was born.  You don't have to be a master writer or brand expert to find the winning name for your blog-baby.  You just have to have a beginning idea of what you may want to write about and go from there.  Here are a few quick tips on how to get started and birth the best blog name ever!

1.  BE CLEAR.  People should be able to tell what your blog is about just by the name.  Being vague or too poetic with your blog name will make it hard for people to relate and connect with you and your blog.  Remember, nouns and adjectives are your blog naming friends.  Come up with a list of nouns and adjectives that can describe your blog and have fun combining them to find potential names.  There's more to it but if you nail step #1, you are on your way!

2.  KEYWORDS ARE KEY.  The internet is very crowded and one way that we navigate it is by using keywords and key terms.  If your blog is about new parenting, make it kinda obvious in your blog name (binkiesandbottles101.com).  If it's about crafting (ribbonsandglue.com), traveling (passportdiaries.com),  reading (mybooknook.com), beauty (beautyandbrains.com,) or something else, include an obvious hint in the blog name to let people know what they're in for when they drop by your blog.  You don't have to include the actual subject in the blog name but your name should ultimately point readers in the right direction.  

3.  STAND OUT IN THE CROWD.  I think we can all agree that the internet and social media,  in general, can be a fun and quirky place so free your mind and experiment with fun, quirky and memorable names to help you stand out in the internet crowd.  Don't forget to follow rules #1 and #2 while incorporating rule #3.  

4.  MATCH YOUR WRITING STYLE.  If you are dreaming of writing a whimsical girlfriend's guide for mom-beauty or journal about all things weird and funny about motherhood then think outside the box and come up with a fun, kitschy name.  However, if you are looking to become a marketable internet business in the corporate world, then a sober, more formal name may work best.  Both types of blogs can be great but be sure to match the tone of your blog name to the style of your writing.   

5.  KEEP IT SIMPLE.  Your blog name is your introduction to just about everyone who's in your niche so keep it simple, catchy, and on topic. Remember, shortcatchyandsimple.com is king when it comes to naming your blog baby.   A vague and longwinded blog name can mean certain death in the blogosphere.  

6.  SAY IT OUT LOUD.  Once you narrow down your top picks, try saying them out loud and say it in a conversation.  Does the name sound clunky and awkward or does it sound like music to your ears?  Is it fun to say and do you want to spread the word to friends and family?  Alliteration and rhymes are two great ways to find a cool name: mybusybeesbake.com, and fununderthesun.com are two examples.  Also, how does it look when you type it out?  Does it translate well on paper or on a screen, in your font of choice?  

Are you getting excited yet?  I hope so because you are almost there!

7.  ​SPLLNG KOWNTZ.  I hope I made my point.  Be unique.  Be memorable.  But most importantly, be easy to spell.  If you choose to go off-road when it comes to spelling, stick with the easy-to-remember misspells like dollz.net or xtremeparenting.com.  Unique spellings that are not obvious to most people can trip up traffic to your site so keep the unusual spellings simple and to a minimum.

8.    BLOGS, LIKE BABIES, GROW UP.   Pick a name with the future in mind.  Will your blog name still be relevant to your niche as your life expands?  For instance, if you start a mommy blog as a new mom but plan on growing your family, onlychild.com would not only work in the short term.  You can always continue to grow and add new layers to your blog but find a name that has stretch and elasticity in meaning so that it will still be relevant as you and your world grows over time.

9.  IT'S TAKEN!  Bummer.  You followed all the steps and found the absolute perfect blog name, only to find that it's taken.  If that doesn't happen to you at least once, you are either very lucky or an absolute blog naming wizard!  Many names and terms are already in use  and it can be challenging to come up with a truly unique name.  Don't give up!  Grab a thesaurus or download a thesaurus app, order some Chinese takeout and get comfortable because it's time to do some serious brainstorming and find your REAL name gem.  There are great domain name generating websites such as  www.panabee.com/ and www.namemesh.com/ that can help if you get stuck.  You can use their name generating ideas to come up with an entirely different name or find one that closely resembles your original top pick.  Good luck and have fun!


​​

One day, I was elbow deep in another busy and somewhat frenetic homeschool morning when I got an intriguing text from Dr. Mom. She made an interesting proposal.

Before going any further with my story, let me introduce myself: I am MANGAMom, homeschooling mommy of 6 children ranging in ages from 12 months to 15 years and currently, my dishwasher is broken (so I am the "dishwasher" for our family of 8), the fridge is making a funny noise (that's never good), the mini-van is in need of repair, I have to find an electrician for some lighting issues, take #6 to the pediatrician and schedule 5 kids' teeth cleanings, make breakfast-lunch-dinner NONSTOP ALL OF THE TIME (ok, that's a little dramatic but it feels that way...), slice up #6's fruit slices into non-chokeable bites, change a diaper, wipe a potty-trained bottom, break up a fight, do Bible memory verses with #4 and #5, get to Target, sew up a torn stuffy, lose 5 pounds, tackle another load of laundry, start yelling, stop yelling, unkill my very dead mums, and last but not least, slap on some lipstick and put on some leather.

Okay, back to the story:
I was standing in my kitchen (because homeschooling moms are always standing, and when home, are usually doing the "standing" in the kitchen). I stared, for a long minute, at the idea proposed by Dr. Mom. It read, "Hey, you want to start a blog together?" As my kids studied, snacked, danced, spilled stuff and toddled about around me, and as my intimidating to-do list grew ever bigger like a well-watered plant , I texted her back.
"YAAAASSS!" I've got some time on my hands...
​
And that's how The Mom Zoo was born.

Some call this a blog but to me it's Baby #7. And if I don't get another chance to say this, let me leave you with this thought and a big thank you for dropping by: You Are Awesome! We are all moms in this together and the fact that you get up every morning with the intent to do great for your family is truly awesome of you. Hope to see you again - have an amazing day!