STUCK ON A NAME FOR YOUR BLOG OR BRAND? START HERE.

Hello, hello! Happy Thursday.

So here you are. You’ve decided you’re ready to pull the trigger. You have a million ideas spinning in your head. Whether they’re inspired by Instagram, mom, travel, or your own secrets- your idea is going to be BIG time. In fact you can feel it. Maybe it’s a beauty blog. Or maybe it’s a photography website. Or even an eComm cartoon tee-shirt brand. Whatever it is you’re ready to get started & start the planning stages.

Obviously I’ve been there too. You know, when The Skinny Confidential was just an idea. With no name & no brand.

Let me back up, the idea for this post originated in TSC Girls Only Secret Facebook Group. Actually I feel like the group spins my wheels in general. This specific question was asked so many times I couldn’t not do a post about it.

The topic is simple & to the point. One that I would love to open up a discussion about: HOW DO YOU THINK OF A BLOG OR BRAND NAME?

Such a simple question but so complex at the same time.

HOW?

Help, what is the process?

What if I don’t like the name in a year?

Do I need to trademark it?

What if the Instagram handle is taken?

If these are questions that are delaying you to launch a business or blog, BACK UP.

I’ve noticed a lot of people put such an emphasis in the name. Which by the way, is very important & requires strategy.

But what I notice even more?

Is people delaying launching a product or website ONLY because they can’t think of a name.

Here’s my opinion: stop giving so much energy to a name. A name is what you make of it. Let me give you a couple of examples.

Who the hell thought COCA-COLA would be WORLD famous?

McDonald’s? I mean it’s ok but it’s not like the most creative name on the planet…ya well it’s a multi-million dollar business now.

Adidas is just kind of meh. But it CRUSHES THE GAME.

Again, a name or brand is created by the experience or community that surrounds it. You can really do anything with the name.

We all think Disney is such a great name- LIKE WOW WHAT A GREAT NAME. But that’s because you’re thinking about everything that Disney has done right. Disney has created a magical experience for the consumer…therefore the name has magic to it.

See? It’s all about what you do with the name.

Every brand you think of is what someone/or the team makes of the name.

Apple? Bacardi? Costco? Hermès?

You’re thinking that these are good names because the people behind the brand have done such a good job at branding.

( You should know I have a whole post on branding that will go live next week. I just wanted to get your wheels spinning in the meantime ).

If you are sitting around trying to think of a name & it’s delaying you pulling the trigger on your business or blog launch, dig deep. Are you delaying the project because you’re scared to put yourself out there? Or are you just being indecisive?

Pick a damn name. Keep it simple. & THEN make a beautiful brand behind to give the name a strong meaning.

My process for choosing the name for The Skinny Confidential was quite simple: I pulled up my iPhone NOTES App & started writing down names that spoke to me throughout a two week period.

I had a list of 100 words & then started to play with them & put them together.

Finally I chose The Skinny Confidential for a few reasons: it’s cheeky. I wanted the brand TO SCREAM CHEEKY. More importantly I wanted the name to represent a space where women could go & get the lowdown. A place where swapping tips & tricks was encouraged…like instead of hiding my tips & tricks, I wanted to share. Even more than that, I wanted other people to share their tips & tricks.

So yes, it represents “getting the skinny.” And then ‘confidential’ because it’s primarily a women’s community ( sorry boys )- so it’s a secret sort of.

A lot of people asked me why my name isn’t involved. The reason for this was strategic: I have always wanted The Skinny Confidential to be WAY bigger than Lauryn Evarts ( Bosstick? ; ) ). It’s not just about me, it’s so much more. So my name is irrelevant, really.

I haven’t really gone in depth with this but lately I’ve been working with brands that need help with a name/overall brand. I mentor a few girls who are looking for a name or wanting to capture a niche audience. And my process with these brands/bloggers is always the same: let’s pull out a Rite-Aid poster board & write down a million names.

Picking a name shouldn’t take you more than 2 weeks. At some point you gotta pull the trigger & launch that shit. I DO NOT BELIEVE A NAME SHOULD GET IN THE WAY OF LAUNCHING FAST & adjusting to consumer feedback.

Do I need to trademark it?

Yes. You should trademark your name or brand. I paid a lawyer $1000 dollars over the course of a year because I was so broke. The second you apply the trademark is ‘pending.’ You can launch & be fine with a pending trademark- don’t let a trademark get in the way of launching. Find a lawyer, get a pending trademark ( this takes a few days ), & once you’re pending you’re good to go.

What if the Instagram handle is taken?

Yawn! There are so many ways around this. Add words to make it work. For instance if you’re an online shop called THE GOOSE. You could add ‘shop.’ As in @shopthegoose. If that’s taken you could call it @thegooseshop. If that’s taken do: @thegooseINC. You get it. Adjust. & do it quickly! Make sure you get your handles before you launch too- Twitter, Instagram, a URL, & FB should be set-up & ready to go with your launch.

Ok so that’s my spiel of the day- figured it would help to answer this question here instead of in the comment section on FB.

OHHHHH & can we talk about this outfit? You know I am lovingggg linens right now. Really ever since I got back from France I’ve been rocking linens like I’m still eating pasta & sipping rosé. I paired this Madewell linen ruffled skirt with a striped top because you know I love that contrast. This whole getup is from my favorite, Nordstrom. That’s right even the loafers.

Regardless, you can’t go wrong with Madewell. They have the best skinny black jeans (!!!) and flannels & they’re AFFORDABLE. Since we’re headed into the summer I figured I’d show you how I rock linens. Linens & loafers go together better than anything. I plan on pairing this blue skirt with a men’s wife beater & also a light pink tee. The options are endless really.

OK! So I would love to know: what’s your opinion on a name? Do you think it should stall your launch? As always, weigh in. I read every comment & love to get the discussion going.

If you liked this post, you will like the latest podcast on branding & blogging- it’s a good one because it’s raw & live. Happy listening!

See you tomorrow.

X lauryn

SHOP THE POST: top | linen skirt | sunglasses | clutch ( similar ) | loafers ( << my go-to)

+ this post is in collaboration with Nordstrom. As always all opinions are my own.

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