Anatomy of a Name: Making Your Blog or Business 100% You

Most people would agree that their name is what sets them apart from everyone else and gives them their specific identity and individuality. Life would be a tad confusing and downright boring if we all had similar or identical names. Some names are really common, and others are beautifully rare-unless taken too far. It’s all about finding balance while describing a person in the most important way you can. The same goes for choosing a name for your blog or business.

When I first started toying with the idea of having a blog, I knew it had to revolve around my baby first and foremost. He is the main focal point of my life now, and I love it, so integrating that into my blog just came naturally. I remember thinking through some names and “The Baby Life” just popped into my head, and I knew that was it, much like I knew my baby’s name before I had him. It just fit too well. I checked to make sure that it wasn’t already being used by another blog or across social media-all clear. Then I found a nice neutral background, and added some pretty script font between two photos of my baby-his hand gripping my finger and his cute little feet-and voila! I had my name and my logo all set!

Choosing your own blog or business name should be similar in that it describes something about you or your services well. You don’t want people questioning too hard the meaning behind it, nor do you want a name that a bunch of other people are already overusing. You want to distinguish yourself, your brand, and your blog or business, and having a descriptive name from the heart does just that. Don’t be another Jennifer or David in the world of blogging or business (although there is nothing wrong with those names!). Take what it is you will be primarily focusing on and things that describe you or your business and aim for the stars!

My business name is Carpe Noctem. I chose that name because it has stuck with me for a while, and it describes my life really well, because I have always been more of a night person (definitely NOT a morning person). I even have a tattoo of the phrase-which is Latin for “seize the night”-on my upper back! I definitely had to add a subtitle to the business name, so that it is easily understood what it is I do and what I have to offer. The name itself is pretty vague on all of that, so it is a vital step in the process. Choose a font that is simple and easy to read for your subtitles. It just looks more professional that way, and makes it easy to read for everyone. Too many swirls or funky doodads just throws the cohesion off. Here is my business brand for example:

Here are the steps I recommend for naming your blog or business.

1. Decide what you are going to be primarily writing about or what you will be offering. For bloggers, I would use a more personal name, whereas with a business I would make sure you point out in an easily understandable way what your business is or offers.

2. Write out a list of things that interest you and scream to the interwebs that you are a unique and meaningful entity. Seriously, something that resonates with you and you are passionate about that sets you apart from all the other Toms, Dicks, and Harrys. Narrow it down to something understandable that can be integrated with your blog or business offerings, and combine it in a way that makes it 100% you, but also 100% easy to get.

3. Make sure to check across all social media, blogs, and even specific domains to make sure no-one else is already using your name! How much would it suck to go through all the work of creating your name, logo, and brand, just to find out it already exists? LOTS.

4. When it comes to designing your logo or your brand, there are a few options, but the easiest and most used are Canva and PicMonkey. Both have free versions, and you can test out the upgraded versions for free as well before paying for it. They allow for all kinds of word and graphic play, so you can see what designs hook you in and which ones are just meh. They also have customisable sizes so you can use them easily across all social media accounts.

5. There are also a crap ton of free font sites to use to further customize your name. 1001 Free Fonts, DaFont, and Font Space all have thousands of free fonts to download at your leisure to really get that extra bit of oomph into your name.

6. Make sure you check out the copyright laws when it comes to graphics and fonts. If you didn’t buy it, chances are you can only use it for personal use, which is fine when creating a name, logo, or brand, but if you ever sell any graphics or anything without a commercial license possessed by you, that is breaking the law and you could have a hefty lawsuit on your hands. Not the way to get publicity for your name!

Don’t be afraid to experiment with textures and backgrounds to find what really calls out to you. Use your own photos to really make it your own. It is your blog or business, and you will be stuck with it for a long time and more importantly, others will see it all over the internet, so make sure it is legible and bearable. If you really put your heart into it, chances are you will find exactly what you want with you written all over it!

So, there it is-a pretty simple plan for creating your blog or business name. What does your blog or business name mean, or what is the story behind the name? What makes it YOU? If you have any questions on how any of it works, please feel free to comment!