The Business of Blogging
Choosing a name is, I think, the most difficult stage for starting a blog, business, brand or idea, because who knows what kind of name will work and become recognisable for potential customers or viewers.
The answer is, nobody knows, therefore you should take your time over choosing a name to make sure that its just right. Today, I'm going to share with you a few tips for choosing your own name.
The answer is, nobody knows, therefore you should take your time over choosing a name to make sure that its just right. Today, I'm going to share with you a few tips for choosing your own name.
+ Unique -
the name should be completely new and different to anyone else's out there so your brand won't be able to be mistaken for another.
the name should be completely new and different to anyone else's out there so your brand won't be able to be mistaken for another.
+ Reflective -
it should reflect what the brand is all about, what its offering, the ethos and ideals and should represent you.
it should reflect what the brand is all about, what its offering, the ethos and ideals and should represent you.
+ Simple -
the best brands have the simplest names, although a lot of time and effort will have gone into deciding them.
the best brands have the simplest names, although a lot of time and effort will have gone into deciding them.
+ Time -
it doesn't matter how long it takes you to decide your name. When you're sure the name feels just right, then you can stop thinking about it, even if that takes ages.
it doesn't matter how long it takes you to decide your name. When you're sure the name feels just right, then you can stop thinking about it, even if that takes ages.
+ Brainstorm -
one way to work out some ideas for your name is to brainstorm all the words to do with what you represent or what you want your brand to be about and work out combinations of words or see if any of the words really stand out for you.
one way to work out some ideas for your name is to brainstorm all the words to do with what you represent or what you want your brand to be about and work out combinations of words or see if any of the words really stand out for you.
How did you choose the name for your blog or business?
Or how are you going to do so?
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I've been researching a lot around blogging, the law, different policies and the way to approach it, so I thought I'd put together all of the resources I found into one post to share with you.
What policies to consider if you are a blogger
There are many different things to consider depending on what type of services your blog or business provides, what data you store and whether you make money or not.
For example, if you use affiliate links, then you should have a disclosure policy so that people know you are making money from the link. Or if you have a mailing list and collect details like names and emails, then you need a privacy policy so that people know what you will do with their information.
Once I'd discovered more I went back on some of my favourite bloggers websites to see their polices. You can check out some different examples of policies here or look through your own favourite blogs and businesses for their policies to compare:
Resources about blogging and legal policies
I found many different articles about blogging and the law and different policies and what is best to do. So I collected them up here for you to have a look through and read through, they were all really useful and interesting.
Policy Generators
To create policies like the few different ones I've listed below, you can use policy generators which will ask for some of the information about your blog or business and create a policy which fits you.
There are different rules in different countries so you need to check that the generator you use applies to your country and that you are obeying the specific laws of your country. Below I have listed some policy generators I have found while looking through the internet.
disclosure policy
terms of service
terms and conditions
copyright notice
privacy policy
disclaimer
shipping and returns
refund policy
cookies
Here are some policy generators:
Which policies does your blog use?
What are your tips about blogs and the law?
I've been thinking recently about what a mission statement is and what mine should be. I should probably have thought about this when I first started blogging but at least I have decided to get round to it now.
What is it?
Recently I began thinking about my own mission statement and what one is, why we need one, and how to make one. I've had to split this topic on to two posts so the next one is coming your way soon. So I did some research and discovered that it can either be called a mission statement or a manifesto (basically a manifesto covers more information in a detailed way and is what political parties create for the policies and values).
Definition of a mission statement:
A mission statement is a statement declaring the purpose of an organization or company - the reason for this company's existence. A mission statement provides framework and context to help guide the company's strategies and actions by spelling out the company's overall goal.
Definition of a manifesto:
A manifesto is a published verbal declaration of the intentions, motives, or views of the issuer, be it an individual, group, political party or government.
Why do you need a missions statement?
The reason mission statements are so important is that it outlines exactly what the organisations purpose is, and having a purpose is key to having a clear focus and brand. It can be used to remind you of what direction you are going in and whether a new project actually fits with your overall aim. I hadn’t even thought of creating one before but now that I have I’ve realised how important is really is and it has shown me the direction I want to go in with my blog and why I really want to do it. This is crucial to being a big success, I'm told, but I can already tell that it creates a sense of unity and direction over the whole brand.
How to write a mission statement?
Next is how to actually make your missions statement. It should be only a few sentences long and convey your overall message clearly and concisely. I’ve written up some questions to consider below which should give you a good idea about the stuff that needs to be put in. There should be repeated themes or ideas when you analyse your answer and combining these should create your mission statement.
- Why do you blog; what is your motivation?
- What question do I answer or ask in my writing and everyday life?
- Your ideal audience and what you are giving them/what they are getting.
- The topics you want to write about vs the topics you enjoy writing about.
- Does anyone care about what you have to say?
- Where do you see your blog in the future?
- What is different about your blog?
- Which bloggers do you look up to and want to be like and why?
- Will you be personal, professional or indifferent in your style and writing?
- Practically what are you going to do to achieve your vision?
- ideas from me, the kardia blog + co schedule
My mission statement:
I'm here to help you make the most of life with a positive outlook on the everyday.
Young, inspired creatives + learners get ready to learn about surviving growing up + the creative industries like blogging, design + music.
Extra resources:
unleashing a manifesto - fizzle
importance of writing a manifesto - nubby twiglet
mission statement - co schedule
mission statement examples - top non profits
blog mission statement - the kardia blog
brand statement - by regina
