We write the most interesting blogs and articles with speed and gusto until it’s time to develop a proper name for the blog or piece. This is a common problem for many of us as writers. What should be the fastest and most straightforward part of the job is sometimes the most difficult. The more I write, the more I realize that a blog’s title is the first thing that viewers see. It has to get their attention quickly.
The time spent agonizing over the title can be frustrating. Still, I’ve learned some proven ways to move beyond the obstacles and start the creative flow. Here are some surefire ways to move out of the brain fog and craft the perfect blog name.
How to Name A Blog
The challenge of naming a blog comes out of the need for perfection. The things that create conflict include getting the attention of the audience in a few words, conveying the meaning of the blog for a preview of what’s to come and not finding a good word combination to do these things. Frustration creates more confusion.
Instead of agonizing over naming a blog, it’s best to use a formula that prepares the mind for the task and makes it easier. We have a system that works for creating a meaningful and effective blog name without grief. It focuses on two main parts, including answering the blog’s essential questions and then finding the perfect word combination. It’s a relatively quick process, so bear with me, ingest the information, and put it to work!
Blog Naming Preparation: Checklist and Questions
The first thing to do is develop a checklist of considerations for a blog and then ask the right questions. Here are eight questions that provide answers that make up the checklist of items necessary when naming a blog.
1. What is the blog about?
Determine the niche that the blog fits into. This is a logical question that requires a straightforward answer. For example, a blog about supporting breast cancer research is in the health and wellness niche. It also fits into a few other categories such as research, charities, community support. Determining what the blog is about and listing the categories yields more keywords that might be useful in the blog’s title.
2. Who is the target audience?
Who is the blog aimed at? For example, a blog about the importance of veterinary checkups is directed toward pet owners. A blog about home school curriculum is aimed at parents homeschooling their children. It’s helpful to develop a profile of the target audience and consider what the readers find essential, what are their needs? What is going to get their attention? Answer the question about who these people are, what they value, and what they hope to find in the blog. Again, this will generate words and phrases that may be useful in crafting a blog name.
3. What is the tone of the blog?
Is the blog serious or humorous? Does it deal with a heavy topic, or are there light spots in the tone? Identify the elements of the tone to create a blog name that gives readers an idea of what to expect.
4. Is there a brand involved with the blog?
Another critical question is if the purpose of the blog is to build a brand. If this is the case, it’s essential to determine how the blog is being used to create the brand. This could provide a direction for naming the blog that includes some part of the brand name or identifying the brand’s element to promote exposure and interest in a service or product. The name of the blog may be a good tool for monetizing a website. Not every blog uses the brand or company name, but it’s an option worth considering.
5. Is the name catchy or memorable?
Is there a catchy phrase in the topic of the blog, or is it plain? Sometimes we benefit from using a catchy phrase from the blog to include in the blog name. It can tie the title in with the blog to enhance SEO optimization while drawing attention from viewers.
6. Is the blog associated with a domain?
Is there a domain name associated with the blog? If so, this may provide more ideas for blog names. Caution is required when using domain names because the words tend to run together. This can create embarrassing situations, depending on the words used. Some words that are separated by colors in the title of a website can be run together. They sometimes create offensive words inadvertently. Take great care with word placement and separation to avoid this issue.
7. How many themes are involved with the blog?
Consider the various themes that the blog is about. For example, Drinking coconut water is healthy for runners, but there may be side effects is the main idea of the blog. How many themes are present? We identify runner health, benefits of coconut water, pros and cons, or potential side effects of coconut water. The most appropriate blog name depends on the blog’s intention, but this does provide a few more ideas for establishing the message the name will send.
8. What is the purpose of the blog?
After deciding what the blog is about, it’s time to determine its’ true purpose. Why is it being written? Is it solely to inform readers about a topic that is a passion, or are there other reasons for writing it? If it’s to promote a passion, the name should somehow reflect that. If it’s to promote a service or business, this is another direction the name should take.
Compose The Checklist
The questions stimulate the brain to provide answers to develop a thorough checklist helpful in deciding the best blog name. Reading through the answers provides a clearer picture that offers a wealth of information to stimulate creative thought processes. This alone may be enough to write out a title that accomplishes all of the blog name’s intentions. In your checklist, take the most critical elements from the answers to the questions. Make it simple and include a few keywords or a phrase from each answer. Here is an example of how to create a checklist for blog naming.
- About keywords and phrase: The funny things dogs do to get our attention
- Target Audience: Pet owners, all ages love dogs, enjoy humor but looking for ways to improve pet care
- Tone: Humorous examples with serious tips about a relationship with a pet
- Branding: Tie with the website on pet care products, or simply informational no branding ties
- Catchy Name?: Dogs Blogs. The catchy name might work in some part of the Blog name
- Domain Association: Dogs Blogs: Be careful about wording to avoid embarrassing words ran together in the domain name
- Themes: Petcare, relationships between dogs and owners, humorous pets, owner responsibilities, understanding dog behaviors
- Purpose of the blog: Direct readers to a website to sell products, Inform about pet/owner relationships
This process provides a complete and clear picture of the purpose of the blog, its intention, who it’s aimed at, and elements for consideration when composing the best and most effective blog name.
Blog Naming Methods
Gaining a full picture of the elements of the blog that are important for naming it is usually enough to come up with a proper name, but if it’s not, other tips help to fine-tune the information and put it into a name that makes sense and fulfills the goals of the writer. Successful Blogging‘s website offers tips on getting past the block. Here are a few methods for naming a blog that can help.
Brainstorming
The first thing to do is start writing out potential blog names on your own. Often, this is all that is needed to come up with the best name for a blog. Try making a list of 20 potential names. Walk away from the project if there is even a hint of frustration. Clearing the mind by focusing attention on something else is an effective way to avoid brain fog and cognitive overload. Don’t even think about the blog name.
Do anything else that takes your attention off the process. Sometimes it helps to take a walk around the block. This is a strategy that is used by many writers when they feel a block coming on. Return to the brainstorming session, think about the goals of the name, and write it out. If this isn’t satisfactory, proceed to the next steps.
Narrow Down The Topics
Keep in mind that some great ideas may be too broad in focus. After a brainstorming session, it’s helpful to look at the ideas and narrow them down. It’s possible to write out a long blog name that says everything it should and accomplishes all the goals set for its purpose. It’s just a paragraph in length. This isn’t a problem, and it’s an opportunity. Take the long sentences and break them down into a condensed version.
Strip away all of the unnecessary words and phrases while retaining the meaning and effect. Consider alternative words that will say what needs to be said more concisely. This is a good exercise for any writer.
How To Condense Thoughts
If there are multiple thoughts expressed in a blog name, further narrow it down and pick the main idea to focus on. For example, “Dogs Blogs Presents Dogs that do funny things to get owners’ attention but owners don’t know how to read their body language.” It’s too long and contains unnecessary words. This blog name could be condensed to retain the basic elements of the message with better wording choices. Such as “Dogs Blogs Tips for Understanding the Funny Things Dogs Do To Get Your Attention.”
It’s a matter of practicing this valuable skill to become a better writer overall. Like anything, it takes time and practice, but before long, it becomes a healthy habit. This is true for all writers. It isn’t a skill that most of us are born with.
Think Outside The Box
Bloggers have a creative license to think outside the box. When developing a blog name, it’s good to get creative and jot down names that are a bit outside of traditional thinking. This may include incorporating words that sound exotic or words that have a hidden meaning; You could use alliterative words to catch the readers’ attention or use keywords that will boost SEO ratings. Dare to think outside the box when naming a blog. Sometimes just one or two well-placed words can make all the difference.
Use a Thesaurus
It’s one thing to have an idea of what needs to be said, but quite another to put it into an intelligible sentence that flows well and has a catchy effect. If a word or two are off, run to the thesaurus to look for alternate words to convey the meaning. This is a great resource for helping say something a little differently. It’s possible to find the perfect word combinations using this method. The English language is incredibly versatile and can be used in many different ways to concisely convey multiple meanings.
Check Out Other Blogs
Sometimes it’s helpful to find out what the competition is doing. What are the names of other blogs on the same or related topic? While it’s not legal to steal the names, it can generate some good ideas and provide a different bend for saying what you want to convey in the blog name. It’s all about stimulating the brain for some creative thinking and wordsmithing.
Seeing other blog names can also lead to feeling more satisfied when compared with the names you have developed. Perhaps you’re not as far off as you once had thought. We tend to be too hard on ourselves in pursuit of perfection. Sometimes we pass on good ideas without realizing how good they really are until we compare them with others.
Use an Automatic Blog Name Generator
There are a ton of automatic blog name generators that help use the information typed in to create catchy blog names. It’s not considered cheating if it accomplishes the task legally. A blog name generator is nothing more than a tool that you can use to stimulate creativity. The system suggests blog name ideas for consideration. Sometimes the suggestions are just enough to provide a word or two that is just what you are looking for. Some of these generators perform multiple useful functions. In addition to helping create a blog name, some perform other required tasks for getting a blog ready for publication, including:
- Check domains to ensure the blog name is available
- Provide information about deals for purchasing and registering blog name
Check out our post on the best blog name generators to find the best one.
Consideration for claiming the blog name
It’s essential to ensure that the blog name has not been taken by someone else. There is a fast way to check it out to be sure that the name is available. The resource is quick and provides you with rapid results from a search of internet databases. You can easily use the domain availability checker on google to see if your desired domain is available. There are plenty of others out there as well. Most of them are free, so there is no need to pay for a service that you can use for no charge.
Summary for Naming A Blog
Here is a quick-reference summary for quick reference when feeling stuck in naming a blog. This is a condensed version of the guide for choosing the perfect blog name in a short time.
- Ask the right questions and write them down
- Develop a checklist for naming a blog
- Brainstorm blog names with full creative license. Write down every thought, then walk away.
- Narrow the topic to a single thought. Condense your brainstorming ideas, then write out the blog name
- Use a thesaurus to find inspiration for better word choices
- Check out the competition for ideas for blog names. Compare their blog name to yours.
- Use a blog name generator for more ideas to name your blog.
Final thoughts
Blog naming gets easier with practice. Learning the tips and tricks that professionals use helps to bypass the common roadblocks that interfere with writing. Use all available resources to stimulate creative thinking processes. Frequent bloggers can benefit by taking the time to go through these processes. After a few sessions, it becomes a healthy habit that helps to make blog naming a fast and easy process with better results. If you’re also interested in how to come up with captivating new blog post ideas check out my post on it.
