How to Name Your Blog – Namesake or No?

For quite some time now I have been struggling with what to do with my namesake domain. www.rebeccaolkowski.com  It has gone through many incarnations as I was going from one business idea to the other in an attempt to find myself.   I had always been told it was important to secure your name if possible, as a domain, so that no one else will snatch it.  Of course, Rebecca Olkowski is probably not in as much danger as say Susan Smith would be, but you never know. The problem was, what topic did I really want to associate with my name?

I have several other blogs.  Sharp Biz Image, is my main business helping small business owners and entrepreneurs get their blogs set up easily and affordably. I offer blogging tips and services. Rebecca Forstadt is my professional acting name and I have a website that focuses on voice over projects I am working on and voice acting in general.  I have fans all over the world that are wild about the projects I have done in the Japanese anime genre.  Rebecca Olkowski just seemed like a lost child looking for some love.

While listening to an excellent webinar for a blogging course I have been taking called How to Start a Blog that Matters with Corbett Barr of Think Traffic.net, the question came up about using your own name as your blog title.  Corbett’s opinion was that it depends on how much attention you want to have directed to yourself instead of the topic you are writing about.  If you are well known as a marketer in your particular niche, then it may make sense to use your own name as your domain title. The same goes if you are a professional such as a doctor or lawyer. However, if your main objective is to in create and posti valuable content on topics your audience is interested in, without necessarily drawing attention to yourself, then a brand name may be more appropriate.

Another consideration is how hard is it to actually type out and spell your name?  Olkowski has been pretty messed up over the years.  Here is a good one www.shermanMacGhilleseatheanaich.com

Phewww! I had been seriously thinking of deleting the entire blog all together or forwarding it to Sharp Biz Image, but I had quite a few posts circulating on the Internet.  That’s when I decided I would make the home page a landing page to direct people to my other blogs, and keep the personal blog online, so that all my article URL’s would not suddenly get lost in space.  I still write posts when I get inspired but now I don’t feel the need to post as often as I had been doing.  This will free up time to focus on the niches I am most interested and passionate about.

It’s still important to own your domain namesake if possible.  Who knows?  Someday you may get famous.

How have you been using your domain namesake?  I’d love to hear your ideas.  Please leave a comment and tweet and share this post.

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