Shownotes
The Art of Naming Your Podcast: Strategies, Guidelines, and Pitfalls to Avoid
Have you ever found yourself ready to launch your podcast but stuck on what to name it? Well, you're not alone in this dilemma. Naming your podcast can be a challenging task, but it's also a crucial one. Your podcast’s name is the first thing potential listeners see, and it can make or break their decision to give your show a listen. In this post, we're going to take a deep dive into the art of podcast naming.
The Importance of a Good Podcast Name
First off, let's establish why it's so important to choose the right name for your podcast. A well-chosen name is not just easy to remember, but it's also engaging and gives potential listeners a glimpse into what your podcast is all about.
Moreover, a well-thought-out name can leverage organic SEO, making your podcast easier to discover.
The Dos and Don'ts of Podcast Naming
Firstly, your podcast's name should be easy to read and understand. Imagine having a name that's so complex, it's impossible to pronounce- or worse, impossible for YOU to pronounce! Obviously, you wouldn't want that. Secondly, it's best to keep the name short. Short names are easier to remember and don't run the risk of being cut off on podcast platforms.
Your podcast name should also be obvious. It should give potential listeners an idea of what your podcast is about. This way, they can make quick and accurate decisions about whether your show aligns with their interests.
On the other hand, there are also things to avoid when naming your podcast. You should avoid being too vague in your podcast name. If you're unsure about your podcast's niche, it may be beneficial to do some brainstorming with your ideal listeners / community before finalizing your name.
Another pitfall to avoid is using your name for your podcast. Using your name might not provide any clarity about the show's content unless you're already a well-known figure. Moreover, it's crucial to avoid copyright issues by not choosing a name that's already been used by another podcast.
CHAPTERS
- 00:00 - Intro: The Importance of a Great Podcast Name
- 00:59 - The 5 "Do's" for Naming Your Podcast
- 03:22 - The "Don'ts": Common Naming Mistakes to Avoid
- 09:30 - Final Considerations Before You Decide
- 12:13 - Outro & How to Connect
Resources mentioned in the episode:
👩💻 Book your Podcast Power Hour: thepodcastspace.com/powerhour
Episode page: https://www.thepodcastspace.com/podcast/25-what-makes-a-good-podcast-title
Episode 7: The quickest way to determine if a podcast idea works for you (Brain-dumping)
Episode 19: Podcast titles that can boost your downloads and mistakes to avoid
Jay Clouse’s episode on Rebranding his podcast, Creator Science: https://open.spotify.com/episode/2LmEAjpNPcIAj1C0tULbRF?si=f5f62fa8c9e74bd1
Social media course for Podcasters: https://bit.ly/3CsTtXg
Feeling stuck? Book a Podcast Power Hour: https://thepodcastspace.ck.page/products/pod-power-hour
Learn more about our Maximize Your Podcast Content course: https://bit.ly/3TesQwc
Subscribe to the Podcast on Audio Platforms: https://bit.ly/3Y4bF2c
Subscribe to our newsletter for more Podcast Tips: https://thepodcastspace.ck.page/32680fa82e
This podcast uses the following third-party services for analysis:
Podtrac - https://analytics.podtrac.com/privacy-policy-gdrp
Transcripts
What makes a great podcast name?
Speaker A:The answer isn't, of course, just one, but there are a lot of elements that you should consider, whether if you're just starting a podcast or if you are considering rebranding.
Speaker A:By the way, there is no right or wrong.
Speaker A:There's just some guidelines that I think are important to consider because as we know, they have been in the podcast history and of course it's not that long, but there have been so many podcasts that had very unique names that really caught on.
Speaker A:And so if you've been wondering, is this the right name for my show, Maybe something feels off and you're not quite sure.
Speaker A:Well, hopefully by the end of this episode you will have all the certainty that you'd need.
Speaker A:So we'll go through a few things that are the do's and don'ts, but also a few things to consider as well.
Speaker A:All right, if I piqued your interest, stay along with me because we're going to cover so much in this episode.
Speaker A:I'm annexavier and this is the podcast space.
Speaker A:A practical podcast to get you unstuck and elevate your podcast journey.
Speaker A:Let's go.
Speaker A:Okay, so what makes a good podcast name?
Speaker A:These will be elements that are just down intrinsic to you as the host, but also for your audience.
Speaker A:But let's start with five do's.
Speaker A:Let's start with the most obvious.
Speaker A:Easy to read and easy to understand.
Speaker A:I think that's a kind of a no brainer.
Speaker A:Nobody wants a podcast name that is impossible to pronounce.
Speaker A:It's really hard to get word of mouth on a podcast that nobody can pronounce.
Speaker B:Right.
Speaker A:All right, and then next, best to be short, if a podcast name is very long one, unless you want to create already an acronym for the name of your podcast.
Speaker A:Like 99% invisible is shortened to 99pi, but that's not even like the longest one.
Speaker A:But sometimes I see really long podcast names and I'm not gonna name any wrong ones, quote unquote, because I don't bash and you know, it is what it is.
Speaker A:And then next, make it obvious.
Speaker A:Kind of obvious, right?
Speaker A:A podcast name that is very obvious has no doubt in the person that is just landing on your podcast or someone who is, you know, looking for their shows.
Speaker A:If a name is very obvious, if it is easy to spot, it will help your listeners make decisions faster and more accurately.
Speaker A:Next, it benefits organic searches.
Speaker A:You may have heard of this as organic SEO.
Speaker A:Just the type of words and keywords that people would be searching for.
Speaker A:So the Podcast space.
Speaker A:Very clearly, this podcast is about podcasting.
Speaker A:Obviously it's about strategy, but I didn't call it the content strategy show because content strategy can be used in so many different things, right?
Speaker A:Like it can be for social media, overall content planning, and so you just wouldn't have worked.
Speaker A:Also, it just.
Speaker A:It's not an exciting name, right?
Speaker A:It's just kind of like meh.
Speaker A:And then next, make it memorable.
Speaker A:A name that is really cool isn't that easy to create, but when you stumble on one, it's just makes it for everybody.
Speaker A:Like having a really cool experience.
Speaker A:And if you get to this situation and you're like, and how do I know that?
Speaker A:Well, start asking, but also start looking around.
Speaker A:What are the elements that are common to the most popular podcast names?
Speaker A:Once you start looking, you will not unsee.
Speaker A:And so now we're going to go into the things that we should be avoiding because they kind of go hand in hand with what you should be doing in terms of the right framework to pick a name.
Speaker A:One is being vague.
Speaker A:I kind of already talked about how you should be very focused on what you're talking about, but being vague because you're afraid of committing to a niche.
Speaker A:Maybe you're not sure what the podcast is going to be about, or maybe you're not sure you can actually talk about for that topic for that long.
Speaker B:Right?
Speaker A:So you're kind of afraid.
Speaker A:By the way, Brain Dumping is one of the episodes that I did.
Speaker A:I'll include the link in the show notes.
Speaker A:It's a fantastic way to figure out if you can actually talk about something for more than two episodes, because you will figure out by doing that exercise, which is very, very simple if this podcast idea is good.
Speaker A:So going, going into the next one using your name.
Speaker A:For instance, if I was to call this the Anna Xavier Show, I would not be giving you any clarity on what the show is about.
Speaker B:Right.
Speaker A: this was very popular in the: Speaker A: Until maybe: Speaker A:And honestly, personally, this is like the most bashing I'll do.
Speaker A:I don't like that because it doesn't say anything.
Speaker A:Like, if you're Oprah, it's television, it's a different medium.
Speaker A:But also like the Oprah show started like forever ago, but it kind of invites this idea that you're the celebrity and that the listener is kind of like just there for the sake of it, where whereas if you pick a topic that is more relevant, that has keywords in it, things that people would be searching for or the topic they're an expert in.
Speaker A:It just makes more sense because one, you're going to be able to benefit from that organic search.
Speaker A:Things that people are already searching for.
Speaker A:But also at the same time, you're really putting the focus on what this podcast is about.
Speaker B:Right.
Speaker A:Like if I was to have the Xavier show, you will not know what this podcast is about.
Speaker A:But the podcast space, you absolutely know that this is a space to talk about things.
Speaker A:Podcasting.
Speaker A:Okay, so moving on to the next one.
Speaker A:Using your name first, topic second.
Speaker A:I already covered why like the episode about titles that I'll include in the show notes too is a great example user experience.
Speaker A:How people get into a podcast listening app and look at the name of the podcast.
Speaker A:If you're kind of taking all the space that they can see right away with your name, it's not going to make them stop.
Speaker A:But if you swap it around.
Speaker A:So if you say, let's say let's take the example of our client Lori.
Speaker A:So Lori's podcast is called Aging in Style with Lori Williams.
Speaker A:And so we have the topic of what it is first and then her name.
Speaker A:And so people who are searching for Lori's podcast will find her, will find her name if.
Speaker A:Even if they don't know her name.
Speaker A:So it's there.
Speaker B:Right.
Speaker A:But people who don't know her and who are looking maybe for podcasts about aging or, um, they'll find the topic and they'll pick that.
Speaker A:Now, another element to consider is that Lori's podcast, actually one of the reasons why we did the podcast is, was one, she wanted to educate the community, but also she really wanted to show up as a thought leader in her industry.
Speaker A:And so having her name in the title helps with brand recognition.
Speaker A:But what we're not doing is the Lori Williams show.
Speaker B:Right.
Speaker A:So you see how that different approach to it makes sense.
Speaker A:And then let's move into the next one that you should be avoiding.
Speaker A:And this to copy another show's name because this will come up with copyright issues with receiving cease and desist letters, creating distrust with the audience.
Speaker A:And I've actually worked with two podcasts that they started the podcast way before we started working together.
Speaker A:So I had no say in the name that they picked up, but they did pick names that already had been selected.
Speaker A:And both of them received cease and desist letters and had to rebrand the whole podcast.
Speaker A:So that is not worth it.
Speaker A:Even if someone, maybe the podcast was only Released.
Speaker A:Maybe someone else has the same name of the podcast and it was released maybe like five years ago, and they never used the podcast name after, like, those two episodes or something like that.
Speaker A:It's still risky.
Speaker A:And.
Speaker A:And so imagine, Just think about every single time about the best case scenario.
Speaker A:Imagine your podcast blows up and then these people who had the name first.
Speaker A:And again, this is not legal advice.
Speaker A:This is just educational content, by the way.
Speaker A:So if you're worried about maybe someone else having the same name or you're unsure, contact a lawyer.
Speaker A:Today.
Speaker A:There's so many people who are super affordable who will help you go through these copyright questions.
Speaker A:And then just make sure that you're not also trying to tag along to a very popular show and just have, like, a very similar name, because you could run into issues.
Speaker A:Next one is using unusual symbols.
Speaker A:It's just going to be really hard for people to guess.
Speaker A:Like, what does this symbol mean?
Speaker A:For instance, like, if you're trying to use a curse word on the title and you're trying to not use the word, but you want to give the impression what it is.
Speaker A:Um, you know, the F word or whatever it is.
Speaker A:Just try to see how other people have done it and how it shows first.
Speaker A:And then something to avoid is being deceptive.
Speaker A:A lot of people pick titles that are either salacious or they're like, ooh, like, I want to know the gossip.
Speaker A:And then the podcast is not about that at all.
Speaker B:Right.
Speaker A:So be careful of that.
Speaker A:About that.
Speaker A:Um, and then another thing to avoid is using names of celebrities, brands, or trademarked expressions.
Speaker A:These people will find you.
Speaker A:Even if they're a smallish brand, they will eventually find you again.
Speaker A:Think about the best case scenario.
Speaker A:Your podcast becomes really popular and then you run into legal issues.
Speaker A:We do not want any of that.
Speaker B:Right.
Speaker A:Okay, so last thing, things to consider when you're picking the podcast name, can you actually say the name of the podcast?
Speaker A:I had so many clients that booked consulting time with me because they're like, anna, I have this issue.
Speaker A:I picked the name of the podcast.
Speaker A:I love it, but I cannot for the life of me say it like.
Speaker A:So can you say the name of the podcast?
Speaker A:That's a very interesting thing to consider because if you cannot say it, if you always stumble on it like, you're not going to sound super confident about this.
Speaker A:So either say it a thousand times on your day to day to practice, or if you cannot for the life of you get it right, just stop.
Speaker A:Okay?
Speaker A:Pick another name.
Speaker A:And then does it represent the values of Your brand.
Speaker A:This is huge.
Speaker A:Always pick a name of the podcast that really aligns with who you are, because a podcast is a long term commitment and it will be aligned with the brand that you are having online.
Speaker A:Right.
Speaker A:Like everything that you're doing online, including the podcast, should be aligned with your brand values, with your overall communications, and just it has to be cohesive.
Speaker A:Then another one.
Speaker A:Could it be impacting negatively your life, your work, your trajectory?
Speaker A:I want you to consider that, because if a podcast idea sounds great because you have great stories and they could get you into legal trouble, really consult a lawyer before picking any of those.
Speaker A:Because I have people who had stories about crazy, wild dating stories and they could not really come publicly on the podcast because the stories were wild and they knew that if they were to go public with those stories, that would impact the work that they were doing with clients.
Speaker A:So that podcast didn't really go very far.
Speaker A:So lastly, consider doing market research.
Speaker A:I don't want you to be afraid of someone stealing your name.
Speaker A:Right.
Speaker A:I feel so many people are stuck in analysis paralysis because they're like, I have the best name, but if I put it publicly, well, then someone may steal it.
Speaker B:Right.
Speaker A:Make sure that.
Speaker A:Talk to your audience, invite them in for maybe like a quick zoom chat, and just go over names.
Speaker A:All right, I'll just finish with this.
Speaker A:Do consider taking time to pick a name for your podcast or rebranding, because rebranding is so difficult.
Speaker A:I worked with two clients who went through the process of rebranding and it took forever.
Speaker A:It's just a lot of assets that need to be updated.
Speaker A:You have to consider a lot of things.
Speaker A:Um, Jay Clouse actually made a podcast about this when he transitioned the podcast name from being Creative Elements to Creative Science.
Speaker A:And it.
Speaker A:It's really an interesting episode.
Speaker A:I'm going to include that in the show notes because he delves into a lot of the things he did.
Speaker A:So I hope this episode helped you get a bit more clarity.
Speaker A:Whether you're just starting a podcast and you're thinking about the name, or if you're thinking about rebranding.
Speaker A:And if you enjoyed this episode, please let me know.
Speaker A:Reach out to me on social media.
Speaker A:I'm on Instagram hepodcast space.
Speaker A:All the resources will be included in the show notes, of course.
Speaker A:And rate and review the podcast.
Speaker A:Share it with a friend.
Speaker A:All right, I'll see you next week.
Speaker A:And keep creating content that is imperfect but moves you forward.
Speaker A:Bye.
