My niece was looking for a name for a new blog she wanted to write. She posted some ideas on Facebook to get input. It prompted me to write these questions you should answer before you name a blog. Naming a blog is a last step – if you have answered these questions thoughtfully.
Before You Name your Blog
- Who are you writing for? The name should not be directly linked to you and what you write about, but to the needs of the audience. It is an important distinction. Can you get very specific about the target audience? Is it students and novices or people with a high degree of skill? It is a basics blog (How to hard boil an egg) or more advanced (How to make bearanise sauce). Think how you are like a sherpa to a community with common interests: who do they want to follow and learn from if you are their guide.
- What problems are you trying to solve? What are the problems and questions that your audience has? What conditions, situations and concerns will your writing address? The name should be a signal about the community you want to attract and their main questions.
- How will you be different? It is important to bake into the branding of the blog, your point of difference. The name might be a trigger to something you will do that only you can do.
- How will you reach an audience? This begs the question whether the blog should be on your own website or on rented real estate like Medium, Pulse (on LinkedIn) or Tumblr. Building an audience is hard work – some say you should spend 20% of your time writing and 80% of your time marketing the site. You don’t want to invest the time and not build an audience.
- How patient are you? It takes time to find your voice and to add value to a conversation in your industry. Staying power is critical because a blog may take years to attract an audience, depending on your efforts to get the information shared.
- Is a blog the right platform to do what you want to do? Before you name a blog, maybe a podcast makes more sense for your space. Or, perhaps you could be a hit on twitter with short witty ‘snack-sized’ pieces of advice. Maybe you really want to write an eBook and self-publish it if you really want to write long-form content. Perhaps you want to build an audience on Facebook with short posts. Blogs can exist in lots of place. Owning the space makes senses but there are reasons to consider renting space in other areas like Pulse on LinkedIn.
Name that Blog
When you do get through all these questions, and you are ready to name the blog, remember these things:
- You want your audience to easily find you.
- It is a good idea to have your key word in your URL. (aka themarketingsage.com)
- Is the URL available?
- Will your URL confuse people thinking you do something else?
- The shorter the name, the better. The fewer letters and numbers, the better.
- Does the name signal the benefit to the reader?
- Does the name signal your expertise or voice of authority?
- Will your name be out of date soon? Brand names fade (Radio Shack) as do blog named for fleeting categories.
- Check out this post on Seven Simple Steps to Name a Business, Brand or a Product He may also help you think through the name game.
Blog Until The Cows Come Home
I have written five hundred and eleven blog posts since starting in 2009. I understand who I am writing for with greater clarity today than I did five years ago. Ultimately, I want my writing to be a source of free help and marketing advice to people who need assistance. Writing also helps me think about marketing issues that intrigue me. If you don’t like to write, a blog may not be the right platform for you. I am addicted to the platform and so grateful to the thousands of people who read it over the year and connect with me.
Do you have a blog? How did you come up with your name? What did I miss in this post?
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