Getting that “perfect” blog name isn’t easy. But believe it or not, it’s not the most important part of a good blog. Yes it needs to be unique and memorable, and it’ll be the first part of your blog people see. But your blog’s success will really be based on the value it gives to readers, how you promote your content, and your ability to build relationships.
Creating a Blog Name
If you’re not sure what to call your blog, here are some ideas for how you can get started in creating your perfect name.
Your own name: This is a good option if you’re looking to build a brand around your personality, knowledge or impact. But remember that there’s no separation between you and your business when you do this. You have to be comfortable being in the public eye, where you’re the thought leader and influencer.
A current or future business name: Maybe you’ve got a name that’s special in your heart and unique to you. Little Naledi, for example, is named after the author’s daughter and represents Botswana, which she writes about.
Created around your topic: If you write about parenting, use that. If you write about marketing, use that. You can create a unique name by adding adjectives or verbs and a lot of your own personality. This is a great time to integrate the tone that you want your blog’s brand to represent.
Your future book title: If you were to write a book, what would it be called? I love this approach for naming blogs. It can also be used as a way of creating an effective tagline for blogs that are under your own name.
Personally, I’m not a fig fan of blog names that are too long. Keep it short and sharp, and easy to pronounce & remember.
So how do you decide? Start by brainstorming a number of names, then get feedback from friends and family. Don’t spend weeks deliberating… just choose the name you love the most, stay confident, and go with it!
Research Your Name’s ‘Ownability’
Once you’ve got your ideal blog name, you should check spend a bit of time researching how the name is used, to make sure that it’s something ‘ownable’ to you.
Competition: Google your name and see what else comes up using that name. For example with SensoBaby, we know there’s a brand of Russian Diapers that uses the same name. We were okay to proceed though, because we’d never be competing in the same geographical markets. You have to ask yourself, “Are you comfortable having people find these other entities, if they’re searching for you?”
Domain Availability: Use a domain registration website like Namecheap.com or GoDaddy.com to identify if your blog’s domain name is available. When you put your name in, you’ll see if it’s available and with what extensions (.com/.org/.net, etc). If you want to find out if a .co.bw is available, you’ll need to ask a local registration company like BTC or VBN; there isn’t a public online registry for .co.bw domains.
Social User Names: Secure your blog name on all the social media platforms that you intend to use. It should be the same across all of them. You might need to work a few variations of your name to get something you want. For example, for Family Gems we opted to go with @BWFamilyGems for all of our names, since it would always be specific to Botswana.
Register Your Blog Name
You can register your blog name using sites using a name registration site, but I find it easiest to keep everything together. Most hosting companies like Bluehost and Siteground offer a free domain with your package, so I’d suggest that you register your name at the same time as your hosting. It’ll be easier to do this that have your name registered through one company and your hosting with another.
So there you have it. Hopefully you’ve got a blog name you love now, and you’re confidently able to share and promote it. You’re now a step closer to getting your first blog posts online!
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