Firstly to write a great tagline, we need to know what's it's purpose and where does it show up?
Your tagline should provide a brief summary of what you do and what you broadly class your business capability as. This is because your tagline is shown in three key places;
- Your profile, directly beneath your company name in the main header.
- The Manufacturing Network Search Results, under you company name.
- In many cases, it appears under your company name in other search engine results such as google (we direct search engines to use this content where applicable, but sometimes they experiment with other content out of our control).
Our Formula for Success
So your tagline is quite an important piece of content. But don't panic!
We've got a bit of a formula to construct a tagline, it goes like this:
Tagline = Broad category of services + Breadth of Service in Volume OR Breadth of Service in Material + What makes you different
When we say broad category of services we mean how we often refer to a business that offers a range of services from one capability category as a single term. Put simply, a business offering a range of machining capabilities would be referred to as a "Machinist". Or a business that offers a range of welding, metal bending and cutting services may be referred to as a "Fabricator".
1. Broad Category of Services
Here are some examples of the "Broad Category of Services":
- Machinist
- Fabricator
- Foundry
- Forgemaster
- Pressing Company
- Moulder
- Assembler
2. Breadth of Service in Volume / Material
In terms of volume this could be:
- 1 offs and prototype production
- prototype through to high volume
- High volume producer
- Bespoke Category of services provider
In terms of Material this could be:
- Non-ferrous "Foundry"
- Sheet Metal "Fabricator"
- Electronics "Assembler"
- Aluminium "Pressing Company"
- Nickel Alloy "Forgemaster"
- Wood "Machinist"
3. What makes you different?
If you are a specialist at a particular process within the broad category, or producing a particular product make sure you convey it. If you hold qualifications or certifications that differentiate you it may be worth including. So think about;
- Product specialities
- Specific Process Capability
- Qualifications or Certifications that make you stand out
- Industry specific focus
Then string it all together...
Examples:
"The West Midlands Non-ferrous foundry, specialising in Green Sand Casting of turbocharger housings"
"CE Approved Sheet Metal Fabrication Services, for prototype through to Volume Production"
"High Volume Machinist of Aluminium & Steel Castings serving the Automotive & Aerospace Industries"
As you'll notice from the examples, you can mix up the order of the formula to suit your business. And remember, you don't need to stick to the formula! If you come up with something that sounds great then awesome.
Hopefully that gives you a good starting point at least.
Final Tips & Thoughts
Try not to use too many superlatives and adjectives, and don't make any statements which can't be backed up. For example what does this actually tell your potential customers?
"Premier provider of synerginistic solutions to the prime markets of UK Manufacturing specialising in High-end Materials"
Absolutely nothing!
Be Succinct
Simple can be scan read and understood quickly, and often stands out because of it's simplicity.
The character limit is 135 Characters, so use them wisely.
Write your tagline now - Click here to go to your profile.
What's Your Advice?
Any advice on taglines that have worked / haven't worked? Good examples or bad examples, comment below with your views.