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This is part of the the book BLOGTASTIC! Growing and Making a Difference Through Blogging. You can read the table of contents and follow the book on this page:
See the table of contents for the book here: BLOGTASTIC project
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BLOGTASTIC: Your blog’s name matters
Your blog name defines you in some way. You don’t want to get into the wrong “box”. For example, it is hard to write about anything other than Java if the name of your blog is “Java Only” or “Java Unleashed.”
That’s the problem with a trendy blog name. It can be very popular for a while, but over the long-term the value of the name will decay.
Let’s imagine that blogs existed in the 1970’s. You might have started a “Pascal Unleashed” blog, or even a “Disco Forever!” blog. While your blog would have been very popular for a while, its following would decay as those trends faded away. Soon, you’d be left with just a few, dedicated readers. Maybe those niche readers would be enough for you to reach your goal, but maybe you’ll wish that you had chosen a broader name.
Your personal brand will grow over many years. Make sure that your blog’s name can grow with you.
Here are a few examples of blog names that have stood the test of time. You can visit these and see for yourself
* The Successful Blog by Liz Strauss. Liz is all about how to have great conversations on your blog.
* Duct Tape Marketing by John Jantsch. John talks about marketing for small businesses.
* Simplicity by John Maeda. John from MIT is an expert on making things simplicity. He also has a book by the same name.
* Signal vs Noise is a blog by 37Signals where they talk about Usability (how to improve the signal)
* Personal Branding Blog is a blog by Dan Schawbel who is a Gen-Y expert on personal branding.
Think carefully before you pick the name and the associated URL for your blog. Here are two simple steps:
1. Once you decide on a name, ask yourself what will people think when they hear the name of your blog. Is this the response you want? If not, it’s time to revisit the name of the blog.
2. Fast forward your life. Imagine you’re still blogging five years from now. Would the name of the blog reflect your thoughts then?
You can always change the name of the blog. However, it costs to make a name change (be it a company or a person or a blog). You will spend time, dollars, and effort to retain readers.
If you are not happy with your blog’s current name, then don’t wait. Change it today. The longer you operate a blog with a wrong name, then the harder it will be to change it.
If you are a celebrity blogger, then you can name your blog whatever you choose.
People will come to a celebrity blog because it’s your blog. If you are a celebrity in your field, you have already spent years paying the price. Your accomplishments speak for themselves to those who are in-the-know. Celebrities don’t have to worry about getting boxed by their blog’s name.
Blogging Tip: Details matter
Your blog’s name is just one of the small details in your personal branding strategy. However, it’s an important detail. Pay attention to details on this or any other project. Every strategy and every tactic makes an impact—whether short-term, long-term, or both.
Rajesh Setty is an entrepreneur, author and speaker based in Silicon Valley. He maintains another blog called Life Beyond Code and tweets as @UpbeatNow
