Dec 18, 2013 / Beginner

Choosing the Perfect Blog Name: She’s a Maineiac

A Q&A with Darla, the blogger at She’s a Maineiac, on how she picked her blog name.

We’ve chatted with a number of bloggers on how they chose their blog names, from Talking Covers to The Goat That Wrote. Today, let’s sit down with Darla, the blogger and mother of two behind She’s a Maineiac.

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What’s the story behind your blog name, She’s a Maineiac?

In the beginning, I had no clue what my blog was going to be about. Though I knew I’d occasionally write about my kids, I didn’t want it to be pegged as only a parenting blog. I needed a general name — something that hinted at my slightly wackadoodle New England personality. I happened to see the local ice hockey team, the Lewiston MAINEiacs, on TV, and from there, the name of my blog was born.

Do you have tips for bloggers who want to create a personal online space — not necessarily focused on one niche — but aren’t sure what to name it?

She's a MaineiacIf you’re struggling with a name, I think it’s important to figure out in what basic direction you want your blog to go. What part of your life will you primarily focus on? What image do you want to cultivate? What type of writing style do you have?

Then, try listing adjectives that describe your personality, and play around with the words until you can tweak them into a name that’s catchy but uniquely “you.” Puns always work well. Start with certain common phrases, songs, and literary titles, and then mix the words up. Or use your own name in a clever way.

Finding that one succinct and original name can be challenging. (I was close to naming my blog She’s A Montanaiac, but I’m not from Montana!)

Got advice for new bloggers thinking of buying a custom domain name?

Purchasing my own domain name was a big step for me because it felt like my little corner of the internet became more permanent.

Purchasing my own domain name was a big step for me because it felt like my little corner of the internet became more permanent. Plus, like most bloggers, my blog is my baby, so I wanted to protect it.

Knowing that no one else could claim my domain name boosted my confidence as a writer and prompted me to start getting serious about blogging. And by “serious,” I mean having way more fun than should be legally allowed.

Do you use this name elsewhere to promote your blog?

I also use She’s a Maineiac on Twitter and Facebook. At first, I didn’t pay any attention to branding, mainly because I didn’t know what direction I wanted to go in with my blog. But the more I wrote and developed a loyal audience, the more my blog’s “persona” developed. My writing evolved into more blunt self-deprecating humor, so I became known as the “plaid-wearing, coffee-drinking, maniac” blogger. It suited me just fine because that is really who I am, so I ran with it.

I think the important thing to remember is no one else out there in the blogosphere is quite like you.

Now, I realize branding is key to getting people to recognize and remember your blog when you’re posting on various social media sites. But I didn’t start out with any master plan: it completely transformed on its own over the first year of blogging.

I think the important thing to remember is no one else out there in the blogosphere is quite like you. Let your true self shine and your blog will grow.

You’ve been blogging on this site for several years now. You’re still happy with this name, then?

Absolutely! I still love my name because it describes my blog perfectly. And this is in spite of the fact I hear the song “She’s a Maniac” from the movie Flashdance playing in my head whenever I see it.

The only thing I’d change is the word “Maineiac” because it tends to be misspelled a lot. I could have stuck a hyphen in there to emphasize I’m from Maine, and not just some loopy blogger who can’t spell. Even though that’s true.

Tip from The Daily Post: Carefully consider your name before buying the domain, and use a tool to see if the name you want is available. If you’re interested in learning more about domains, visit the All About Domains support page, as well as these handy posts:

Thanks for chatting with us, Darla!

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  1. So you stole the name from a minor league hockey team is basically what you’re saying? I’d have gone with Heystephenkingisn’ttheonlypersonwithalaptopwholivesinmaine.com or something, but I suck at blogging so She’s A Maineac is pretty good too.

    Liked by 3 people

  2. I, too, gave the naming of my blog much consideration before — in a moment of epiphany much like Oral Roberts — I was slapped in the face by divine inspiration:

    Ned’s Blog.

    It’s been almost two years, and I’m still a guy named Ned with a blog — so it’s still very “now”

    (By the way, big fan of She’s a Maineiac and really enjoyed the post, Cheri)

    Liked by 3 people

  3. Hey Darla! How’s it going girl? I keep thinking I should have a more interesting name for my blog rather than just my name! At first when I started up my blog, I thought it would mainly be a showcase for my writing and acting stuff, and so I thought that my name should be my brand, but now it’s not really a showcase for that stuff, it’s just my ramblings, so I wonder about changing, but I’m known as that now, so I just don’t know! First world problems 🙂

    Liked by 1 person

  4. Ned just crushed it.

    She’s a Maineac is a great name. And blog.

    One time, in my more-masochistic days following my divorce, I tried online dating.

    Turns out, EVERY WOMAN ON EARTH will only date tall guys (I’m only 5’9″). Even when the woman is only 5’2″ or whatever.

    So, Must Be This Tall To Ride was born.

    You see, it’s also a metaphor for not being good enough for my ex-wife, too.

    So, it’s like a double-shot of awesomeness every time I see it.

    Okay, enough about that. Now, back to making toys and fixing shoes. It’s the busy season.

    Liked by 1 person

  5. Unfortunately the horse is out of the barn for me. “Honey did you see That?” does not hit any of the checks. Except now and then someone thinks they’re getting “Honey Boo Boo.” or a really good porn site starring Honey. Hand slap to forehead.

    Liked by 4 people

  6. Thank you so much for this post!! As soon as I read the first few lines, I totally related to where you started…I am BRAND NEW to blogging – I JUST purchased my very first domain and I don’t know what the HECK I’m doing, BUT I’m confident that I will find my ‘niche’ quickly….this is ALL I’ve been thinking about for the last couple of weeks…crossing my fingers (and toes!) to get my blogging up and running full steam ahead!!

    Liked by 2 people

    1. I didn’t have any clue what I was doing for about the first year. I just kept writing and writing. Eventually things developed naturally and I found my “voice” by just being myself. Best of luck to you and your blog!

      Liked by 2 people

  7. Great post! My blog name is obviously a quote from a favorite book. I still like it, but it’s just under 2 months old. I’ve only had one person say, “..it doesn’t fit you”, but that person doesn’t know me so, for now I am still “Quiet Desperation”.

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  8. I remember agonizing over my blog name and then came up with the oh-so-creative title of Rachel’s Table. I was upset when I discovered a nonprofit in Connecticut already had the domain name rachelstable.com so I had to use a dumb hyphen. I also own the domains of a few other names, just in case, and I purchased the .org and .net versions or rachels-table, too. I REALLY wanted to protect my corner of the internet.

    (Don’t hyphenate your name, D. I like it just the way it is.)

    Thanks, Cheri, for a great post!

    Liked by 1 person

  9. It was your blog name that first grabbed me. I thought, “Hey! There’s a chick from Maine, and she’s got a sense of humor. Gotta check this out!” And I’m still here, so you must be doing something right. Good luck with finals. I SO do not miss exams.

    Liked by 2 people

  10. I didn’t know you stole your blog name, Darlfelonious. Not that that makes you a bad person…necessarily. It suits you more than some dumb hockey team, anyway.

    I totally agree about it being nerve-wracking to buy your blog name – that means your committed, and that’s scary.

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    1. Well, I like to think of it as I was inspired by the hockey name. And let’s not forget the fabulous movie Flashdance. Us Mainers have always called ourselves “Maineiacs”. Must be due to our lovely personalities after being cooped up inside 10 months out of the year.

      Liked by 1 person

  11. Your name is awesome!
    Quick question…I named my blog in conjunction with a title I used to have but because of my husband’s job change in the military it no longer fits! How hard is it to change the name of my blog? Will my followers have to refollow or does they automatically get switched over?

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    2. Hi BLOGBYFLOGS — to clarify and offer more info in case you need it:

      To simply change the site title displayed on your blog: https://wordpress.com/support/settings/general-settings/

      To change your blog address (or URL):
      https://wordpress.com/support/changing-blog-address/

      If you have a blog address currently ending in .wordpress.com (the free default one you picked when you started the blog), and would like to change it to, say, a custom domain (like shesamaineiac.com), here’s the info on that:

      https://wordpress.com/support/domains/register-domain/

      The links at the bottom of Darla’s Q&A are handy, too.

      Liked by 2 people

      1. You are so kind to send all that info to me! How wonderful to have it all in one place without having to search for it. Now I just have to come up with that perfect new blog name!

        Liked by 1 person

      3. Okay, another question…do I need to change the site title and the URL address? I’m still using the free wordpress.com….haven’t bought a domain or specific name yet.

        Liked by 1 person

  12. Wonderful interview! Your blog name, without a doubt, drew me to you, Darla! It reflects your humor and down-to-earth Mainer attitude to a T! (To a tee? Help a bloggah out here.)

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  13. I had a similar dilemma. I knew up front that my blog would become an eclectic collection as that’s just who I am. I have had such a varied life, I knew my ‘memoirs’ and current thoughts would be varied so I had to pick a name which wasn’t subject specific.

    The simple truth is that I have a beard, and my niece’s, when they were small kiddies, used to call me Uncle Spike, coz the beard was ‘spikey’ for them at hug time.

    So Uncle Spike’s Adventures it was…

    http://unclespikes.wordpress.com

    🙂

    Liked by 1 person

    1. That’s exactly how I felt. I love to write humor, but also about family and serious subjects. I tend to write when inspiration strikes. My readers have come to expect that of me now. That’s great you also found a name that describes you but doesn’t limit what you can write about.

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      1. So far so good, yeah. And my most common compliment is that the blog IS varied, and not just another travel blog. Sure, I love to travel, but I’m also a farmer, a dad, a nerd and a guy with a history… and a camera 🙂

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  15. I have two blogs and I self host on both, but according to someone who wishes they had moderation powers tells me I should not be using the community at all.
    Anyhow…
    My first blog is mysoresoul.co.uk and its named that way because I live with a debilitating condition, which is so painful that it hurts my very soul.
    My second one is rainbow-photography.net I am a qualified and experienced photographer I have photographed everything from weddings to riots. Now I just photograph for fun.
    My life has changed due to my condition and I have adjusted to my new life but miss the excitement of my old.

    Liked by 1 person

  16. Thanks for posting this! I had quite a bit of trouble coming up with a name for my blog earlier this year and then one day I realized exactly as you suggested, “figure out in what basic direction you want your blog to go,” so off in the direction of being basic I went!

    Liked by 1 person

  17. Nice to know I’m not the only one who had a hard time picking out a name. My username (livingandthriving) is one I used on a now-defunct message board and was inspired by one of my favorite songs. I use it for a couple of other things, including my photography, but it didn’t quite seem to fit as a blog title. So, going with the two most important things in my life, I came up with Faith Rider. Part of me isn’t completely happy with it, but ultimately it does sum me up fairly well, I think. 🙂

    Liked by 2 people

  18. I had no idea you were from Maine. Seriously. Every time I read your blog title, I think of the Michael Sembello song from “Flashdance.” Frankly, I expect to see pictures of you in legwarmers frantically dancing in a steeltown or pouring water on yourself in the infamous chair scene. Now that I know you are plaid-wearing, I will see you more as the Bounty Man.

    Liked by 1 person

  19. Good to know her, great article. I have also a confusing with my blog name! I’m doing baking/cooking and photography thing there, but I think my blog name don’t suit to what I’m up to. Did it ?*confuse*

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  21. Mine was barely even a though. As most people like alliteration, and as most people I knew called me Bitter Ben, it wasn’t much of a stretch to add blog at the end. Also, it wasn’t hard to decide the direction of my blog either. What was hard was getting people to read it, since my friends and family don’t like to read anything I write.

    Liked by 1 person

      1. Yep, people at work. They would always hear me complaining bitterly about phone calls from people that annoyed me. Are you telling me that people didn’t call you She’s a Maineiac before you started your blog?

        Like

      2. Oh…so it’s because people annoy you? Yeah, they do me too, all the time. I really could have just as easily gone with She’s A Bitter Old Fart So Get Off My Lawn You Crazy Kids And While You’re At It, Get A Job and Pull Up Your Pants

        Liked by 2 people

  22. “Knowing that no one else could claim my domain name boosted my confidence as a writer and prompted me to start getting serious about blogging.” This is absolutely true for me too. I felt like once I bought it, that it would always be only mine. That thought really helped motivate me to push my brand, something I had never thought of before.

    Liked by 1 person

  24. Hello everybody!
    One of my blog’s name is “Write for learning” . I chose it to express myself in english for increase my level on this langage. I speak french and my locals langages on my daily but rarely english. Thats why I want to write because it’s for me a way to remember what I learn.

    Excuse me if I make mistakes 🙂

    Liked by 1 person

  25. Hey! I loved this post, and I love the way you figured out your name. My name’s Catherine, and I call my blog Never Stationary. I’m a high school senior, so I didn’t want to create a static identity because my life is always in flux, so I went with Never Stationary. It’s been over a year since I started WordPress, and I still love my name! I’ve written lots of times why that’s the theme of my blog, and it’s still implied and supported by all of my blog posts, as wacky and random as they are. 🙂 – Catherine

    Liked by 1 person

  26. Totally enjoyed reading this…got me thinking about my own blogs and the direction I want to go. Got that first year under my belt (which is the ONLY reason I look bloated around the midsection, I promise!!), and now to figure out what to do this upcoming year.

    Like

  27. I see that I am not the only one who has issues with “maniac”-related misspelling. A very, very high percentage of people see “concert manic” and think it says “concert maniac.” I have no idea why. Even friends of mine who have been seeing the “manic” name for months on my Facebook page still thought it was “maniac.” Then, a few months after I started my blog, someone else started a similar type of site that is called “concert maniac.” So much confusion.

    Liked by 1 person