How in the heck do I explain what I do, how I do it, who I do it for and the results I get in only one sentence???
As a copywriter, this is one of the most common questions I get asked.
So, what is a tagline? It’s a clear, simple statement that lets people know they’ve landed in the right place.
When someone lands on your website, you only have a few seconds to grab their attention. Having a tagline that lets them know you get their pain and you have the solution increases the likelihood they’ll stay and engage.
Do you need a tagline? If you’re in business, a compelling tagline converts more visitors into paying clients!
And it’s easier to write than you think.
Use these 5 Simple Steps to Writing a Captivating Tagline for Your Business to get more clicks and more of the right clients.
Step #1: What Do You Sell?
What do people pay you for? Now, you’re gonna wanna complicate this and list EVERYTHING you offer. Don’t… just don’t.
You want to keep this super simple, clear and easy to understand.
Here’s an example. Let’s say you’re a graphic designer.
What do you sell? You sell graphic design services.
You see what I mean? Simple, clear and easy to understand.
Step #2: Who Do You Serve?
A lot of marketers talk about avatars, ideal clients, and perfect clients. And the problem is these are all fictional, meaning they DON’T exist. You want to talk to real people who have real problems that you can solve. So use REAL people when you answer the question of who do you serve. Get specific and detailed when it comes to who you serve.
Using real people is where you’ll find your true niche. This helps you get out of the land of generic and into the sweet spot of specifics.
You can look to your current clients or you can use the questions and examples below to find trends.
Finding Trends to Define Who You Serve
Do you tend to attract people in the same industry or profession?
For example:
You’re a business coach and you work with female-owned luxury event companies.
As a SEO freelancer, your clients are mature women and high income earners in the coaching industry.
Do you appeal to a certain age group or stage of life?
For example:
As a social media manager, your clients are married female solopreneurs in their 40’s.
As a seasoned wedding photographer, your clients are women in their late 20’s who work in the service industry.
Do you notice any similar lifestyle trends or habits?
For example:
As a freelance copywriter, your clients are women in their 40’s who are launching a side business while working full-time.
As an SEO expert, your clients are health and wellness female business owners who struggle with tech side of business.
Side Note: If you are NOT working with the clients you want to be working with (i.e. they’re ADHD, micromanagers, haggle about pricing), then answer this instead: Who do you want to serve? Write about that person using a real person.
Step #3: Finding the Right Words (Part 1)
The biggest mistake most people make when writing copy is they think it is about them or their business. Nope. This is all about the people you want to serve. Finding the words real people use to describe their problem related to what you offer is critical in getting their attention.
Where do you find the words people use when talking about their problem related to what you offer? You can use what people have shared during consultations with you or when working with you to pinpoint the right words.
Here are 5 Critical Questions to help you find the right words:
- How do your clients or potential clients talk about their problem?
- Where do they get stuck?
- What gets in their way?
- Where or who do they turn to for help or guidance?
- What questions would they type into Google to find an answer?
You can also get answers to these 5 critical questions by sending a follow up questionnaire after working with your clients.
How do you combine all of this into a simple, clear message anyone can understand?
Meet Elisa
She’s a talented graphic designer who works with women-owned event companies.
One of the complaints she’s heard over and over again is:
I’m tired of paying a ton of money for graphics that look generic.
She also had many clients say: I loved my former graphic designer but he was always late to deliver which stressed out me and my team.
So, how would Elisa use these words from real people to explain what she does, who she does it for and how she does it? She’d choose the most common and descriptive words from her clients.
Creative & Affordable Graphic Design Services for Event Companies
This is a great start BUT what would make Elisa stand out even more?
What would trigger a visitor to her website or on a post to take the next step? This brings us to part 2 of finding the right words.
Step #4: Finding the Right Words (Part 2)
When looking for your special something – your secret sauce – your superpower… whatever you want to call it, there are three areas to consider.
That thing that you do that’s unique, special and highly valuable in the way you work, your process or your results.
So, what differentiates you and makes you the best decision your potential client could ever make?
You can find out what makes you so darn special by asking:
- What consistent results do you get for your clients?
- What do your clients say they LOVE about working with you?
- Do you have a special talent or skill your clients RAVE about?
- Are there words of praise your clients share over and over again?
- What are your clients able to be, do, feel or have after working with you?
Remember Elisa, our graphic designer?
After asking her clients these questions, she discovered that her clients ultimately wanted one thing: To sell out their events.
She also discovered what makes her unique: Her on-time delivery of eye-catching designs dramatically increased ticket sales for her clients.
Here’s how Elisa incorporates these discoveries in one simple attention getting tagline:
Eye-Catching & Affordable Graphic Designs as Unique as Your Events
Now it’s YOUR turn!
STEP #5: Combine the Right Words into One Captivating Tagline
You can write a tagline that captivates the clients you want to work with when you answer these 5 questions:
- Tell me what you sell in a simple, clear and easy to understand way
- Tell me who you serve OR want to serve
- Tell the words or phrases they use to describe their biggest problem related to what you sell
- Tell what makes you unique
- Tell me what words your clients use to describe what it’s like working with you
Once you combine the answers, you’ll have a tagline that tells people what you do, how you do it, who you do it for and the results you get!
If writing copy makes you want to punch someone in the face, we should talk. Schedule a complimentary consultation today.