Three formulas, three lines
Every tagline below was written for Volta Labs, which makes smart energy meters for homes. Try all three formulas for your own startup, then keep the strongest.
What the customer gets, in a few words.
5 words
What you do that the usual option does not.
5 words
A short commitment you keep every time.
6 words
The competitor swap test
Put a competitor's name in front of your line. If it still makes sense, it is not yours yet.
Any hardware and IoT company could say this.
Also weak: “Innovation at its best”
Specific to what Volta Labs does, so a competitor could not borrow it without changing their product.
See it with the logo
A tagline lives under or beside the logo, never inside it. Here is Volta Labs's line on light, dark and on the device box.
Check it before you print it
Hardware brands go grey and blue. On a retail shelf, every box looks the same. Your tagline is where you say the opposite out loud.
Questions
What makes a good tagline for a hardware and IoT startup?
It says something only you can say, in three to seven words. For example: "Know your bill before it arrives."
What is the competitor swap test?
Put a competitor's name in front of your tagline. If it still works, your tagline is too generic.
Should a tagline go in my logo?
Keep it as a separate line under or beside the logo, so the logo still works on its own at small sizes.
Can Astitva write my tagline?
Astitva writes your positioning and tone of voice from a short brief, so the tagline, logo and deck all say the same thing. New accounts get 50 free credits.
More for hardware and IoT founders
Start with positioning, the tagline follows
Astitva writes your positioning and tone of voice from a short brief, so your tagline, logo and pitch deck all say the same thing.
Start free with 50 credits