This month I’m celebrating the 10th anniversary of my business, Boomers’ Social Media Tutor. Back in 2010 as I was winding up a 17-year career in sales, I decided to start a new career.

Although I didn’t go full-time into my business until March 2013, I created my LLC in October 2010. I remember the challenge of creating the name like it was yesterday. Even though Boomers’ Social Media Tutor is a mouthful, it truly represents what I offer and who I serve.

 

Taglines and Slogans

In reflecting over this decade of being in business, so many thoughts come to mind. I’ll turn to some well-known company slogans to organize my thinking.

I found the slogans in the article “The 10 Best Slogans of All Time,” where they also list 50 of the most popular business slogans.

Meanwhile, I got to wondering about the difference between a slogan and a tagline. In researching that question, I came upon this article Kapok Marketing’s article “The Difference Between Brand Taglines and Slogans.”

Quoting from the article:

“Taglines are more permanent and reinforce your brand by conveying the tone and feeling you want for your products and services. The most successful taglines become synonymous with brand names and logos… On the other hand, a slogan is often temporary and particular to a specific marketing effort.”

See below for three well-known taglines (at least to folks in my target market of age 50 and up). I’ve taken each tagline and shared my own experiences that relate to its message.

Maybe someday my tagline of “Making Social Media Simple, Easy and Fun” will be famous too!

 

Just Do It! (Nike)

When you feel that you are ready to launch your business – just do it!

The key here is that you have to be ready. Depending on the type of business you launch, being ready can mean many things.

Perhaps you have to get additional training in the field you are entering. That certainly was the case for me, as I obtained a certificate in social media marketing.

Also, if you are new to operating a business, you need to become at least somewhat versed in business operations. It’s important have at least some degree of clarity in terms of your business offerings and your target audience.

Yet, at some point, you need to follow Nike’s admonition and take the plunge into the unknown of your business. Taking a risk like this can be scary, and yet also exhilarating.

 

It Keeps Going…and Going…and Going (Energizer Batteries)

Know your strengths and play to them. Two of my strengths are energy and stamina, and many times people have compared me to The Energizer Bunny. Find ways in which your strengths can serve others and sustain you.

One of my favorite assessment tools for learning about your strengths is the Clifton Strengths Online Talent Assessment. Originally called the StrengthsFinder, and developed by Donald Clifton in conjunction with Gallup, this tool is invaluable.

I’ve read three books on this tool and taken a class on it. Each time I’ve delved deeper into how my top strengths relate to the work I do. Plus, I review the areas where I’m not as strong. This information helps me decide whether to expand my offerings, how to approach my tutoring sessions, and much more.

 

We Bring Good Things to Life (General Electric)

What are the good things that you are bringing to life? What’s your why? What difference are you making in the world?

My experiences of donating my time through speaking and tutoring during this pandemic remind me of my why. My motivator is a deep desire to help people find value in social media, especially LinkedIn.

Too often people over 50 and especially over 60 tell me they don’t do social media. They tend to lump the sites together and have many negative preconceptions about them.

I help my clients see the value in having an optimized LinkedIn profile. In addition, I show them ways to easily share information and schmooze with others. Essentially, I bring a good thing (LinkedIn) to life for my clients by helping them realize its potential.

 

How About You?

What lessons can you share with others that you’ve gained over the years of running your business? Are there taglines that you find that relate to these lessons? Please share these with me by emailing me or commenting on this blog post.

 

About Joyce

Joyce Feustel helps people, especially those age 45 and up, to become more effective using social media, especially Facebook, LinkedIn, Instagram, and Twitter. She works with business owners, nonprofit organizations, job seekers, consultants, and many others. Find her at www.boomerssocialmediatutor.com.