Get Your Strap On

Strap lines are one of the tricky parts when it comes to copy and it’s something that I get asked about a lot. I’ve put together a list of top tips to think of when crafting this all-important content.

Size Matters

Keep it short, snappy and memorable. Once it goes past 5 words it starts to become forgetful. It’s not a home page, it’s just your intro, it has to say the minimum but convey the maximum. Hey, nobody said it would be easy!

Keep it Alluring

It has to convey enough of what you do before you make the sale. They will see your company name and logo first, then read your strapline and the aim of it is to leave them wanting more. Like when you’re in a department store and you try a spritz of perfume before you ask “I love that smell, what perfume is it?” – that’s you engaging with the buying process of purchasing the perfume. You have seen the bottle and you like that initial experience of what they offer, it’s exactly the same, your marketing and brand is your bottle and your strapline is your spritz!

Be different

Your strap line has to convey what makes you different. I see a lot of lines that sound a bit like this “experts in organic skincare’. Yes, it’s short (tick) and yes it conveys what you do concisely (tick) but I still don’t really understand what makes you different, what makes you special. Why are you different from any other skincare company? Why should I choose you?

Clarity of Values

Now, you don’t have to be clear on what you do (although I often recommend it) as we all know, people like Nike “Just Do It”, Apple “Be Different” and L’Oreal “because you’re worth it” are just conveying a simple value behind their brand. With Nike their strapline conveys action, impulse, drive…getting those trainers laced up. With Apple, it’s about standing out and bucking the trend, L’Oreal is about investing in yourself and knowing your own value, all very strong messages. Ask yourself what do I stand for? How can I get this across in just one line?

Is it Memorable?

Will your strapline be easily remembered? You should be able to tell someone and ten minutes later they should remember it almost word for word.   More than that, the following day, they might not remember your strap line but they should have a feeling about your values and that feeling (made up of your logo, your colours, your strapline, your tone and the small bit of info you’ve shared) that’s your brand right there.

Strap Trick?

The best strap lines are often a hat trick of the following: Succinct, Seductive and Simple! When I say simple it should make sense and convey what you do in normal language. Don’t go trying to sound impressive and make it complex as it has to be understood and remembered. And with seductive it’s about always leaving them wanting more…

So in summary, a short line that sums up what you offer, what you stand for, what makes you different, hooks your customer, makes them want to know more and makes you stand out.

Straplines are bloody tough, even for professional copywriters. Don’t be afraid to not have one at all as sometimes it’s better to avoid them but even if you don’t use one, it’s a great exercise to do because you should be able to sum up your brand in one line. My personal strapline is “courageous content for authentic brands”. It is simple, conveys what I do (often important when you’re working under your personal name) and subtly conveys my difference in just the word ‘courageous’. Once I’ve attracted my ideal client it doesn’t take them long to learn that I don’t work with companies that want to simply be perceived a certain way, they need to back it up authentically and want a message to suit their truth – I’m selective about my client base which is key for me.

Strapline SOS? Need an expert eye? Don’t forget you can contact me to arrange a one-to-one content coaching session to discuss your strap line and any ideas you have to make sure you’re getting across what you do successfully and succinctly.