Tag Line or Slogan

[jamesray50]

How do you come up with a tag line or slogan for your business that will stand out in people's mind? One that comes to my mind is for Kentucky Fried Chicken - It's Finger Lickin Good!

My company name is Top Notch Bookkeeping and my tag line is Payroll and Bookkeeping Services. But is that really a tag line or just an extension of my name? I want people to know what I do and that it does include payroll which isn't mentioned in the company name.

I'm not creative when it comes to stuff like this, I guess that is why advertisers get paid the big bucks. (They do get paid big bucks don't they?)

I was just was wanting you're alls thoughts on this. :)

[Steve B]

I think for a bookkeeping company you may be better off with just a description. A fancy or clever tagline may not help your cause, but further description (like you have) might.

[Spider]

As Steve says, a slick, clever tagline may not hekp you, but something more sedate and professional might. Not all taglines are slick and clever. i particularly liked the old GE tag - We bring good things to life. Their current one is quite sober, too - Imagination at work.

What about IBM's - Solutions for a small planet.

You don't need to be The Real Thing or Finger lickin' good or the Quicker picker-upper.

We get it right the first time.
Building better books.
Accurate and On Time.
Fast, accurate and dependable.

You can even use a snippet from your own copy -- Down the street, around the world.

I think every business should have a tagline. I've used - Building businesses, building lives, building wealth - as long as I can remember.

Just play with it and see what comes up.

[phanio]

Three suggestions:
1) Let your clients help with this - let them tell you how they feel. Make it a competition with prizes and such. Let people vote for the best or make suggestions. Use it to your advantage - might even get more business from it. Might even get some free publicity out of it.
2) Don't focus on what you do - but what need you satisfy. So, not 'payroll and bookkeeping service' as that is what you do but more like 'Relieving your financial burden so that you can focus on your business' as that is the need being met.
3) Hire a very creative public relation group to come up with one - they will use focus groups made up of your potential customers - see item number 1 above.

[Harold Mansfield]

One thing about a tag line, if it sucks it will do immeasurable harm. Also, if you really don't have the budget to market and brand it, it really doesn't do what it's supposed to. Personally, I stick to an accurate description or unique selling point.

[Spider]

But if your website sucks, it will do immeasurable harm, won't it? If your pictures suck it will do immeasurable harm (so I have been told quite forcefully!) If your business sucks... etc. You could say that for just about anything in business. So... do it well, then you won't have that problem.

[vangogh]

Jo Ellen you don't need to be super slick with your tagline. Think of it as a few quick words that can sum up what you do or differentiate yourself from your competition. I did a quick search for "bookkeeping services" and found this tagline for a company here in Boulder.

Complete Payroll, Accounting and Bookkeeping Services

Something like that is all you need. You just want to make it very clear what you do so that someone who isn't familiar with your business can understand what you do in a couple of seconds.

[huggytree]

Plumber: dont sleep with a drip
#1 in #2

[greenoak]

im not sure how we got ours, just working and working on it until one hit probably, but i really like them and have stuck to them for a long time....even if im sick of them if we feel like they are good i dont want to throw them out unless i have a lot better one....
ours are...3 buildings full..save money with style......a fun place to shop......and bring a friend and a truck.....they work and reflect our message and core attractions...

[Harold Mansfield]

But if your website sucks, it will do immeasurable harm, won't it? If your pictures suck it will do immeasurable harm (so I have been told quite forcefully!) If your business sucks... etc. You could say that for just about anything in business. So... do it well, then you won't have that problem.

That's all true too. I guess my point was that coming up with slogans and catch phrases is really not the strong point of most business owners and what many think is fun and catchy based on their own style of humor, doesn't always translate well to other people.
If you need some bad examples just watch some of your local TV commercials, specifically lawyers. They're horrible.

[Spider]

Humor in business can be tricky - which is going to be covered in my new blog, "Making Business Fun" - but one doesn't have to be humorous in a tagline. A tagline doesn't have to be considered the punchline of a joke. One's business is never a joke.

But it, and they, can be fun. Fun and funny aren't the same. (Just rambling a bit to get in a mention of my new blog - did I tell you I have a new blog out called....! Drat! Shouldn't have said that!)

Nike's "Just Do It!" is not humorous. McDonald's tagline "I'm Lovin' It!" is not humorous. In fact, I suggest with humorous taglines the humor distracts from the message. A tagline, I feel, should portray something about a company. Light and pleasant, yes - humorous, no. Also, not boring "This is our work."

What is the spirit that pervades your organization? Are you sticklers for accuracy? Do you get your stuff done quickly? Does your company love to experiment? What is that special character that your group has developed and how can that help your customers?

We bring good things to life. Building a smarter planet. How do you spell relief?

All great taglines none of them funny.

[Spider]

Hey! Lets have a little contest --

Who has the best tagline? What are the first words on your website after your company name?

Mine is

"Building businesses, building lives, building wealth."


What's yours?

[Harold Mansfield]

On one site it's "Freelance Wordpress Webmaster and Consultant" and my phone number.
On the other it's "Freelance Web Professionals for hire" and the phone number.

I wouldn't call them tag lines. They are key phrases. I'll attract more attention using them than a tag line.
I don't believe in putting slogans in the title unless you have marketed it to the point where it is recognizable.

That area is precious real estate and when people see it I'd rather have an accurate description of what services I offer, rather than a slogan..because they didn't search for a slogan:
http://1stinternetmedia.com/wp-content/uploads/se-results.png

http://1stinternetmedia.com/wp-content/uploads/se-result-2.png

To me, using an unmarketed slogan there is a wasted opportunity to capitalize on search results.
I'm actually considering removing the site name all together since it is in the URL anyway (don't really need it there) to make room for additional terms or have the phone number visible.
Added:
Actually since I said that, it made sense and I just removed the site titles so that the services are seen first. Don't really need any vanity there, just purpose.

[Spider]

You're right - you don't have any taglines.

i wouldn't think one would want to put a tagline in the site title unless they were keywords (which is not likely.) No-one is going to be attracted to your business because of a tag line - taglines are only good once your prospects are there (on your site or in your store.)

"Just do it!" means nothing until you are bellybutton-to-bellybutton with Nike shoes.

But I put it to you that a tagline is to your text what you tell me pictures are to your design. If you are concerned with wasting the position regarding search engines, then place the tagine as an image and use your targetted keywords for the alt tag. Once I know that you are a freelance wordpress webmaster and consultant, I want to know how you do it, what your "thing" is. Do you "bring good things to life?" Are you a "just do it" kind of a guy? Do you enjoy what you do - "I'm lovin' it!?" Is your attitude, "Don't give them just a website, give them some pizzazz?" That is what will put you above all the other freelance wordpress webmasters out there trying to get my attention.

[Harold Mansfield]

I can agree with that. But I don't have one and in a year I haven't come up with anything that I would want people actually reading, so I'd rather not force it. If something comes up, I'll use it, but I'm not going to force one. It's really not that important to me to have one for my type of business.
I do think that it would fit well for your type of business. What people want from me as opposed to what they want from you is totally different.

From me they just want technical skills and to get a job done. Actually they don't really care how I get the job done.

From you they want an assurance that you have the chops to help make them successful and tech them something that they don't know that they can use to make money.

No one is trying to learn from me so I can represent myself visually. I don't think a tag line would make or break me, but in your case, something motivational or something that shows off your business philosophy would be a good fit.

[Steve B]

Business 1
"Freedom and Safety for Your Pets, and Peace of Mind for you"

Business 2
"Premioum Pet Food at Your Door"

[vangogh]

My current tagline is:


People Friendly & Search Friendly Web Design

We don't have one for the forum, though maybe something would be appropriate.

[greenoak]

gosh eborg you might be underestimating this tag line idea.... if you had a tag line that somehow said... i can help you and make your tekk problems go away...or i can bring your web ideas to life........wouldnt that be a good thing ? a needed statement to easily communicate what you can do for the customer? a good tagline just helps get your selling point across.... i think its especially good for any business that is trying to say something complicated to their potential customers....in their language...
and you are so right about us, out here in the non tekk world , not caring how you did it....
ann

[Harold Mansfield]

It's not that I have anything against it. I just don't have one that I like.

[greenoak]

i hear you....thats my problem for reaching my new customers...i need the right words but havent found them yet.....its just pretty complicated....and has to be right....
ann

[Spider]

Just like anything else, these days - there are people out there you can hire to create a tagline for you. Just enter "tagline" into your favorite search engine and I'll bet you'll find plenty. In fact, for anyone good with words, this would make a nice little sideline, I'm sure.

[greenoak]

i dont see how when i cant even put those women into a paragraph...i wish i had the right keyword that i could work on...actually seeing and understanding the target a udience and picking the right keyword is what im trying for...thats pretty hard ...

[Spider]

Well, why not try spending a few dollars on a tagline creator and seeing what happens. You might get lucky and hit on something that works for you. And you might get a keyword or two at the same time.

[jamesray50]

My tag line is Payroll and Bookkeeping Solutions. Payroll and Bookkeeping and also my keywords. So I guess this is okay?

[Spider]

I think it is fine as a description of your service. I don't think it serves as a tagline or slogan. A tagline needs to be catchy and attention-getting.

[Patrysha]

A tagline needs to be catchy and attention-getting.
Close but not quite. Catchy and attention getting may be what you want if you are Nike or McDonalds - but for a small business without the zillions in ad dollars to drill the message into your prospects heads a different approach is needed. Your tagline needs to double as your positioning statement. It needs to make a statement that creates it's very own category for what you do in your prospects mind. A great resource to really get the concept is Michel Fortin's Power of Positioning.

Taglines are part personality, part description.

A couple of my favourite one's locally are

"Age Wisely and Wonderfully" (From the clinical day spa that specializes in skin care)
"Original styles...for individual tastes" (From the fashion forward clothing store)

[Spider]

Yes, Patrysha - that's what I meant to say!

[AmyAllen]

My name/tagline:

Full Gospel Choir
Web Work that Sings!

I love my tagline, but there has definitely been some confusion over my business name!

I think it's an interesting point people have raised around having a good tag line vs. having the money to market the tag line. That is not something I considered when first starting up and choosing a name. I just wanted something clever and memorable.

[vangogh]

Your tagline needs to double as your positioning statement.

That's how I see it too. When we all get as big as Nike we can use Just Do It, but while we're small businesses better is to have a tagline that makes clear what you do and better yet why you over the competition.

[greenoak]

amy i love your tagline....it would be easy to remember....

[Harold Mansfield]

My name/tagline:

Full Gospel Choir
Web Work that Sings!

I love my tagline, but there has definitely been some confusion over my business name!

I think it's an interesting point people have raised around having a good tag line vs. having the money to market the tag line. That is not something I considered when first starting up and choosing a name. I just wanted something clever and memorable.

I like your tag line too, but it is definitely needed because your name would be confusing without it. They are heavily dependent on each other.

[Spider]

Tagline contest to date.

Frederick - "Building businesses, building lives, building wealth."

Harold - 1. "Freelance Wordpress Webmaster and Consultant"
2. "Freelance Web Professionals for hire"

Steve B - Business 1. "Freedom and Safety for Your Pets, and Peace of Mind for you"
Business 2. "Premium Pet Food at Your Door"

VG - "People Friendly & Search Friendly Web Design"

Jo Ellen - "Payroll and Bookkeeping Solutions"

Amy - "Web Work that Sings!"

Eight entries - Any more? Any more submissions?

[Spider]

Okay - where are we going with this?

Any more entries? This thread had me thinking about my tagline - which I've had for years. Might it be time for a change? he asks. Perhaps I could use my blog title as a tagline - "Making Business Fun!" Yes - I think I'll throw that in, just for fun.

If there are no more entries, I'll create a poll - Can we do that here? And take votes to see who has the best tagline.

I offer as the Grand Prize - a copy of my book, "Keep Your Eyes On The Prize."


Any more entries? Be quick!

[Dan Furman]

America's Plain-English Business Expert

[jamesray50]

Can we vote for our own?

[vangogh]

I think you have to create a new thread to start a poll. Only the thread started can create one. It should be an option when you create a thread. If you can't find it let me know.

[Steve B]

I created a poll one time, so it can't be too hard.

[vangogh]

Well if Steve created a poll then it must be easy. :) Just kidding Steve.

[Spider]

Just went to create the poll for this contest and see that I can only have up to 5 options. There are 10 entries. So we will have two polls and a final run-off poll.

I will place 5 entries in each poll and the winning two from each poll will carry over to have a 4-way run-off poll.

[Steve B]

I think I remember the time limit issue also. I didn't understand the need for it, but I guess my choices were easier to type.

[Spider]

bump.... ..

[vangogh]

I upped the poll so you can have 10 options.

[KarenB]

Hi Jo Ellen,

I like what you have already and I think it clearly states exactly what services you offer. It's straightforward and to the point.

While I could also see a bit of an outside-the-box name for your business to begin with - a name that would easily be remembered and set it apart from the rest immediately like "The Bookkeeping Diva" or something similar - a clever name or tag line is not what will ultimately make your business succeed. If you're really good at what you do, word-of-mouth will sustain your business for many years to come - guaranteed.

All the best for 2011!

Karen

[Spider]

bump......

[vangogh]

I found an article this morning with 77 Catchy And Creative Slogans (http://www.hongkiat.com/blog/77-catchy-and-creative-slogans/) and naturally thought of this thread and the two threads Frederick has going with polls on some of our taglines.

Tagline/Slogan Division 1 (http://www.small-business-forum.net/water-cooler/4276-tagline-slogan-division-1-a.html)

Tagline/Slogan Contest Division 2 (http://www.small-business-forum.net/water-cooler/4277-tagline-slogan-contest-division-2-a.html)

The article has some general advice about writing taglines, but it's mainly a long list of them. I can't say they're all good. In fact some I think are pretty bad. I also won't tell you all are really catchy or creative either, since some are neither. What I can tell you is seeing all the taglines together is pretty interesting and will probably give you some ideas when writing your own tagline.