How to Choose a Blog Name You’ll Love
What's in a name?! When I started Family Style Schooling in May of 2015, one of the most difficult aspects of starting was having to choose a blog name that I loved! You could seriously read thousands of articles about how to pick the right name, and read e-books or participate in online courses. No pressure right?
It's funny how things come together. I never imagined I'd be a blogger. While I love to write, I never thought of putting it out in the interwebs for others to read. Yet, one evening while talking with Esther who blogs at Laugh With Us Blog, I felt compelled to start a blog.
Thankfully she had some wonderful advice for starting a blog, and finding the perfect name.
Write About What You Love
Everyone has something that they love to talk about. I could talk for hours about educating my children, and all things that connect to a homeschooling mom's world. If you've ever come and sat and talked with me at my kitchen table, the conversation inevitably finds its way to education. Bless you for sitting and talking with me! It does my heart good.
I knew my name had to include homeschooling, but I didn't want to talk about homeschooling alone. I loved the idea of sharing simple recipes, travel adventures, and organization tips. When you choose a blog name, make sure it reflects what you love. Your audience will be drawn into reading because they love the same topics.
Find Your Niche
While you're never going to develop a totally new concept, find what makes you unique, and write about that. As I worked through naming my blog, I identified several features of our family that I wanted to include:
- We love learning together (my kids don't have desks in their rooms that they disappear to during the day)
- My mother lives with us - we're a multi-generational family...and we LOVE it
- My husband works from home and is knee deep in our homeschool day
- I've learned so much from learning with my children - redeeming my own education in a feast of learning
- We're simple people. There's not too much that is overly formal at our house.
- Our homeschool day centers around the kitchen table.
With all of those thoughts running through my mind, the picture of a family style meal rose to the surface. I realized, that's what our homeschool looks like. I make big platters of food, and everyone shares of the same educational feast. Thus Family Style Schooling became the name of my blog.
Choose a Blog Name that Works
While it is important to choose a blog name that is good, don't stall starting a blog to find that "perfect" name. The success of a blog doesn't rest solely on a name. Find something that will serve you well, and trust that everything can be improved. Perfect doesn't exist. Here are some great questions to get you started:
- Is it simple? Simple is good.
- Does it let your reader know what you're writing about? Obscure can be fun, but if it confuses your reader, that's no fun.
- Is it easy to spell? There's nothing worse than losing readers because they can't find your blog!
- Is it easy to say? You'll be telling people your blog name over and over and over.
- Is it meaningful? People always love a good story.
- Does it have other weird words hidden within it that you'd like to avoid? (i.e. the word "therapist" can read "the rapist" and that isn't pleasant)
- Does your name include keywords that people search for within your niche?
- Is it too narrow? Will you run out of things to write about?
- Is it too broad? Will you be writing about too many topics?
Brainstorm a bunch of ideas. Don't just go with the first thing that pops into your head. After a little research to see what's out there, you might find that your perfect name is taken. Don't worry! Keep coming up with new ideas, and your name will start to take shape. Once you have a few that you like, ask your friends to help you narrow it down.
Now go register your name, and get started setting up your blog! You won't regret it!
Find inspiration for a great name from other iHomeschool Network bloggers:
Betsy Strauss is an unexpected homeschooler, mother of three, who is in a relationship with a sweet man for life. She loves reading books, drinking coffee, and learning anything with her kids.