeting planner to: Go go get me a [fill in the blank, e.g. marketing, customer service, etc] speaker.”
People have to know the conventional thing we do first. If a tagline can do that AND be interesting, it’s a win!
Henneke says
I think it’s easy to forget that people might not know the terms we use ourselves all the time. That’s the curse of knowledge!
When considering your tagline, it’s worth thinking about who sees what where—what’s the context? For instance, on your home page, your company name (Landscape Digital Institute) gives already a good indication what you’re about, and your headline completes the story: Digital Marketing Training for Landscape Pros. You might want to think about your subhead in terms of how do landscape pros benefit from your training, but you probably don’t need a tagline here.
Where do people who want to hire you as a speaker go? You might want to use “keynote speaker” as part of your personal tagline on your business card, social media and your About page (or Speaking page).
Shelly says
Always the voice of reason and clarity. Great article, Henneke. I’m rethinking my tag line now too and may just remove it.
Henneke says
I’m glad you enjoyed it, Shelly!
“Always the voice of reason and clarity” => I like it! Thank you 🙂
Emilie C. Harting says
Very helpful article. It seems that the word “platform” (word that was popular for a while) is similar to a tagline.
Henneke says
Yes, that’s true. “Platform” is vague. As is “solutions” which was popular for a while, too.
Carole says
My site is Common Sense Living, and I’ve tried bunches of taglines that sound like phrases you see everywhere. I’m now toying with – When you’re tired of living a crappy life.
Now that I’ve written that, I feel brave enough to test it.
Henneke says
Go for it! It sounds good.
You may want to consider eliminating the second “living:”
Common Sense Living | When you’re tired of a crappy life
Or replace it by “leading:”
Common Sense Living | When you’re tired of leading a crappy life
Bobby V says
Your content is just so fun to read!
Henneke says
Thank you, Bobby.
Tim says
I like it Henneke. Your view cuts through the formulaic hyperbole that marketers often spout, not necessarily based on experience but what they’ve been “taught”. I also agree that unless you spend big on advertising, word of mouth is king and that requires a business name or your own name, only. Simple.
Henneke says
Oh yes, I hate formulaic hyperbole, especially if it comes from marketers 🙂
Keeping it simple is often the best advice!
Tim says
Darn, you spotted it… 😛
Jeff says
Interesting post Henneke.
I’m having the same debate with myself (often dangerous) and trusted advisors (often confusing) and I’m edging towards having a tagline/slogan, that not only makes a statement, but also raises a question in the readers mind.
It’s short (ish) 9 words, and my plan is to refer to it in my introductory videos as a lead in, because it sits at the heart of what I do. I will also refer to it in marketing, courses, literature etc.
So my point is, rather than having a tagline for the sake of it, my plan is to use it as a conversation starter, as a continuing reference point to drive my message, AND, as a check point for myself to measure relevance for whatever I do.
I haven’t posted the tagline for obvious reasons, but I hope to soon, with my new business launch.
Henneke says
I like your idea about having a tagline as a conversation starter!
I don’t know what you have in mind as tagline, but my hunch is that I wouldn’t use it on every single web page. Perhaps follow a similar principle as Pamela Wilson – use it on your About page, perhaps your home page, and in your email signature. You could even print it on a business card.
Opening and starting your videos with your tagline sounds fab, too.
Kitty Kilian says
Yes.. you don’t really need one. Irreverent copywriting coach would cover it all, though. The funny thing is you say nowhere that you are about writing. Your website name is enchanting marketing instead of: enchanting business writing or something like that. How do you explain THAT?
PS. Copyblogger has no tagline either, I believe?
Kitty Kilian says
Ps No, the website has one. I was thinking of the blog.
Henneke says
I’m not so fussed that my business name doesn’t mention “writing.” After all, all my writing advice relates to marketing. My courses have a strong marketing foundation, too.
If the brand name had been “Enchanting Writing,” then people might think I’d be a fantasy writer or something like that.
I also think that the banner with my snackable course helps focus the mind on writing.
Copyblogger is one of the very few companies who have a tagline in their website header. Even the likes of Apple and Nike don’t have a tagline in their website header. The more I think about it, the more I think taglines are from the “print” age. We don’t need them on websites. Perhaps we only need them on a LinkedIn or Twitter profile (more as a personal tagline) or on a business card if the company name isn’t clear.
I think Copyblogger can delete their tagline. What does “Words That Work” add?
Kitty Kilian says
Fussed? Let me look that up… busy?
Yes, yes, yes. All agreed. Still, you teach writing.
About Copyblogger: I was on my phone when I wrote the earlier comments. I saw this on their homepage: BUILD YOUR ONLINE AUTHORITY WITH
POWERFULLY EFECTIVE CONTENT MARKETING, and I mistook it for the tagline.
But Indeed they have WORDS THAT WORK as a tagline. In Google search it proves to be part of a longer line: Copyblogger – Words that Work for Digital Marketing.
I agree. They don’t need one. Copyblogger says it all, anyway. I once heard BC complain, in a podcast, that he picked the wrong name. But I don’t think so.
Henneke says
Oops. I didn’t realize that “fussed” is informal British lingo. “I’m not that fussed” means “It doesn’t bother me.”
Gill Andrews says
I think many people see taglines as if it exists separately from the rest, as if it alone carries the burden of clarifying what the site is about.
But a tagline never exists out of context. There are always other elements present. And this is exactly the case with your (Henneke’s) snackable writing course banner. It is always there.
So there is absolutely no need for a tagline, IMO, for the same reason Orbitmedia has no tagline: If it only adds clutter but doesn’t add clarity, what’s the point?
Henneke says
Yes, that’s a good point. We often try to do far too much with a tagline. It’s only a few words!
Alison Beere says
About Shopify’s tool for creating tagline:
” Hmmm … Use at your own risk.”
😀
😀
😀
Indeed. That created a lot of non-sense.
—
My situation is very much like yours — 99.9% online.
I think I’ve just given myself permission to remove my ‘sad’ tagline 😉
Henneke says
Indeed, non-sense 🙂
I like your tagline. It’s not sad at all. It’s light-hearted! Perhaps shorten it a little? For instance:
Light-Hearted Cartooning for Business
Or even: Light-Hearted Cartooning
Or: Light-Hearted Cartooning Teacher
Alison Beere says
“Light-Hearted Cartooning Teacher” <= I like this one a lot!
Thanks, Henneke 😀
And given that my domain is just my name, it might make sense to keep a tag line after all…
Henneke says
Yes, keep it. And I only tightening your tagline a little. You did the hard work already! 🙂
Hena | Mending with Gold says
Wow. Why did I fret over my tagline so much? ? thank you for making me feel better!
Henneke says
Glad to hear you can stop fretting, Hena! 🙂
Kathy says
That was a masterclass on tag lines! I need to revisit this as I upgrade my own sites. And btw, I love your Twitter bio. Have a great Easter weekend!
Henneke says
Thank you, Kathy 🙂
I hope you’ll have a great Easter weekend, too!
Lisa Sicard says
Henneke, I love this one! I think mine is now too long after reading your suggestions here. “Sure-Fire ways to succeed in Social Media and Content Marketing”.
You are right about people not wanting to spend too much time reading these days. Everything is so fast paced.
My only question is I think we may need a tagline for SEO purposes?
Henneke says
Thank you, Lisa.
For SEO, your page title is important. For instance, Orbit Media’s page title is:
Orbit Media: Web Design and Development Chicago
This page title shows up in the search results, but you don’t see this text on your home page. (And you also want to make sure that your page title is different for each web page so each web page targets a different key phrase).
Where do you use your tagline? Is this for Inspire to Thrive? You can probably shorten it to: Social Media and Content Marketing.