What’s in a Good Tagline?

Ah, taglines – you either love them or you hate them. Although they are short, they can cause a lot of grief. Coming up with a tagline can often be a lengthy process. You can choose to be humorous, serious, informative, or straightforward with your tagline. No matter which angle you chose, your tagline will set the tone and feeling for your brand. (No pressure!)

However, when it comes to creating a tagline, there are a few guiding principles to help you. Your approach to creating a tagline will vary from business to business, depending on what it is you do and who it is you serve.

Here are five guidelines to follow when crafting a tagline:

Be clear/functional

This is so important! Many people get caught up trying to make their tagline catchy or memorable that they ultimately lose sight of what it is they were trying to say. An unclear or vague tagline will only confuse your potential consumers and make them less likely to engage with your business. To avoid this, your tagline needs to be functional, direct, and appropriate for your industry.

Tell a story

What is your company story? Does it conjure up a certain emotion or feeling? Use your unique story as an integral part of your tagline. Having a story makes it easy for consumers to understand and relate to your brand. Communicating that feeling in your tagline, in an authentic way, makes for a great branding strategy.

Short & simple

When in doubt, keep it short and simple. Don’t overcomplicate your message with lengthy or intricate tagline statements. A potential customer should be able to read your logo and tagline and understand exactly what it is you do or provide. Most consumers won’t understand or enjoy a wordy tagline, or worse, they may not even bother to read it.

Experiment with different versions

So once you narrow down a concept or theme for your tagline, try scribbling out a few different versions. Change up the wording, test different formats or sentence structures, and see which version makes the most powerful impact. It also helps to get feedback from other people or employees to gather multiple opinions. Finally, try giving it a read out loud. You might be surprised (in either a good or bad way) by how sounds when spoken! These are all things you want to test and consider beforehand.

What is your why, or your “true” value?

Taglines can present an amazing opportunity to speak directly to your audience and share your true value, your motivation. Consider the Nike tagline, “Just do it.” They sell shoes that allow you to walk comfortably and play sports, yet their tagline is motivational – push your self, excel, be bold. That is the true value and message behind the brand. Apple does the same thing with their tagline, “Think Different”. Yes, this works for the big brands, but how do you apply this to every brand? Maybe you sell financial services, but what you are really selling is security. Or if you sell tomato sauce, you may be selling family recipes or creating traditions. Use your tagline to connect on a higher level with your audience, in a meaningful and authentic way.

Don’t write it and leave it – incorporate it!

Once you craft your final tagline, consider ways in which you can incorporate it into your existing logo design. If you want the tagline to be closely associated with your brand, then this is a good way to create that linkage. Taglines can usually be tucked into or around the logo in an aesthetically pleasing way. This way, your brand’s visual identity will support the language.

What are some of your favorite brand taglines? What stands out or is memorable to you? Do you have any other guidelines that you follow? I’d love to hear from you in the space below.

A Decade of Lessons Learned

This is a very special blog post for me. In light of a recent milestone, I wanted to share something personal with you. I am very proud to announce that this week my company, Strategia Design, celebrated 10 years in business. It is still both surprising and wonderful to think about how far my team and I have come.

When I started my business, my mother in-law gave me a book entitled, Who Moved My Cheese by Spencer Johnson (it’s a great book, by the way). The premise being that others can take you down a certain road and you may not even notice. As business owners, it is important to realize when your clients are driving innovation and change in your business and when you are headed down the wrong road. Awareness to your strengths and your weakness will help you keep track.

It has been such an exciting journey and I have learned so much, both personally and professionally, along the way. In this post, I’d like to share some of my best tips and advice that I’ve learned throughout the last 10 years of entrepreneurship.

1. Mistakes will happen

Believe me when I say no one is perfect. Everyone makes mistakes from time to time and what makes them valuable is how you handle them and what you learn from them. Some of the greatest companies have made mistakes (we all remember New Coke). I too have made more than enough mistakes throughout my career, but I have faced them head on, owned them, dealt with the consequences, and taken away a valuable lesson learned. Resiliency is one of the greatest leadership qualities, so I urge you to own your mistakes and keep moving forward. Sometimes everyone is just moving too fast and we need to slow down, that is a hard lesson to learn.

2. Rely on mentors and supporters

No one can go at it alone. Someone once told me, “You can’t tickle yourself.” Sometimes you can’t see your own business objectively and you need others to help. Even the most seemingly independent person has a team of people they can rely on or trust. I have had several influential mentors in my life and I credit them with helping me grow into the professional I am today. Having a mentor, supporter or business partner/colleague to rely on will help you work through the challenges and stay accountable. If there is one grand take-away from this, it is don’t be afraid to invest in your development and take feedback constructively. Oh, and don’t forget to thank your mentors and supporters so they know how much you appreciate them.

3. Customer experience is everything

No matter what is happening in your office or life, never forget the customer experience. It is so important. Being prompt, showing respect, wearing a smile and giving great customer service will take you far. At the end of the day, if you don’t have happy clients or customers, then you likely won’t have a successful business. So take the extra time to make them feel valued and important – because they are.

4. Finished is better than perfect

We all get so wrapped up in trying to make everything “perfect” that it often backfires. Sometimes, finished is better than perfect. Now don’t get me wrong, accuracy is key, but perfection is most of the time subjective and self-inflicted. By waiting until something is “perfect,” you are actually delaying your progress and potentially missing out on opportunities. Work hard, put in effort, and deliver high quality work – don’t waste time striving for the impossible “perfect.”

5. Love what you do

I know this may sound cliché, but if you don’t love what you do, then you won’t be happy. It’s as simple as that. You need to discover your passion and run with it. Nothing is more motivational than that. Even in times of stress, I wake up every day and am happy and thankful to be doing what I do. Passion is what ultimately keeps you going day after day.

6. Change is inevitable

Strategia Design is not the same company it was 10 years ago, and our clients and the industry is certainly not the same. Change can be exciting, but it can also be unsettling. Knowing and accepting that change will happen can make it a little easier to navigate. Be open to change and embrace it whenever and however you can.

If you are an entrepreneur, what other tips would you add to this list? What advice resonates most with you? Please share your thoughts with me in the comments below – I’d love to hear from you.

The Modern-Day Survival Tool

I don’t know about you, but years ago, I carried a Swiss Army Knife in my bag all the time. It is truly one of the most multi-functional products out there, with several different tools stored compactly in one space. The Swiss Army Knife was the quintessential device for survival, whether you were outside, in a dangerous situation, or even just navigating daily life.

Today, I can’t even get on a plane with my Swiss Army Knife. But fortunately, there’s a new survival tool on the block. Last week while walking home from my daughter’s swim meet in the dark, I pulled out my phone’s handy dandy flashlight to guide me. I found myself wondering,

How did we survive without smartphones? 

Yes, smartphones. Although an iPhone can’t help you cut up food, provide a screwdriver, or file a nail (at least that I know of), it helps us with different types of survival. The two tools actually have more in common than you may initially think.

It’s 2015, and our idea of daily survival has slightly changed since the days of the Swiss Army Knife. Now, it’s more focused on navigating the workday, building our home and personal lives, and squeezing in enough time at the end of the day to relax and do what we love.

We thought it would be fun to point out a few of the key features of this modern-day survival tool:

Maps/GPS

This is a big one. How many times have you been driving or traveling and gotten lost, only to remember that you had GPS on your phone? I know that happens to me more often than I’d like to admit. When was the last time we pulled out a paper map or a Thomas Guide? Using the Maps feature always helps me find my way and gives me peace of mind.

Compass

There actually is a compass feature on the iPhone under “utilities.” I can’t say I’ve ever used it, but a compass would be a very handy tool to have in a time of need. This digital compass is a modern twist on the original, with calibration settings and digital reads of your orientation with every turn.

Applications

There is an app for everything, and I mean everything! We recently found a fake water-drinking and food-eating app! You can fake-nourish yourself when you’re in survival mode. It’s the thought that counts, right?

Flashlight

The built-in flashlight feature on the iPhone has saved me several times from falling down the stairs or stubbing my toe late at night. It’s easy to activate by swiping upward on the main screen. In my opinion, this is by far one of the more useful features on this list. Having a flashlight on command is helpful in an array of settings, and you don’t need to worry about replacing the batteries.

WiFi Connectivity

If I’m lost or don’t know the answer to something, I just type it into Google. It’s as simple as that! I instantly have access to whatever information I need to get through the day. Although WiFi won’t help me literally cook or chop food, it helps with so many other steps in the process. I am never disconnected or separated from information I need, unless I really want to be.

Self-charging cases

Obviously, a smartphone will only help you if it is charged. This is one area where the Swiss Army Knife is certainly more durable. However, there are now self-charging cases for your iPhone or Android that recharge your battery while wearing it. This grab & go accessory will help you stay prepared when your battery enters the red zone.

The iPhone and the Swiss Army Knife are clearly different, but both very useful in their respective ways. I find it interesting how we, myself included, have become so dependent on our phones – for reasons other than making actual phone calls! Our phones help us be more productive and efficient, whether we are at work or in survival mode.

What do you think about the modern day survival tool? Do you think your smartphone improves your life? Let us know what you think!

6 Tools Every Designer Needs

If you are a graphic designer, you are probably extremely familiar with Illustrator, Photoshop, and the like. After all, these programs have become foundational tools for graphic design, as we know it. These programs are so widely used that many people know them like the back of their hand.

However, there are so many additional, might I even say essential, tools out there that work along with these programs and help take your designs to the next level. Some of these are more specific to graphic design, while others are focused on improving productivity or effectiveness. I thought I’d share some of my favorites with you.

1.) Jumpcut

This tool is especially useful when it comes to designing work for clients based off of a brief or document. It is an application that gives you the ability to access all text that you’ve copied or pasted, not just the most recent. It’s a relatively simple tool that allows you to increase the size of your clipboard to hold multiple things at once.

2.) iDisplay

Don’t you wish you had a second screen to work off of? Well, with iDisplay, now you do! It allows you to mirror image from your main display onto your tablet, smartphone or laptop. You can finally de-clutter your desktop and focus on your work, all with your portable secondary display.

3.) WeTransfer

My team and I couldn’t work without this application! WeTransfer allows you to send big files to any recipient via email, without getting stuck or delayed in spam filters. You can send up to 2GB per email for free, or pay for the “plus” account and get up to 10GB. It’s really simple, straightforward, and quite frankly, a lifesaver.

4.) WhatTheFont

Have you ever stumbled across the perfect font but couldn’t figure out what it is or what it’s called? WhatTheFont solves this issue. You simply upload an image of the desired font to the site and it gives you the closest matches from their database. If you still can’t figure it out, you can also post in the WhatTheFont forum and talk with others who may be able to help you.

5.) ColorKit

ColorKit is essentially a color organization tool to increase your productivity. It’s similar to Photoshop’s swatches, but it allows you to create your own collections of colors with just a few clicks. You can also connect colors with shapes or text and change them all with a single click. It will save you a lot of time – trust me.

6.) LittleIpsum

If you are working on a design but don’t have exactly copy yet, then you should consider trying LittleIpsum. This free app generates Latin text – words, sentences, or paragraphs – for you to use as a placeholder. It’s fast and really simple to use. You won’t have to delay or stop your creative genius to wait for copy.

Have you heard of or used any of these tools before? What other apps or sites would you add to our list? Share your favorite tools with us below!

How To Write A Blog

If you are like most people, blog writing can seem scary and daunting. Any time you put something out there for the world to see, it’s only natural to feel a little anxious and a little insecure. However, with the evolving market, growth of digital, and rise of content marketing, creating and curating content is no longer optional.

Blogging allows you to share your knowledge with a larger audience and position yourself as an expert in your field. It gives you a channel to connect with potential customers and lends a voice to your brand. If you are new to the world of blogging, the easiest way to squash initial fears is not to run for the hills, but to follow a template or format guide. It takes some of the pressure off and is an easy way for you to communicate your words in a layout that your readers will understand and appreciate. Like any other skill, the more you practice it, the better you become and the more comfortable it feels.

To help you along your way to becoming an expert blogger, I wanted to share the general blog format that I follow:

Introductory paragraph – Give a brief introduction to what you are about to discuss in the blog. Use this paragraph to connect with your readers and hook them in; in other words, show them why the rest of the blog is worth reading! This paragraph should be about 3 sentences. Sometimes it is also a good place to share a personal story or experience and open up to your readers.

Overview of topic – Use the second paragraph to review your topic more specifically. Provide a brief definition or example, if necessary. Give your readers all of the background information they need to fully understand the remainder of the blog. This section should be 3-5 sentences. Some people will use storytelling in their blogs and this is a good place to share how your story relates to the topic you are discussing.

Sentence leading into bullet points – Use one sentence to lead your audience into the bullet points. Three to five bullet points per blog are ideal. You should try to use bullets (or bolded headings, as I am now) whenever possible because it breaks up the content for your audience and makes it easier to read and comprehend. It also allows people with limited time to skim the article and still gather all of the main points.

Bullets – Break up the main section of your blog post into 3-5 bullet points. This should be the bulk of your content and should be the area you want readers to zone in on. For each bullet point, provide a 2-5 sentence explanation where you can elaborate in greater detail for your readers.

Conclusion – Your conclusion paragraph should include a few sentences wrapping up the main points of the blog. Provide a brief summary of what you just explained and don’t forget to state why it’s important or why it matters.

Questions for engagement – I always like to end a blog post with a few questions for readers to answer. It opens up the floor for a larger discussion to take place and it gives them an opportunity to engage and share their experiences or feedback with you.

If you follow a simple, straightforward template like the one above, writing your first few blogs will be a breeze. Using a format will give you more confidence in your writing and will naturally walk you through the blog writing process. Of course, every blog or topic is different, so be sure to tailor your format to your specific needs. For instance, certain topics may need more explanation upfront in the introduction, while another topic may require 7 bullet points, but minimal overview.

Finally, if this format seems too strict for you, remember that the main point of blogging is to share and engage readers to build your brand. Other formats for blogs can include checklists, short stories, straight sharing of data or even infographics. There is no right or wrong way to blog.

What other blog writing tips do you have for new writers? Do you use your own blog writing format already? We’d love to hear from you!