I get my best ideas in the shower. I don't know what it is but that steam gets going and so do my wheels! When I came up with the name for my blog I already had an idea of what I wanted my blog to be about, who my target audience was, and a POV that I knew would be unique.
Once I had that sorted out, after a hop in the shower I came out with the name "Sideline Social," the blog for the girls who know nothing about sports. I immediately googled to see if the domain existed and of course, it did. I was super bummed and tossed around a few other ideas but nothing else had the impact I desired.
When talking about my dilemma with my bestie, she told me to add -ite to social, and I was immediately in love. I know that in the times that we are in now where the word "influencer" is the buzzword on everyone's lips, a good name that is not already taken can seem impossible. Well, my friend, it's totally possible to discover the perfect name for your blog.
Here are my 5 tips on picking a blog name that will send you on your way to creating a name that embodies you and the purpose of your blog.
1. Stick with a Blog Name That Will Last in 5 Years
Remember back to the days when you first got an email address. I always joke with my husband about his first email address "guitarskimmer" (what a nerd!) At the time of my first email I was the mascot for my high school and the mascot's name was "boomer the bearkat".
Naturally, my first email address was "boomer84". Now that I have had jobs, and grown up, I would be mortified to hand in a resume with the email "boomer84"! And so it is with your blog name. Choose something that will be timeless. Pick a name that you in 5 years will still think is a solid choice.
I know a mommy blogger who has a name that includes mom of 2. She recently had a third child. I don't know if she plans on changing the blog name, but she is in a pickle. When it comes to the name of your blog remember that not only will the name be your URL, but it will also be your social media handles.
If you have to change it, you will most likely have to change all of your handles which, though not impossible, can be really confusing for your readers.
2. Choose Something That is Short Enough for People to Type in & Remember
We have all had to type out a long URL before. The one that you have to sound out as you type it. Then you hit enter and you get an error because you mis-typed something. OMG, get me to the page already!
Consider length when choosing your blog name because your readers will have to type it in when they search for you on social media as well as when they visit your page. K.I.S.S. (Keep It Simple Sweetie)!
3. Think About Social Media Handles
As I mentioned above when choosing a name for your blog, your blog URL is just one piece of the pie that is your brand. You also have to consider your social media handles for Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, Instagram, etc. because those will be big drivers to your website.
For Sideline Socialite, the handle @sidelinesocialite was too long on Twitter and Pinterest. I had to get creative and shorten it by still sticking true to my name and also keeping it so that I am easy to search for potential followers. I came up with @side_socialite with the underscore being my "line".
People think that I did that to be cute, but really I did it out of necessity, haha! If you come across this situation or find that someone already has your handle, remember to keep it as true to your blog name as possible and to make it something that will be easy for people to remember and/or search.
4. Make Sure It's Something People Can Spell
You guys. I have missed out on so many emails to my personal email (which includes my last name) because Bertuzzi is difficult to spell! By day I work as an admin at my church and my email ending is @anointedfaith.net. I can't tell you how many people misspell "anointed" by adding an extra "n"! And so it is with your blog name.
Remember that people are going to have to type it in. If you are wanting to use your name as your blog name please consider that if it's uniquely spelled or difficult to spell, you might lose some people due to misspelling. I follow a girl named Jen on Instagram and her handle is @jenwithjustonen (Jen with just one n). Now, this is a girl who has had a misspelled name once or twice, haha!
5. Check on All Platforms That it Doesn't Already Exist
It's such a bummer when you come up with something you know will be great and someone already has taken it and/or it already exists. I am the queen of coming up with ideas and "inventions" and with a basic google search realizing that it already exists or that the URL is taken and someone is just squatting on it.
Once you have your idea for a name do your due diligence and make sure not only that the URL is free but that the social media handle is not already taken. Check on all the platforms that I mentioned above. If it's taken, it's not the end of the world. See if there is a way that you can tweak it or spin it.
As I mentioned, my initial blog name was "Sideline Social". It was taken so I spun it into Sideline Socialite. I love it so much more now than Sideline Social. It totally grew on me and I get so many compliments on the name.
THE AUTHOR: BRITTANY BERTUZZI
Brittany is the writer behind the blog Sideline Socialite, a blog for lovers of sports lovers. She blogs about sports, style, DIY and entertaining! Check out her blog for inspiration for your next get-together.
1 Comment on 5 Tips On Picking A Blog Name
Thank you for this post. I am in the process of rebranding an I find it the hardest thing ever to come up with a name. My business name right now is my own name: Ilse Gregoor. Because when I started my company a year ago, I wanted to keep it simple and personal. But since then I figured out that my name is pretty much impossible to pronounce and spell by people who are not Dutch… So that bit about misspelled names and missed emails was soo familiar!