The name of your brand is really important.
It is one of the first things that people will notice about your business. It is also how they will identify you in a sea of other businesses.
In this post we are going to take a look at what makes a good brand name, how to decide what to name your business, what makes some business names more successful than others, and also provide you with some ideas.
This is a post that is jam-packed with valuable information about brand names, so let’s get started.
Understanding your business
The first step in choosing a brand name is understanding your business – the “why?”
When you start a business, you will ask yourself if what you are doing is something of importance. Why are you starting your business? Why do you want to create a brand name?
Are you starting a business purely for profit, or do you want to make a change? What kind of change do you want to make?
Answering questions like these will help you find clarity for your business and will set the foundation for you.
When you start your business, you will probably have a tonne of ideas of what it will grow into, and so nailing down what it is and how you want to market it are really important aspects to get right at the start. But, knowing ‘why’ and ‘what’ you are doing are also key to getting you over any obstacles you come across during your business journey.
Now you understand the reason you have gone into business, it’s time to look at what makes a good brand name.
What makes a good brand name?
#1 It is original
Your business name needs to be:
- Unique to you and one that you can secure the domain and other assets for
- Future proof – so it doesn’t limit your future evolution and brand development
- One that sounds good and people gravitate towards
#2 User-friendly
You not only have to keep in mind your brand objectives and vision, but also make it simple and user-friendly.
- Initials can be great, look at 3M for example, but they tend to spend a lot of money on educating people what the business is all about
- Be specific and choose a name that means something to your company and isn’t random, it needs to resonate with your target audience
- Don’t be afraid to be memorable and quirky – take Google for example – that’s a business name that is simple, easy to remember, and they have defined who they are through their brand name
#3 A name that benefits your business
A brand name that benefits your business will be one that showcases who you are and what you do.
- It will have meaning and amplify your brand story by adding to your brand identity
- It should reflect what you do
- It should reflect your mission and values
How to name your brand
There are a lot of different things to think about when it comes to naming your brand, including:
- Descriptive words – these can help you come up with different variations of your business name and amplify who you are as a company
- SEO – positioning yourself with your brand name can give you a boost in the rankings before you even start your SEO campaign
- Storytelling – consider picking a name that entices people to ask what it means, as this can lead them to be more loyal and more likely to create a community
Once you have a list of potential names, it is important to do some research and testing to make sure they are not taken already! You may also want to keep language translations in mind.
What comes next?
Once you have settled on a name for your brand you need to build your brand asset portfolio.
Start with a brand plan, to help you build your mission and vision statements, brand identity and so on.
Then look at creating a brand bible containing all of this important information.
Zool is a full-service agency, meaning we are experts at scaling businesses. We can help with all aspects of branding, from brand names to brand bibles and help you excel on your business journey. Get in touch to find out more.
Brand Names: What makes a good one?
Branding Identity & Logo Design / Nov 15, 2021
The name of your brand is really important.
It is one of the first things that people will notice about your business. It is also how they will identify you in a sea of other businesses.
In this post we are going to take a look at what makes a good brand name, how to decide what to name your business, what makes some business names more successful than others, and also provide you with some ideas.
This is a post that is jam-packed with valuable information about brand names, so let’s get started.
Understanding your business
The first step in choosing a brand name is understanding your business – the “why?”
When you start a business, you will ask yourself if what you are doing is something of importance. Why are you starting your business? Why do you want to create a brand name?
Are you starting a business purely for profit, or do you want to make a change? What kind of change do you want to make?
Answering questions like these will help you find clarity for your business and will set the foundation for you.
When you start your business, you will probably have a tonne of ideas of what it will grow into, and so nailing down what it is and how you want to market it are really important aspects to get right at the start. But, knowing ‘why’ and ‘what’ you are doing are also key to getting you over any obstacles you come across during your business journey.
Now you understand the reason you have gone into business, it’s time to look at what makes a good brand name.
What makes a good brand name?
#1 It is original
Your business name needs to be:
- Unique to you and one that you can secure the domain and other assets for
- Future proof – so it doesn’t limit your future evolution and brand development
- One that sounds good and people gravitate towards
#2 User-friendly
You not only have to keep in mind your brand objectives and vision, but also make it simple and user-friendly.
- Initials can be great, look at 3M for example, but they tend to spend a lot of money on educating people what the business is all about
- Be specific and choose a name that means something to your company and isn’t random, it needs to resonate with your target audience
- Don’t be afraid to be memorable and quirky – take Google for example – that’s a business name that is simple, easy to remember, and they have defined who they are through their brand name
#3 A name that benefits your business
A brand name that benefits your business will be one that showcases who you are and what you do.
- It will have meaning and amplify your brand story by adding to your brand identity
- It should reflect what you do
- It should reflect your mission and values
How to name your brand
There are a lot of different things to think about when it comes to naming your brand, including:
- Descriptive words – these can help you come up with different variations of your business name and amplify who you are as a company
- SEO – positioning yourself with your brand name can give you a boost in the rankings before you even start your SEO campaign
- Storytelling – consider picking a name that entices people to ask what it means, as this can lead them to be more loyal and more likely to create a community
Once you have a list of potential names, it is important to do some research and testing to make sure they are not taken already! You may also want to keep language translations in mind.
What comes next?
Once you have settled on a name for your brand you need to build your brand asset portfolio.
Start with a brand plan, to help you build your mission and vision statements, brand identity and so on.
Then look at creating a brand bible containing all of this important information.
Zool is a full-service agency, meaning we are experts at scaling businesses. We can help with all aspects of branding, from brand names to brand bibles and help you excel on your business journey. Get in touch to find out more.
