This is a question we often get from companies that are looking to start a business blog.
Sometimes we get it from companies that already have a blog. They’re looking to see what they might need to change to get things moving in terms of traffic and conversion.
The idea of a name for a blog may seem like a simple one. It may seem like it’s not really that important.
But there are some things to consider when it comes to the user experience on your blog that relate to the name that can impact the blog’s success and also the success of the business.
So here are a few thoughts.
Do You Need A Name? Not Really…
Some of the biggest business blogs on the web don’t have names. And some do…
It’s not a huge deal if it does or not.
In my ten or so years of experience both reading and writing blogs I’ve found that the content is the most important thing in the long run. If your posts are good and people find them interesting they’ll read them no matter what the name of the blog is.
But that also brings up a key point to this discussion and that is the fact that you don’t want to distract from the blog posts. That means things like popups and sidebar images and all kinds of other stuff.
And it also means strange blog names.
A Name Can Confuse & Distract
For a business a brand name is important. If you’re on a company’s website you remember their name. It can be confusing if the company has one name and the blog has another.
Let’s use a fake company called Mr. Charlie’s. They sell vacuum cleaners.
People know the Mr. Charlie’s brand very well. They associate vacuums with Mr. Charlie’s. They also associate the brand name with good service, a fun culture and a few other things.
Mr. Charlie’s could try to come up with a clever blog name like The Blog That Sucks or Tornado Vacuum Blog or something else.
Now the readers of the blog have two brand names to remember. It might turn out fine, but their attention and energy are split.
There will be some that associate the great blog content with the blog’s name and others that associate it with Mr. Charlie’s.
Some will just be confused and really not know what to associate the content with. Maybe they’ll focus on the authors of specific posts.
In The End It’s About Selling
At the end of the day a business is about selling.
A blog can generate attention for a business. Potential customers read blog posts. Journalists read blog posts and then write about them (and the brand). Influencers read blog posts and mention them on social media.
It all leads to more attention and more attention leads to more sales for the brand.
With that in mind it might make sense to not even name the blog. Just call it “blog” on the website. That will almost always leave readers to associate the blog with the brand.
In our example that would mean people think about Mr. Charlie’s Blog. Or Mr. Charlie’s blog.
It’s not fancy. It’s not fun. But it doesn’t confuse and it keeps everything focused on the “Mr. Charlie’s” brand. That’s the only thing people are thinking about and that’s good. That leads to engagement. It leads to clear understanding and attention all on the brand.
Final Thoughts
The content should be the main focus on your blog. It’s ok if you do have a name for your blog. Don’t have a large header on the blog showcasing the name. Don’t distract from the content.
And if you can maybe remove the name and just let your company name be the only thing that people associate your content with. That will be the best way to keep the attention you earn focused and associated with your brand.
Don’t make blogging more complicated than it needs to be. Focus on the content. The rest usually takes care of itself. Thinking about something like a name for a blog is usually a form of procrastination. It’s energy that could be spent creating content.