This short phrase or sentence or question of fifteen words or less packs the power of a firework show.
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| sliced zucchinni stuffed with ricotta with pine nuts and basil |
Served in the very beginning of any promotion, the tagline sets the stage. It fixes the palate like an appetizer for a grand meal enticing the individual to want more.
But, dear friend, always remember that the reader will anticipate the book to meet their expectation based on the tagline appetizer. Don't let them down.
Samples of movie taglines:
Look at the sentences/phrases below and note how they do not tell the whole story for the designated movie. Rather, they each simply give a delightful taste of what is to come. Whet the whistle, one might say.
Look at the sentences/phrases below and note how they do not tell the whole story for the designated movie. Rather, they each simply give a delightful taste of what is to come. Whet the whistle, one might say.
"Someone you pass on the street may already be the love of your life." You've God Mail
"Fight. Dream. Hope. Love." Les Miserables
"Earth will Fall" Star Trek Into Darkness
"Heroes, giants, villains, true love." The Princess Bride
"Even the smallest person can change the course of the future." The Fellowship of the Ring
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| Fresh hummus served with fresh chives and pita chips |
"Where history comes to life." Night at the Museum
"There's no substitute for experience." RED
"When the world is the target and the threat is real, you can still depend on one man." James Bond Golden Eye
"Twice the hero he use to be." The Incredibles
"Passion. Ambition. Butter. Do you have what it takes?" Julie and Julia
"A boy who needs a friend finds a world that needs a hero." The Neverending Story
"Twice the fun, double the trouble" Parent Trap-1998
Taglines are product specific, making them different from what you use for your branding. Each book should have its own tagline.
Here is the one I wrote for my latest work: Who Invited Hank?
With the ACFW conference knocking at our doors, we need to have our tagline appetizers prepared.
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| Phyllo dough basket stuffed with chicken, tomato and cheese |
Benefits to a tagline:
1. When your mind goes blank, having a short tagline memorized will save the day. It will entice the listener while you fetch the second course, your pitch.
2. The tagline should not tell the whole story. The purpose simply is to entice the listener to want to hear more.
3. The tagline is only fifteen or less words. WE CAN MEMORIZE FIFTEEN WORDS!
4. When repeating the tagline to the listener at the end, you have created an association with you and your story in the listener's mind.
READY TO HAVE A GO? Let's help each other.
Tell your tagline in the comment section. Now, no cheating, you have to do it for memory AND YOU HAVE TO SAY THE WORDS OUT LOUD as you type them.
OH, and be sure to say hi to me if you go to the conference. And if you can't go, say hi anyway in the comment section. I love to hear from you all.
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photos courtesy of freedigitalphotos.net and Mary Vee
OH, and be sure to say hi to me if you go to the conference. And if you can't go, say hi anyway in the comment section. I love to hear from you all.
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photos courtesy of freedigitalphotos.net and Mary Vee
This blog post is by Mary Vee
Mary has moved to Michigan with her husband, closer to her three college kids. She misses the mountains of Montana, but loves seeing family more often. She writes contemporary and romance Christian fiction and loves to pen missionary and Bible adventure stories on her ministry blog, God Loves Kids.
Visit Mary at her website and her ministry blog to families: God Loves Kids. Or chat on Facebook or Twitter
