10 Step Checklist for How to Select Perfect Blog Name

Blogging is an art and a business too and if you have decided to walk this path, know that there will be a fair share of hurdles. You have so much to do from researching on the internet to actually building up the blog. With advanced web technologies like WordPress, Joomla and Wix, creating a blog is easy. However, finding a name that is clever, pertinent and original is not an easy thing to do. And it is one of those things where the Pareto principle commonly known as 80/20 rule applies. Perhaps 80% of your time creating the blog should be spent in brainstorming the name. So you can get the idea how crucial the name is for your blogging venture.

This will be no simple task and will require thorough research and analysis before you can come up with a good and catchy name. And you should know that with hundreds of blogs already existing about almost everything in the world, it can be even difficult to find a name that is unique and not thought of before. Nevertheless, it is not something unachievable especially if you take proper steps and follow this checklist:

  1. Analyze the theme of your blog

The worst thing you can do is to throw away your audience with a different name and a totally different content. You need to ask yourself what you are trying to do with the blog and why you are starting it. There must be a central theme that binds together different elements that you are trying to cover in the blog. Even if it is about your personal life, what aspect of your personal life is it about? The title has to be the clue to that. A reader should instantly know what your blog would be about.

  1. Know your niche

Who are you targeting with the blog? This is a million dollar question that can set you on the right path. You need to know in advance what sort of people would be interested in your content. Their age, demographics, interests, everything should matter to you.

This is crucial for your blog’s success because you have to tailor your content, design and promotional activities as per suitable for your audience. And obviously the name in particular because it should strike with the readers. It should grab their attention and make them want to read more. For instance, if you are a mom writing about raising children, the name has to resonate with all the moms like you. Brain Clarke who is the CEO of Copyblogger vouches for this, “Understand your audience better than they understand themselves. It takes a lot of upfront research, and often means being a member of the very tribe you’re trying to lead – but it pays off.”

  1. Checkout the Competition

Whatever blog you are starting, chances are that there are already ten similar existing. That does not mean competition is bad. In fact, you could use a little inspiration from these existing blogs. Analyze their names to see what characteristics they have especially those that have strong following. See how they chose their name: is it short? Is it funny? Is it based on the blogger’s name? All these should help you understand what works in your field of expertise.

  1. Consult a Thesaurus

So you are stuck with a word that is too common? Worry not as thesaurus is a great source for finding unique and often sweet sounding words. You would be surprised ten different words for just a single word. It is a great source for finding inspiration for a name or at least finding an alternative if a particular word is taken or is pretty clichéd.

  1. Use Blog Name Generator

Name generating tools can cut out half the work for you in finding a great name for your blog. They just take clue words and produce many combinations of names. Namobot’s blog name generator is a great tool for finding quality, smart and catchy names for your blog. Regardless of the kind of blog you have, you can find tons of name ideas thanks to their tens of thousands of words galore. It works pretty quickly and lets you easily find the names that are available as domain.

  1. Try a Different Language

Do you know how beautiful star sounds in French? Just say Etoile in the proper French accent and you would know. Sometimes it works out well using a word from a different language especially when there is no other alternative. Each language around the world is so beautiful that you can find a handful sweet sounding translations for your desired word.

This is a tricky road still because you have to keep things smooth and easy. Many languages have their own special characters so if you use a name from them, make sure to transliterate them in English. Also, the name should not be too difficult to pronounce. A little variance is fine but if some cannot even read the name from the get go, that is not a good sign.

  1. Try Rhyming Words

Rhyming never gets old and is universally accepted as a way to name things. How does Bear Fever and Sam’s Cam Fam sound? You need to find words that rhyme with your name or the theme of the blog you are writing. There is a thing called assonance in which you use rhyming vowels in the name. That makes the words sound nice too. Let the inner poet inside you out and perhaps use a dictionary to find rhyming words.

  1. Get a witty name

Humor is the best medicine in the world they say, and you know they are not wrong. A funny name can instantly grab attention and make the person want to visit your blog. This is up to you and your own creativity as to what level of humor you use and in what context. However, you should make sure if the theme of your blog would even complement a funny joke. For instance, you cannot name a blog about religion or ethics something funny.

  1. Get inspiration from Books

If all else fails, may be books can save you. Those who regularly read book are never short of words. You can find some interesting words in novels, comics and even magazines. Evaluate the titles of the books too as they pretty much have to meet the same criteria as blog names. Check out these timeless and genius book titles. There are just so many books on virtually every subject, surely you will find some kind of inspiration for naming your blog.

  1. Abbreviations

Abbreviations can be a good way to go about naming the blog provided there are enough words to form the acronym. Abbreviations are short and simple which is what we were actually going for. Look at all the company names around the world and how simple yet powerful they are. But know that you cannot just make an abbreviation of anything. How would an abbreviation ‘FJGX’ sound? Weird right?

Now that you know the basic checklist points for crafting a great blog name you are good to figure out and complete this milestone in shortest time possible. Nevertheless, take all the time you need to figure out the best name because the name will serve as identity and you do not want to mess that up. At the end of the day, choose the name that you love the most. But following these steps will leave you with at least 7-10 choices. If you do not put effort and intellect in finding the right name, you will end up with something that will only make it difficult for you to reach out to your audience.

 

Comments

  1. Stephanie LaPlante says

    I’m in a pickle right now, trying to figure out the name of my future idea. Thanks for the tips!

  2. Great tips! The wife was thinking about a name change or even creating another blog that’s connected to our original one. It’s still in the question period though. Maybe with our next renewal? ~J~

  3. mamabear6910 says

    I have thought about a name change even though I am fine with what I have. The change would be similiar and the niche would be the same. great tips!

  4. Elizabeth Matthiesen says

    This was very interesting, it’s not easy to find a catchy name for a blog that fits to a tee.

  5. Great tips! They could also apply for user name or email names. Thank you!

  6. Lori a Galbraith says

    I didn’t like the first name I picked but the second I did. Great tips.

  7. These are some great suggestions! Thank you so much for sharing! 🙂

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