Social media is a key marketing medium for small businesses. It is accessible, cost-effective, and a great way to connect with customers. Statistics show at least 70% of businesses rely on social media for customer engagement.
However, with so many businesses already on social media, it can be difficult to stand out. Fortunately, there are proven strategies for small businesses to reach their audience amid the clutter. We even mentioned some marketing tips for Instagram in a previous post.
But today, we’ll discuss the power of a name on social media and how it can make or break your brand. Considering it takes only milliseconds for customers to form a first impression, a name is a crucial step to nail when forming a business.
That’s why many entrepreneurs resort to business name generators. These online tools produce a list of suggested names based on the keywords you provide. It’s a more affordable way to conceptualize your business identity than hiring branding agencies or freelancers. But of course, you can only reap the full benefits if you learn to use it properly.
Here are some tips on using a business name generator to stand out on social media.
1. Make sure your preferred social media handle is available
When picking business names, it’s important to ensure it’s available, meaning it is not taken by other existing businesses. Because there are more than 30 million small businesses in the U.S., this task is more difficult than ever.
That’s why checking social media name availability using a business name generator is a super time-efficient method. It can provide you with a list of names, and you can check on the availability of each one. This speeds up the process of deciding on a business name.
2. Focus on keywords
The great thing about business name generators is that they churn out results based on keywords. This means you can focus on keywords that are relevant to your business. You can create keyword-focused names for your business, a specific product, a social media hashtag, or even a video title.
For example, if you’re planning to launch a coffee brand, you can go for names like “Coffee Impulse” or Caffeine First.”
3. Form an idea of your target audience
If you’re still setting up the business, looking at keyword-focused names can help you decide what audience your business will cater to.
For example, if you’re a YouTube cooking show, a name like “FoodieAnywhere” may attract an audience looking to experience different cuisines. If you’re interested, we also previously covered ways to market your business on YouTube.
4. Create new words
Many brands invent their own words to stand out and build brand identity. For example, Starbucks created the “Frappucino,” and Johnson & Johnson commonized the word “Band-Aid.”
If you’re looking for a unique way to name your product, using a name generator can give you hundreds of ideas. Unique names have higher chances of standing out in social media, especially if you use them as hashtags.
5. Experiment with logos
A name generator can help you narrow down a list of potential names for your business. You can then hire a freelancer or branding services to create logo studies for each name to see which stands out.
Logos are important for social media assets. They can help determine the look and feel of your posts. According to a survey, logos are the most recognizable brand identifiers, at 75%, followed by visual style, at 60%.
6. Get feedback on names
Since name generators already provide a list, you can choose your top 10 names and let others give feedback.
You can gather input from others in your industry through online surveys, emailing customers, or even speaking with friends and family. By doing this, you can gauge what impressions people will make about your business.
7. Register the name
When you’re finally done choosing a name, the next step is registering it. Good business name generators partner with hosting websites so that you can easily purchase a domain name.
You can also consider registering it as a trademark to avoid other businesses snatching the name. Once it’s registered, you can then use it freely on social media.
