You think HR is tough? Try naming a blog.
Before I was a technical recruiter and during my stint as a corporate HR coordinator, I got into baking. Not just every now and then baking – oh no, I fell in love with baking. I became obsessed. I absorbed great baking blogs like Joy the Baker and Baking Obsession. After days of deliberating over a name, I started my own baking blog, Love and Cinnamon.
I have been writing guest blog entries on HR and Social Media for my company since August. I wanted more. I wanted to develop my writing skills and write about everything I love: yoga, cooking, baking, HR, recruiting, and social media. I wanted a new blog. How would I create a blog that combines all of these things?
What would I even call it?
First, I did what would any good social media devotee do. That’s right. I asked my Twitter feed. The responses I received were from folks who write about an incredible array of topics like student affairs, knitting and joy, and local sports. The general consensus was that a blog name should encompass what you’re passionate about and what you will be writing about.
Ok. Now, what kind of a blog name encompasses HR, yoga, and baking?
I took my quest to the next level and searched online for articles on naming your blog. The amount of resources out there on how to find a blog name is absolutely astounding. There are lists of blog titles for various industries, how to guides, and blog name generators. Wordoid was a lot of fun to play with. The best suggestion I found was to make a list of all the different things you’re interested in and then try to create a name out of that. This led to glorious work-of-art names like Cooking HR Yogini and Moksha HR.
Another web site, suggesting a list of descriptive words and adjectives, led me to an endless search for synonyms of words and concepts like volunteer, “five lakes state”, diva, passion, and energy. I read many articles suggesting PR professionals name their blogs with their own name. My name is Emily White. Not very original or unique or memorable! Umm…yeah…still no solid names came to mind, just a lot of fantastical names like Social Firebird and Social Light Em. Ha! No.
It was time to take this discussion to the professional HR world. I posed the question to the Women of HR on LinkedIn Group. Women of HR group members joined the discussion, added explanations of their own blog names and offered ideas on how to choose a name. Turns out that I was not the only blogger to have an issue finding a creative, yet meaningful, blog name!
Some bloggers started blogs and transformed them into new ones once they had created an identity. Others utilized their surroundings and profession to create a name. Many bloggers had gone to their family, friends, and colleagues and asked for suggestions. Creative word plays were suggested, like taking words that end in “er” and using “HR” instead. The Women of HR are an incredible hive of creative minds!
After much deliberation, hours of chewing on the mental blog name bone, and coming up with many crazy blog names, I decided to create two separate blogs. One for cooking and yoga, Love and Cinnamon, and another for HR, PR, and Social Media, HR Wildwood.
The power of a network.
Thank you to everyone for your support and assistance. If you are looking to name a blog, I am here to help!
Photo credit iStockphoto
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