3 Tips On Naming Your Business
Joelle Riding • February 11, 2020
3 Tips On Naming Your Business
When we were younger, our usernames were just a reflection of our interests.
Most of us had some sort of misspelled word (gurl, bby, lv3r) within the name followed by the year we were born. In fact, we were purposely told to not give any information about ourselves in the names we created. But now in 2020, things work differently. Instead of hiding who we are, we use our brand names to shed light on our niche, our visions, or our audience. Since the age of the internet, a website’s name can be the difference between a mediocre brand, or a highly successful one.
So we’ve put together some tips to help you select the best name for your brand.
1. Think Hard About Your Name
Picking your brand name is the most important part of starting a business. Your brand and business are going to be known by your name, so make sure you pick wisely!
Some brand names share their vision in their name, while others are named to paint a picture for their target audience. It’s important to think about how you want to convey yourself with your name.
Here are five things to think about while creating a name:
Niche - What is your brand about? Lifestyle? Travel? Teaching? Self Help? Coaching?
Target Audience - Who are you creating for? What would your ideal reader look like?
Sound - What does your brand’s name sound like when said aloud? Is it awkward? Does it flow?
Is it limiting? - Does my brand name limit my future? Or can I branch out into different things and not have to change my name
While the first three tips can be a little easier to apply, the last one can be a hurdle that really stumps the process. Try to stay away from names that will limit what your business will be about. If you write more about lifestyle with a few blogs on traveling, then the word “travel” probably shouldn’t be in your name. Instead, find a name that is all encompassing, so that post outside of your usual niche won’t completely surprise your readers.
Length is also a huge factor here. While you want a name that will stick out and be easily remembered, you also don’t want a name so long that people get it confused with other brands. The length of your company name will also come into play when you make all your social media accounts. Most social media apps have a character limit, so make every character count!
2. Check Social Media For Availability
There’s nothing worse than finally coming up with a great brand name only to find out it’s been taken on Instagram by some random girl who refuses to give it up. Before you commit to a name, make sure that it’s free on all social media accounts. This even includes the ones you don’t currently use because you don’t want to have to try to buy it back from someone else in the future. This one step will make things a lot easier in the long run if you start producing content on different mediums.
Use this Name Checker
to see which platforms your name is available on. Each app will have a green checkmark in the right-hand corner if the name is still available.
3. Make Sure You Love It
The last and final step is making sure you love your new name! This name is going to be the face of your business and the first impression your audience has of your brand. Not only will it be a permanent fixture on all your social media apps, but will need to remain the same for long periods of time. While it is possible to change your name in the future, you’ll risk confusing loyal customers so it’s best to make sure you like the name the first time around.
We know picking a brand name can be frustrating, but have also seen how vital a good name is to the success of a brand. Once you’ve picked a name, the rest of the pieces will begin to fall into place.
Have a question about using selecting a name for your business? Get in touch!
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