10 Tips On How to Choose A Perfect And Powerful Blog Name

I could remember the day I finally made up my mind to change my blog name (from naijacrimenews to dailyinfo.ga), one thing that surprised me was how many bloggers were going through (or about to go through) rebranding of their own. So I thought writing an article about this sensitive topic will go a long way to help people to avoid some simple mistakes. I haven’t taken a poll or anything, but I have to imagine that at least a few bloggers would change their blog names if given the opportunity. I know I did! I thought about changing my blog’s name for years before I finally gathered enough courage to take the leap. 

THINGS TO THINK ABOUT WHEN CHOOSING A PERFECT BLOG NAME 

1. WHAT DO YOU WANT TO WRITE ABOUT?

This one seems pretty easy, right? Just sit down, come up with a topic, and then come up with a perfectly witty name describing that topic.

OK, so that’s easier said than done.

Here’s my recommendation: Before you start your blog REALLY think about the topics you’re interested in writing about. Are you mostly going to post recipes? Then something cooking related is totally appropriate. Are you going to post your recent shopping finds plus outfit of the day photos? Go with something fashion-related. But if you think you’re going to post recipes + an outfit of the day + television reviews, maybe you’ll want a blog name that is more broad and will give your brand room to grow.

You might enjoy:

How to choose a perfect nich for your Blog

2. BE UNIQUE

Like anything else, it’s hard to know up-front what’s going to make a unique blog name. Some of my favorites include Dooce, The Pioneer Woman, The Man Repeller, Atlantic Pacific, and Cupcakes and Cashmere. In the blogging world (at the very least), these blogs are now household names and I’d argue they hit the naming jackpot.

While I can tell you what category these bloggers have established themselves in, the nice thing about a unique blog name is that it doesn’t cast any immediate boundaries on your future blog posts. The sky is the limit!

3. CHECK OUT THE AVAILABLE DOMAINS

Now here’s the hard part. If you think you are going to want to blog for awhile and you don’t want something like “.blogspot” at the end of your URL, you’re going to want to try to pick a domain name at the beginning of the process. Researching which domain names are available is easy, but you’ll likely find that what you want isn’t going to be available so you’re going to have to get creative. I personally use Bluehost to purchase my domains, but that’s primarily because I previously used them for hosting. You can now also purchase domains from Google.

Honestly, you could save yourself a lot of time by making this your first step in choosing a blog name. There’s nothing worse than coming up with the PERFECT blog name only to find out that the domain name you want isn’t available.

4. RESEARCH BLOGS YOU LIKE (AND EVEN SIMILAR BLOGS)

No you’re not trying to steal their name, or even play off of it. But looking at blogs you like can spark creativity that leads you in the right direction. Read through their taglines, sidebars, and a post or two. You don’t have to spend much time on this, but if anything, it can get you in the creative spirit by looking at other creative blogs.

The “Clarity” part of my blog name came from a sentence smack in the middle of someone’s blog post about productivity. It was a blog for entrepreneurs and one I’ve never visited before. I wasn’t even THINKING about my blog name at the time. I simply clicked on a link to read an article. “Clarity” was one single word in the middle of a sentence and the post had nothing to do with blogging, but as soon as I saw it, I KNEW “Blog Clarity” was it.

5. WRITE DOWN YOUR BLOG TOPICS

I imagine if you’re starting a new blog, you already have an idea of what you want to write about. If you’re rebranding, this might mean you’re narrowing your focus, expanding your focus, or doing what I’m doing, which is leaving my focus the same.

Jot down the topics you’ll be writing about and then any words associated with those topics. For example, if you had a food blog, you might write down obvious words like “cooking” or “kitchen” but go further and think: utensils, cooking methods, fave ingredients, how food/cooking makes people feel (comfort, enjoy), how people describe food (delicious, savory), etc.

Brainstorming all these words helps spark blog name ideas, so write down a word even if you know you wouldn’t use it for your blog. You’d be surprised how just writing words down can springboard into more words (one of which just might end up being part of your blog name).

Look at your words. Are there words you know you definitely want or don’t want in your blog name? Circle the definites and cross off the “no ways.”

For example, I knew that I wanted the word “blog” or “blogging” in my name. However, I DIDN’T want “blogger” because I didn’t want to chance people calling me by “__blogger” rather than my name.

6. EXPLORE YOUR BLOG’S TONE

Next, really give some thought to your blog’s tone. A good blog name should align with how you want your blog to feel. The mood you want to exude (oooh I can rhyme). Is your writing sassy? Serious? Hilarious? Sarcastic?

In Blog Design for Dummies, I cover tone and voice as a part of getting to know your blog better. For example, I describe my tone as being approachable, casual, and simple. And with a touch of humor.

Even if you write about many topics, your tone brings it all together.

Write down some words that describe your tone. What words would you want your readers to use to describe your blog? These words may or may not be a part of your blog name, but they’ll help you pinpoint the feel of your blog. And a good blog name should match that feel.

7. CONSIDER YOUR TARGET AUDIENCE

Who is your audience or potential audience? Are they mostly women? Mostly men?

Why do they come to your blog (or if you have no blog yet– why do you want people to come to your blog)? To be entertained? To laugh? To learn something? Because they’re curious about your life? You can have more than one answer.

Is there an audience you want to attract, but aren’t at the moment?

List some characteristics of your ideal target audience. You want your blog name to resonate with them. For example, if your blog readers love that you make them laugh, then a bland name won’t be as effective as a name with a tinge of humor.

8. CONSIDER YOUR COMPETITION

Do you know what type of blog you want to write? If so, what kind of blog names are your competitors and/or other successful bloggers in your niche using? Don’t copy those names, but think about what works – or what doesn’t work – for others. What do you like about what others are doing and what don’t you like?

9.USE YOUR NAME

If you’re not sure of a topic, or know that you’re going to be the centerpiece of your blog, why not go ahead and use your own name as your blog name? I’ve been seeing this more and more lately, especially for general lifestyle blogs. If your blog is going to be about you and your interests, go for it!



What other tips do you have for choosing a perfect blog name? Do any of you regret the blog name you currently have?

10. ASK AROUND

If you’re stuck on what to name your blog, considering asking trusted friends and family for suggestions. Tell them that you are in the process of choosing a perfect blog name and people will probably bombard you with suggestions! If you don’t want to or don’t feel comfortable asking for suggestions then perhaps you could run your front-runners by them for brutally honest opinions.

Finally, always passion on whatever you write, be a blogger because you have passion about blogging not just to make money. For all my readers please always feel free to ask me a relevant questions, I will be glad to help you.