Identifying YOU in all the World

How will you be sure to find the fireball center so those glittering sparks will fly? All of a sudden it hit me.

I was working on the next Newsletter issue of MIX, SIZZLE & SHAKE: A Process for Finding Your Fireball Core and was ready to introduce Exercises/Worksheets to help you go about finding your fireball at the center by working from the inside out when…

Suddenly in a flash, or maybe it was a spark, I realized a most important basic concept was missing from my outline! Namely, your name.

Your name is truly the beginning, isn’t it?  So in this piece, I’m sharing some of my thoughts for selecting a name; then you’ll be set to explore your fireball core when the Newsletter arrives.

A name. This is the first moment of impact, identifying you in all the world.Click To Tweet

A name. This is the first moment of impact, identifying you in all the world. Depending on what you’re all about and how you want to establish yourself, a name means everything…or will eventually, perhaps I should say.

Think about this naming thing for your campaigns too. You will do better with meaningful than with snazzy. But the secret ingredient is to find “sticky” or “magnetic” spices to use, as influencer marketers refer to “it.”

What creates this effect?

You realize “the secret ingredient” is, well, a secret. But the goal is simple. Create a “Just Do It” model that resonates, gains, and grows giving your customers, or in this case an even broader audience, your core message and an understanding of your brand.

Everyone identifies this slogan with the brand, even without uttering the company name.

I’m going to say it again, a name has an impact.

And a name can be forgettable. Generic and unnoticeable. Give it some thought.

Companies named “So and So & Associates” are a dime a dozen and tell people absolutely nothing about you or what you do and so, kick your company off with no impact at all.

Sure, you can build it to recognizable over time like Price Waterhouse or Ernst & Young but I bet some folks who recognize these names (because they are well known and long established companies) may still not know what they do.

You should probably be careful of naming yourself or company with a current trend or slang.

Don’t Name Yourself by a Trend

I may be wrong but, for example, is there an awful lot of Ninja this or that companies out there of late? How long will “ninja” mean what we think of now and have the same impact? How many companies, products, and types of companies use that name?

Ninja is a pop culture term, per Wikipedia and if you check it out, you may be surprised at how much it’s used in both company names and products. Overused, maybe?

And what happens when it isn’t “in” or nearly so cool, anymore? Who wants to be one of a million Ninja somethings?

Stand out and don’t follow is the best advice and also consider timeliness. You don’t want to be one of the herds or go out of style.

If people can’t pronounce your name or spell it, it can be detrimental, making you harder to find and/or harder to remember. Consider the opposite. Example: Apple.

I probably work against this wisdom with my own use of Sue-Ann, my name, because it has always had a hyphen and is simply how my name is spelled. Not the easiest for other folks but I am stuck on it and uncomfortable about changing it.

My email: Sue-Ann@WriteMixforBusiness.com is a rule breaker for sure, but technology will help (you) copy it or get it in there correctly (I hope.)

Even “Write Mix for Business” is long and it has a spelling issue with the (dual meaning) word “Write” (particularly from a URL difficulty perspective) not to mention understandability.

It may be unclear as to the exact nature of what I do (content writer for business) though it was perfectly clear to me at the time.

“Mix” felt completely relevant to me also but what does it mean to others?

Does it flow, naturally, like it did with me? As in:

• content as a key in the marketing mix
• the media mix that content on the web now has to be, and
• content as a unique component in the creative mix you need to stand out.

Names can have different meanings in different countries or cultures which can cause big mistakes and negatively impact business.

Will People Get it?

I forget the exact details of the company who named a new car a word that meant in essence, “will not run” in one of its international markets. Of course, there was a negative impact. Then further blowback on the company to make huge changes after the model was already manufactured and introduced to the market. Costly error.

If your name is an “inside joke” then, well, no one else will “get it.” Get it?

Remember your name is ultimately your brand and your goal is to make it both outstanding and known.Click To Tweet

Remember your name is ultimately your brand and your goal is to make it both outstanding and known. It will become an extension of YOU and reflect your reputation in the business world so it is worth considering carefully. And researching.

Looking Deeper

I had a working business name I was using and playing around with for a long time before I was ready to set up my writer’s website. A tagline, ideas, and some written content were all in place. I was ready to go when I read an article about checking for domain names. Test your name ideas by searching keywords and keyword phrases.

With just a little investigation and testing, I realized that my brilliant name idea was in conflict with other sites and types of organizations. While not using my same name or ideas, exactly, they are close enough to cause trouble.

Not only that but some key phrases, like for my favorite tagline, are likely lost in a confusion of similar sentiment.

Kiss off a darling (reference Stephen King’s, On Writing) and quickly move on…became my new strategy.

Looking back, I ask myself if I did enough research or if I could have done better. At this point, I’m hoping some of my naming lessons can help you.

On the other hand, you can’t accomplish a thing if you don’t go with something and do it. The point is to do a little research, thinking, and careful planning for your best result.

Besides, people, particularly business people, are always trying to improve. Looking back to see ways to improve is not a bad thing but, once you are committed to your name, the next step is to make it great.

Embrace it, make it outstanding, make it uniquely you and work diligently to build your reputation.

I’m busy working on that now. What’s the story behind your name? Did I miss some additional tips in my synopsis?