Whether you’re designing business cards, greeting cards, or invitations, coming up with a compelling title or tagline are tricky. The title needs to capture attention, while the tagline should communicate the essence of your brand or message quickly. Crafting memorable phrases takes both creativity and strategic thought. You need to understand your audience, define the purpose of the card, and convey the right tone.
Know your audience
The first key to good title writing knows your target audience. Are you making birthday cards for tweens or anniversary cards for seniors? Business cards for tech professionals or real estate agents? Before you start brainstorming, get clear on who will be receiving and reading your card. What messaging and tone will appeal to them? What words and concepts are meaningful in their world? Get into an empathetic mindset of how your audience thinks and feels. Understanding the reader gives your writing relevance and resonance.
Keep it short and sweet
Because cards have limited real estate, you must distil your message into compact phrases. For titles, try to keep it under eight words. Taglines should rarely exceed ten words. Being succinct requires ruthless editing. If a title or tagline doesn’t need a word, cut it out. Apply the Twitter character limit mindset. Challenge yourself to communicate big ideas in tiny packages. Every single word and punctuation mark should add value. Be willing to kill your darlings in pursuit of brevity.
Play with structural variety
Beyond word choice and phrasing, sentence structure provides opportunities for memorable titles. Rhetorical questions, creative repetition, contrasts, command imperatives, lists, and fragments all grab attention in their way. Try rearranging clauses or splitting complementary phrases over two lines. Use punctuation to build intrigue through a dramatic pause or ellipses trailing off. Structural decisions emphasize different sentiments. Declarative statements speak confidence while questions convey curiosity check more info here printthatnow.com/shop/name-cards.
Choose impactful opening words
The first 1-3 words of any title or tagline carry heavyweight importance. These initial words determine if people register and retain what follows. Verbs and adjectives tend to have a high impact as opening words. Nouns or articles are less so. Of course, word choice depends on context. But be deliberate in what comes first. Ask yourself if that leading word or phrase gives enough oomph. Does it compel people to keep reading or listening? Strong openings hook audiences right away.
Find your rhythm
Read potential card titles and taglines aloud. Do they roll off the tongue or twist it up? The way words sound together greatly affects remember ability. Alliteration, rhymes, assonance, consonance, and other musical writing techniques incorporate rhythm. If a phrase contains multiple short words, throw some longer words in to vary pace. You want your title to flow, not clunk along awkwardly. The melodious qualities of language tickle the auditory senses, helping ideas take root. Turn mindful reading into playful vocal exercises until you discover a natural cadence.
Show some personality
While you should always align language choices with audience expectations and card purpose, don’t be afraid to infuse some personality. Especially for greeting cards or creative business card fields, people appreciate humour, sincerity, and warmth. Convey genuine feelings with cheerful exclamations, kind blessings, light jokes, or quirky illustrations. Share memorable moments from your history. Add an endearing nickname, in-group reference, or personalized detail. Make it more personal and less generic. When appropriate, weave in distinctive traits of your brand identity as well. Quirky wordplay and visual motifs do double duty communicating core values. Personality gives a cold-copy heart.
