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Woohoo! You’ve decided to start a podcast! Amazing! Now, you’ve got to do one of the hardest things of all; decide what you’re going to name your podcast.
This is both a super exciting and often overwhelming decision.
For some people, they immediately know what they’re going to call their podcast. I was in this camp when I launched The Lazy Girl’s Guide to Podcasting in 2023. The idea for the podcast came about through a conversation with a friend and the entire podcast concept was built around the name ‘The Lazy Girl’s Guide to Podcasting.’
On the other hand, The Confident CEO went through a few different iterations before I finally settled on its name.
Choosing the right name for your podcast is a crucial step for attracting listeners and growing your audience. Something too vague and no one will know what it’s about. Something too witty might be lost on potential listeners. Striking the balance can be hard.
So, with this in mind, let’s dive into my top tips for choosing the perfect name for your podcast.
How do you come up with a name for a podcast?
This is the best question to start off this post. And my answer for how do you come up with a name for your podcast is to think about the following 3 points:
- Searchability
- Drawing listeners in
- Clarity on the topic
Searchability
The first thing to think about is when naming your podcast is searchability. What keywords would your ideal listeners be searching to find a show like yours?
When someone searches a podcast directory, you want your show to appear near the top of results for relevant search terms.
For example, “The Lazy Girl’s Guide to Podcasting” includes the keyword “podcasting,” so it has great potential to rank for searches related to podcasting tips and advice. However, I’ve actually taken it 1 step further.
Thanks to a top tip from Adam from Podcasting Business School, I’ve actually got a longer podcast title which as present is: The Lazy Girl’s Guide to Podcasting: Podcasting Tips for How to Start and Run a Podcast. I say currently because I like to play around with different keywords after the colon in the title.
This longer name includes keywords such as ‘how to start a podcast‘ and ‘how to run a podcast.’ It also contains ‘podcasting tips.’ These are all keywords which I know that my ideal listener is searching for when looking for a show like mine.
And the strategy works too! Here’s a screenshot from the day of this blog post being published. When you search for ‘podcasting tips’ in Apple Podcasts, The Lazy Girl’s Guide to Podcasting is the second show that is recommended!
So, my first tip for naming your podcast is to think about the keywords your audience is using to search for a podcast like yours and try to include them in your podcast title.
Drawing listeners in
Next tip: your podcast name needs to capture the imagination of your ideal listener, pique their interest, and convey what your podcast show is about.
A clever or cute name can be attention-grabbing, but avoid being overly confusing or vague.
‘The Lazy Girl’s Guide to Podcasting’ paints an immediate picture of what listeners can expect – advice and tips for easy podcasting.
A name that resonates with your target audience will pique interest and inspire them to hit subscribe.
Clarity on the topic
When someone hears or reads your podcast name without any visual context, it should be immediately clear what your podcast show is about.
This is important for word-of-mouth promotion. And why is this important? It’s because we know that the number 1 way for podcast listeners to discover new podcasts is through the recommendations of others.
So if your podcast’s name clearly conveys what your podcast is about, these recommendations are more likely to turn into listens and downloads because the name of your podcast clearly tells the listener what they are going to hear.
For example, if a friend recommends ‘The Lazy Girl’s Guide to Podcasting,’ even without explanation, it’s obvious that the show is about podcasting tips.
A name that succinctly encapsulates the podcast show’s topic allows for more effective recommendations.
How to name your podcast: top questions
Choosing the perfect name for your podcast takes time and creativity, but is worth the effort. So let’s dive into some questions that you might have about choosing a name for your podcast.
Should I name my podcast after myself?
When you name your podcast, there might be a pull for you to name your podcast after yourself.
And why not?
A lot of people and celebrities do this.
The issue with naming your podcast after yourself is that if you aren’t well known, or if people don’t equate your name with your podcast’s topic, this might put potential listeners off.
For example, if I’d named ‘The Lazy Girl’s Guide to Podcasting’ ‘The Verity Sangan Show,’ that wouldn’t mean anything to anybody.
Very, very few people associate the name ‘Verity Sangan’ with podcasting, so no one will know what the heck the podcast is about when recommending it.
So, my advice to you, is that unless you’ve already made a name for yourself in your industry (I’m thinking people such as Mel Robbins, Jasmine Star, etc), then I’d be tempted to steer clear of naming your show after yourself.
Heck, even Amy Porterfield, one of the biggest names in online marketing and someone who is instantly recognisable to millions doesn’t have her podcast named after herself! Her show is called ‘Online Marketing Made Easy with Amy Porterfield.’ So, whilst her name is in the podcast show’s name (because, let’s face it, the name ‘Amy Porterfield’ is a key search term), she’s also appealing to listeners who don’t know who she is, and also fans who want more clarity on what her show is about. By including ‘Online Marketing Made Easy,’ it’s obvious what Amy will be talking about on her podcast show.
In short, I would advise against naming your show after yourself. If you do want your name in there, take a leaf out of Amy’s book and include it as part of your title.
Does my podcast name need to be unique?
This is a tough question and part of it will be answered in the next question ‘How do I know if a podcast name is taken?’
You want to have as unique a name as you can (in my opinion anyway).
Why?
Because you don’t want to pick a name that when someone searches for it in Apple Podcasts, there’s multiple options to choose from.
A fun way to come up with your podcast’s name could be using a name generator such as this one from The Podcast Host.
How do I know if a podcast name is taken?
Knowing if the name that you want to use to name your podcast is already taken is, thankfully, relatively straightforward.
Simply go to Google and type in the name of your podcast and the keyword ‘podcast’ and see what comes up.
If you want to go a step further, you can also type in the podcast name into podcast directories such as Apple Podcasts and Spotify and see what comes up.
If someone does have the same name that you wanted to use, you’ve got 2 options:
- Come up with a different name, or tweak the name slightly so that there isn’t a match.
- Use the name anyway. BUT – if you’re going down this route then you need to make sure that you aren’t infringing on any copyright and be prepared that someone might challenge you further down the line (it’s unlikely, but never say never!). Even if the other podcast name isn’t protected by copyright, it doesn’t mean that they don’t have a right to try and prevent you from using it, especially if it impacts on their brand identity. You’ve also got to consider your own searchability here. You don’t want to confuse your own audience and send them to another show with the same name as yours.
Should I use a fake name for my podcast?
This is completely up to you.
Deciding to podcast under a fake name (or a pseudonym) could be a good idea for many reasons including:
- You already have your name associated with a different brand.
- You don’t want your name publically associated with your show.
- You like the idea of being anonymous.
- Your name doesn’t fit your brand.
- Literally, any other reason you can think of!
There’s no right or wrong answer here (unless it’s because you’re using a fake name for anything horrible such as bullying, trolling, etc. That’s never ok).
But, if you want to podcast under a fake name, pick a name you like and run with it. It’s something tonnes of celebrities do, including Rihanna, Calvin Harris, and Sia.
Conclusion
In conclusion, deciding what to name your podcast can be challenging, but once you’ve got it right, it’s an amazing feeling to use that name to promote your show.
And remember, once you’ve landed on a name; it doesn’t have to stick forever. There is nothing wrong with rebranding your show!
What do you think? Did I miss anything? Let me know in the comments!
