
So now you’ve got the winning idea that’s going to take the internet by storm – but what about the name?
Frustratingly, a lot of good names that come to your head are probably being used already.
Here are some tips and tricks for choosing that finicky blog name.
Go to the dictionary – then the thesaurus
Every seasoned writer knows how important it is to have a dictionary and thesaurus on standby – you’ve all experienced writer’s block and sometimes looking up the definition of a word, or a complete alternative can bring your writing back to life.
Every word has its substitute, and often they can be a lot more exciting than anything your brain could conjure up.
Finding that adjective to slot in the title as a replacement for its original could be the difference between hot and not – and how many people want to read more than just your name.
What exactly are you writing
A picture paints a thousand words, but a title can do even more – in four or five short words, it can sum up an entire niche or interest, sending sparks of intrigue shooting through the reader’s brain. Your blog name is the hook, and its content the anchor – they’ve got to match to be compelling.
With relevance, you can go either way – if you plan on writing about more than one niche, it’s better to be broader with your name, but if you’re quite specific about your content, make your name precise too.
What’s in a name
How much do you want to make this thing about you?
A lot of blogs are borne out of passion, which for most people is close to their heart. If you’re planning on including yourself in the branding and business side of your blog, then using your name in the title is the way to go – it won’t change (hopefully?) and is unique to you, so people are likely to remember it.
It’s an excellent way of putting your stamp on something and proudly claiming it as your own.
It’s a dog eat dog world
Depending on how competitive you are, you might want to see what else is out there already that’s relevant to what you want to achieve.
While looking at other successful blogs in your field can be disheartening to an extent, it’s all a matter of perspective – this kind of research can also serve to be inspiring, teaching you invaluable lessons on how prosperous people are writing blogs.
Looking at their name can also be a great inspiration to coming up with your own. It might trigger the idea that becomes a winner.
Where’s the domain
A practical part of choosing a blog name is remembering that once you’ve cinched that part of the set up process, you have to progress to choosing a domain name.
More and more people are setting themselves up on the internet and choosing the avenue of blogging – which means domain names are being scooped up by the minute and can be hard to come across at times.
Its good to take this into account when choosing your blog name – you don’t want to go looking for a domain name and get stuck unable to find anything even remotely to do with your blog name.
Stand out from the crowd
It’s getting harder and harder to be unique these days on the internet – it seems as if everything has already been done and you couldn’t possibly be original with your content.
That’s why its good to choose a name that is catchy and unique. When choosing a name, really put your creative hat on and try as hard as possible to think outside the box – names that you previously thought might not work could turn out to be the new best thing everyone is looking for.
Leave it to the Internet
If you are just stuck beyond all reason and have abused the tried and true methods of choosing a name, there is fortunately automated systems these days that can take some of that workload off you.
There are word generators online that take the keywords of your niche and come up with some fresh, original names that you could choose from. The bonus part about this tool is that it’ll also tell you where you can find the domain name that most closely resembles your blog name – saving you more time further down the road.
Lean on me
Nobody is an island, which means that you don’t have to rely entirely on just one brain to come up with this attention-grabbing idea. In these kinds of situations, it can be helpful to bounce concepts and thoughts of trusted friends and family members to see how the names sound out loud and get their personal opinions on it. Remember, they want the best for you and aren’t your competitors, so chances are they’ll have the best advice on what you’ve looked at so far. This also gives you an opportunity to say them out loud – often saying something out loud helps to solidify how much you like it.
Humour Me
Nothing gets the audience’s attention like a good joke. Humour is the ultimate icebreaker and can get people intrigued to look further if they’re already a little bit relaxed.
It’s worth experimenting with a light-hearted, fun tone of voice to see if it fits the content of your blog – and while some topics are too serious for this kind of name game, a lot will respond well to it and help in bringing people to read your stuff.
If all else fails
You can always use your name.
Some people won’t like this because it doesn’t provide anonymity and can leave you wide open. However it does make you highly accountable for producing good content – which isn’t such a bad thing.
A blog is the modern day diary for those of you who want to share your passions with the world and reach out to that community who can resonate with you on those topics you find closest to your heart.
In business, It’s a great way to promote yourself, whether it’s a personal motivation or professional – they’re a tremendous connecting tool between people. Just remember that one of the first things people see is the name, so it’s worth spending a bit of time on it before you move on to the fun part of making your page look all pretty.