A couple weeks ago, in the comfort of my San Francisco studio apartment and my fiancé’s old T-shirt, I created my first official blog. That’s not to say that I haven’t made blogs in the past (did the whole create-and-delete thing - I was kind of a blog slut in college), but this time it felt official. Or maybe I was just spending $$$ on a “.com” and the $30 investment was enough to make me feel like, “Alright Amy, this one’s the real deal.”
Part of making a blog that’s often overlooked is choosing your blog name. Like deciding on a brand, new pet puppy, or rapper name (Chamillionaire? Why…?), it’s kind of a big deal. As someone who has created many personal blogs and named them whatever I was feeling in that moment (oh, purplewang), trust me, there’s room for a lot of mistakes.
If you’re serious about making a blog (or you’re willing to drop some cash on a “.com”), I rounded up some blog naming tips and personal blog naming stories from Chictopia’s Style Icons to help you decide on your future blog domain.
- Think about what kind of content you'll be posting. Sure, a reference to your favorite song sounds like it might be a good blog name, but how does it reflect your blog's message? Don't get caught up in the name without thinking about what it's going to represent. Plan out five posts you'll be putting up on your blog and it'll help you figure out your blog's voice and ultimately your blog name.
- Avoid the TLDR name. Remember in The Social Network when Sean Parker told Zuck to “Drop the ‘The’”? Keep your blog names as short as possible and try to stick with a few words max, even one word if possible.
- Avoid anything that is difficult to pronounce and spell. I’ve received so many bloggers’ business cards, and often times I’m like, “How do you pronounce this?” AKA “What is this French saying that no one without a French-English dictionary would know?” Sometimes it works, but oftentimes in this business, a name that's hard to pronounce or spell is the first one you forget.
- Avoid the terribly predictable. Alliterations get a little tired and tried. Your blog name is the first impression you’ll be making, so don’t go with something that’s already been done and come up with something unique.
- Make sure it’s personal and very you. For example, I chose Goodnight, Sleep Write because I enjoy writing, usually at 3 or 4am. This is a personal blog you’re making, representative of your style, personality, and hobbies. Keep in mind that your blog is about you.
- Double check that it's not already taken. Not just the domain, but you never know if someone already has your blog name on Facebook, Instagram or Twitter. Check all the channels before shopping for your domain.
- Think about the long run. Sure, you can change your domain name, but in Internet world, all past blog names will come to haunt you. The Internet is written in ink, not pencil.
- Choose something and stick with it. Kind of reiterating the prior tip, but you don’t want to confuse readers with a ton of different blog names. Don't forget that your blog name will be the name of your Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter too. If you do decide that you’ve outgrown your blog name, go with something more timeless the next time.
- Ask your friends for a second opinion. You don't have to do this alone and you shouldn't. Ask friends who know you well what they think of your potential blog name. Usually their initial reaction will tell you if it's amazing or if it sucks.
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I asked Style Icons Pauline, Chanda, and rising male blogger Tommy how their blog names came about, and they answered below.
Pauline of Avant Lard: "When I first started fashion blogging, it was through LiveJournal (ha!). My username was "padthai" hence my name being Pauline Thai. I thought it was sooo cute, my banner for my LJ was even a bowl of shrimp pad thai. Obviously it wasn't that cute, not for an adult. Moving on to more serious fashion blogging, I was using Chictopia and Lookbook fairly heavily. My user name was... wait for it... Pauline. Creative? No. Lazy? Yes. What can I say, it's not like I really had to try, I think the majority of other fashion bloggers were just using their names, but this was before when fashion blogging wasn't as popular. By the time I had perused my way around the internet to the inevitable Internet addiction of Tumblr, I was heavy into cooking (as every college kid has to do to survive) and avant-garde designers. My collection of Comme Des Garçons and Maison Martin Margiela was growing as I was throwing down thousands of dollars I didn't have for it (hence the cooking because I'm blowing my funds on clothing). There was no turning back... Also because everything I got was final sale. I was a woman obsessed! My two passions finally merged together on Tumblr for the birth of "Avant Lard". I had my IRL friends following me and a couple thought it was clever, but I had this huge fashion/actual crush on one of my guy friends and he told me it was one of the best usernames he's ever heard. The man owns pony hair Raf Simons boots and mounds of Margiela for christs sake! I valued his opinion, so since then, Avant Lard stuck."
Chanda of PancakeSTACKER: “When I first started thinking about blog names, I knew I wanted it to be something easy to remember and representative of me and my content. I always knew that I wanted to incorporate my name somehow. For a while, I thought about just naming it "Chandamheer" after my first name, but that thought quickly went out the window. I knew that no one would be able to spell "Chandamheer" and everyone would wonder what a "Chandamheer" was. So, I started thinking about my last name. I thought about Stacker's Style and other words associated with stack (yes, even Legos!), and then I came up with pancakeSTACKER. It perfectly captured everything I was looking for - catchy, easy to remember, and incorporated my name. The "pancake" portion of my blog's name is attributed to my love for all-things food and the "Stacker" portion of the name relates back to me and my personal style. Happy to report that I even really love pancakes. I'm lucky that it all fell into place!”
Tommy of MYBELONGING: "For the longest time, I had thought about starting a blog but didn’t know what to name it. When MYBELONGING dawned on me, I knew that was it. So there were no other candidates I had in mind. I really wanted to explore the intersection of finding MYBELONGING through my belongings, to document and give meaning to investment items as opposed to just giving in to fast fashion trends (though sometimes I do, selectively of course!). Thus, the name MYBELONGING was born. I was initially very surprised that no one else had taken it! Make sure it’s really a reflection of who you are and what your passions are. It should be comfortable and natural - not something too cliche or contrived. And when it hits you and feels right instinctually, buy it immediately!"
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Your blog is like an extension of yourself, your baby and, with the opportunities to blog as part of your career, it’s your business. Now Chictopians, what’s the story behind YOUR blog name? Did you think about any of the above tips or have any similar situations as Pauline, Chanda or Tommy when you chose it? Tell us in the comments or join us in our forum!
