Short answer: A slogan or tagline is a short line next to your business name that says what you want customers to remember. Write it in plain words, make only factual claims you can prove, and check that nobody in your field uses a similar line. Use it on your website and bios, but keep it out of your Google Business Profile name.
What a slogan or tagline is
Many people use the two words for the same thing. In this guide, a tagline is the line that stays with your brand for years, while a slogan can also belong to a single campaign. Both sit next to your name and logo, and both work best when they say one thing clearly.
A slogan can also be part of your trademark. The USPTO says almost anything can be a trademark if it indicates the source of your goods and services: a word, a slogan, a design or a combination of these.
What your slogan can and can’t claim
A slogan is advertising, so the FTC’s rules apply to it. Under the Federal Trade Commission Act, advertising must be truthful and non-deceptive, and advertisers must have evidence to back up their claims. The law requires that proof before the ad runs.
The FTC looks at what an ad says outright and at what people take from it. Its example: “ABC Mouthwash prevents colds” is an express claim, and “kills the germs that cause colds” makes the same promise by implication. You need proof for both kinds.
Not every line needs a study behind it. The FTC gives less attention to subjective claims that customers can judge for themselves, such as its example “ABC Cola tastes great”. Claims about health or safety, and claims customers would have trouble checking for themselves, such as energy savings, get its closest attention.
A money-back guarantee doesn’t replace that proof, and comparing yourself with a competitor is legal as long as the comparison is truthful.
Protecting your slogan as a trademark
The USPTO registers slogans in standard character format, which protects the words themselves in any font, size or color. Its examples include “It’s finger lickin’ good!”, “Just do it” and “America runs on Dunkin’”.
The rules for strong and weak marks apply to slogans too. A line that merely describes what you sell is weak and hard to protect, while an inventive one is easier to defend. Make it easy to remember, to say and to spell, which the USPTO lists among the things to consider.
Before you settle on a line, look for similar ones. A line can cause trouble without being a copy: the USPTO counts lines that sound, look or mean alike, if they sell related goods or services. That risk, which it calls likelihood of confusion, is its most common reason for refusing to register a mark.
How to write a slogan
- Write down the one thing you want customers to remember about you.
- Draft several lines in plain words, as you would say them to a customer.
- Cut each line to the fewest words that still make sense.
- Remove any factual claim you can’t prove, such as being the fastest or the cheapest.
- Read it aloud, in each language you sell in.
- Search the USPTO database and the web for the same or similar lines in your field.
- Show your favorites to a few customers and keep the one they repeat back.
The steps are our method; the fourth and the sixth are where the FTC and the USPTO come in.
If you sell in English and Spanish, write a version in each language rather than translating word for word. The USPTO suggests checking what your mark means in other languages, particularly if the translation could be considered offensive.
Where to use it, and where not
| Place | Use your slogan? | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Website header and homepage | Yes | Visitors read it next to your logo, where they look first |
| Social media bio | Yes | It tells new visitors what you do in one line |
| Email signature | Yes | Every email you send repeats it |
| Ads and flyers | Yes, if you can prove its factual claims | The FTC expects evidence for them before an ad runs |
| Google Business Profile name | No | Google doesn’t allow marketing taglines in the business name |
Our own advice, except the profile name row (Google’s guidelines) and the ads row (the FTC), read on November 6, 2026.
Put the slogan near the top of your site, as our website homepage guide explains. Add it to the one line of your social profiles, next to the link our link in bio guide covers. Write it into your brand guidelines too, so everyone uses the same words.
The Google Business Profile name is the exception. Google’s guidelines say the name must reflect your real-world business name, and they list marketing taglines among what it must not include: “TD Bank, America’s Most Convenient Bank” isn’t accepted, while “TD Bank” is. Unnecessary details in the name could get the profile suspended, as our guide on renaming your business on Google explains.
Before you use your slogan
- It says the one thing you want customers to remember, in plain words.
- Every factual claim in it is one you can prove.
- No business in your field uses the same or a similar line.
- It reads well in each language you sell in.
- It is in your brand guidelines, so everyone writes it the same way.
- It is on your website and bios, but not in your Google Business Profile name.
RememberA good slogan says one thing customers should remember, in plain words. Make only factual claims you can prove, check that no one in your field uses a similar line, and keep it out of your Google Business Profile name.
Our branding service works out how your brand sounds, from the tone to the tagline and the words you use and refuse. It comes with the logo, colors and fonts, in English and Spanish. Write to us on WhatsApp or fill in the form.
Quick answers about slogans and taglines
What is the difference between a slogan and a tagline?
Many people use the two words for the same thing. In this guide, a tagline stays with your brand for years, while a slogan can also belong to a single campaign. Either way, any factual claim in it has to be true.
Can I trademark my slogan?
Yes. The USPTO says almost anything that indicates the source of your goods or services can be a trademark, slogans included. Lines such as “Just do it” and “America runs on Dunkin’” are registered. A slogan that only describes what you sell is weak and hard to protect.
Can I put my slogan in my Google Business Profile name?
No. Google’s guidelines list marketing taglines among the things a business name must not include, and “TD Bank, America’s Most Convenient Bank” is their example of a name that isn’t accepted. Unnecessary details in the name could get the profile suspended.
Do I need proof of what my slogan says?
Yes, when it makes a claim customers can’t judge for themselves. The FTC says an advertiser needs a reasonable basis, meaning objective evidence, before an ad runs. Subjective claims, like its example “ABC Cola tastes great”, get less of its attention.
Should my slogan be in English or Spanish?
If you sell in both languages, write a version in each so it sounds natural rather than translated word for word. The USPTO also suggests checking what your mark means in other languages, especially if the translation could be considered offensive.
Sources
Sources read on November 6, 2026: Advertising FAQ's: A Guide for Small Business (Federal Trade Commission). Trademark examples, Strong trademarks and Likelihood of confusion (USPTO). Guidelines for representing your business on Google (Google Business Profile Help).