Naming A Business or Product NOW There are some exciting changes coming in regards to my writing. This past year I’ve struggled with what to do about my insatiable desire to inspire hope and how that intersects with my passion for sharing resources for small business owners, entrepreneurs and college students. I think I’ve got the answer and you should see it take shape toward the end of February. For now, know that this platform will soon be entirely committed to business, startup, marketing and education. A new platform is being launched and Photo

Photo By jack dorsey

I will be making a rather wild commitment ….on that platform and the content will be entirely personal, hopeful, inspiring and spiritual.

Now let’s talk about naming your business or new product!

I’ve been working with a few clients this past month who have some interesting opportunities in regards to naming and trademarking key words and phrases. It got me thinking about how the new online world has transformed the art and science of naming a business or product.

Facts: People are searching for what they are interested in.

People are typing words in the browser not URL’s.

The semantic web is here and growing.

Convenience matters.

Being ‘found’ around the words your prospects are searching is VALUABLE. …

.So if you’re a start-up does it really make sense to choose a name that is entirely irrelevant to your target, will never be searched when looking for your solutions and that demands hundreds of thousand of dollars invested to define and explain it? Well maybe.

And then again, maybe not.

Can you pick a category name changing word that becomes both brand and new category label? Think Kleenex! Okay well what about that tag line, brand promise? Will it have relevant search words in it- or is it just more mumble jumble no one is looking for online?

Product names and titles how do they relate to what the client is asking for and searching for? You see naming like all parts of marketing has been transformed by online consumer behavior.

Let’s see ,you want to penetrate a market that has major international competitors and thousand of search-able pages on Google? Hmm really, you are going to go head to head with the market? Why not flank and find some long tail searches that could inform your naming and tag line and which you could win soon? Why not identify words that you could win for every name of every new product – from day one of launch?

Now don’t get your panties in a big wad, I’m giving you examples of things to look at and I certainly don’t think online consumer behavior is the only thing to consider when naming a business or product. I mean some names are just terrible regardless of online proof!

Now, some other issues. Some words have instant meaning . Some words have to be defined. Relevance and definability impacts investment needed for clarification and understanding.

REALLY? It’s a good investment of a start-up to make it more difficult by choosing a name or names that are so obtuse they will take lot’s of zero’s before anyone understands who they are or their promise?

If you can choose a name that has both meaning and search relevance- why not? But don’t use adjectives normal human beings, don’t use in their everyday speak in your brand, product or business name. Just don’t; it’s dumb. And you are not dumb. Some of those expensive marketing firms are though…

Meaning. Understanding. Cutting through the clutter and communicating clearly, precisely and powerfully that’s what we want a name, tag line, brand promise and product names to do. So get over paying 80 k for someone to give you a name that can’t win in today’s online world and will take another 80 K before it means anything to anyone…

Relevance matters.

Naming a business.

Pam Hoelzle Learn more about my work here