10 Rules For Great Taglines

A tagline or a slogan is a phrase (for example, "Just Do It (tm)") intended to get "stuck" in prospects' heads. The tagline should be short and memorable, like a great piece of haiku. The following are my rules for creating great taglines:

1. Don't be "cute". Cute often is seen as "cheesy".

2. Do focus on the benefit to the customer.

3. Don't repeat any of the words in your company's name.

4. Do spend time with a thesaurus.

5. Don't use more than 7 words (human short term memory limit).

6. Do use short words.

7. Don't use well-worn phrases.

8. Do use an emotion word to invoke the benefit (pain, pleasure, safety, etc.)

9. Don't think a tagline replaces good marketing strategy.

10. Do ask your existing best clients what they think of your tagline.

The best way to get something to "stick" is to capture your potential customer's problem and pain and show the solution. Don't write a tagline from the perspective of how great you are - no one really cares.

Let's say I'm looking to hire the best Realtor that I can find to sell my house. I'm looking for someone who: has a proven track record, is a great listener, is a great negotiator, and can get me a great deal. Period.

I filter every Realtor that I meet against my list. Which of the following Realtor taglines would be most likely to appeal to me?

* Your Realtor With Heart

* Finding Your Dream Home

* Your Realtor For Life

* I Know Your Neighborhood

* The Hardest Working Realtor You'll Ever Meet

* Selling Homes Is All I Do

Jay Hamilton-Roth founded Many Good Ideas (http://www.ManyGoodIdeas.com) to help small businesses brainstorm, design, and implement effective marketing strategies. He combines creativity with common sense to demystify the process of getting great results. He has used his high-tech background from MIT to help him launch five businesses. He consults with companies in a wide range of industries and publishes a free monthly marketing newsletter (Creative Business Ideas) and a (daily blog). He is available for public speaking.

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