A number of posts have now appeared in the legal blogosphere about moving blogs to new platforms and potentially re-naming them. Marketing folks like to call that re-branding.
I’m one of those people wrestling with a move. Blogger is forcing me to change. Blogger is the platform I’ve used since I went live in 11/06 and they will no longer use FTP publishing. I’m not certain what that actually means, but I do know that I either have to let Google be the host of my blog or I have to move on to another blog platform.
I’m not happy about moving, but if I have to move I want to make the most of it. One thing to consider is features, and the one lousy part of Blogger is that I can’t edit comments. So if someone adds something interesting, but throws in gratuitous vulgarities or links, I can’t cut it out. It’s all or nothing.
[Others who are wrestling with the moving/naming issue and commenting on it are Venkat Balasubramani @ Spam Notes; Bob Ambrogi @ Law Sites, and again; Ron Coleman @ Liklihood of Confusion; Bruce Carton @ Legal Blog Watch]
But the bigger issue is the name of this blog. If I have to move, I might as well wrestle with the name of this joint and try to upgrade everything at once. When I started in 2006, I figured that the format of [region][practice area] would quickly communicate what this blog was about. The name certainly does that.
But the name does more than communicate a topic. The format seems, to many, to scream self-promotion. That is likely the sense many get before a word of content is even read. So every post represents an uphill battle against that notion, and forces me as the writer to be far more wary than others might be when mentioning their own practice. I have no doubt that there are some bloggers out there that would rather stick needles in their eyes than link to a site with a name like the one I use.
I didn’t give all that much thought to the name when I started, with one exception. If you look at the URL you will see it is different than the blog name. I was going to first use the word attorney in the title, then made a last minute edit to use “law” instead. Because the blog shouldn’t be about me, but about the subject.
Kevin O’Keefe doesn’t think names such as mine are a problem, writing in a post entitled: Focus on engagement, not the title of your law blog, for blogging success:
The importance of the name of a blog is overhyped. Listening to your target audience and engaging them in a strategic fashion is key. You’re then known by your name (the one your Mom and Dad gave you), not the name of a blog.
While O’Keefe has a lot more experience at the blog name game, I still disagree with him. I think that the name can turn people off very quickly and folks won’t ever see the content. As as often been said, you only get one chance at a first impression.
And by choosing a name such as mine, you also might have to worry about rip-off artists like FindLaw‘s wretched dreck-blogs, even if your name has acquired distinctiveness over the course of 3+ years of blogging. All of a sudden you risk confusion with a blog that happily uses the name of a dead child for SEO benefits. FindLaw is enough to make your skin crawl, and it continues to amaze me that anyone trusts the company to market for them. FindLaw, of course, isn’t the only scummy company out there. You may think I’m digressing, but if you see your name get ripped off, like FindLaw did with me, then you’ll understand what can happen down the road to your name.
So back to the name game. The goal, if I do this, would be to retain as much of my blog name as possible, yet add some other distinguishing element to personalize it a bit more. Some names I’ve toyed with:
A New York Attorney’s Perspective
Turkewitz on Personal Injury Law and Practice:
A New York Attorney’s Perspective
Turkewitz
New York Personal Injury Attorney
Turkewitz on Torts:
The New York Personal Injury Law Blog
The Turkewitz Times
Perspectives of a New York Personal Injury Attorney
Turk’s Torts
Turkfeasor
Tortewitz
They each have three things in common:
First: They use my last name — I think there are only four other Turkewitz lawyers in the country and I’m related to three of them.
Second: They retain some of the “brand” that I’ve already built around the subject area; and
Third: They all suck, big time.
If anyone has any ideas on how to deal with those issues, I’m wide open to them.
I like Turkewitz. It's simple.
I also have a hard to pronounce and spell name (Balasubramani) but I love forcing people to say it and get it right.
I'm no branding expert (far from it) but of the choices I like Turkewitz. I don't like combining Turk and Tort – it's just too cute.
Turkewitz Times is interesting.
The Turkewitz Times was the name of the newsletter I wrote when I took a year off to travel around the world. I wrote it long hand and mailed it to my brother, who turned it into the newsletter and mailed it out.
That was 20 years ago.
So it would be, I guess, Turkewitz Times 2.0 (or 3.0 if you count this version of the blog as 2.0)
Turkey Torts? Turk on Torts? Tortfeasors Beware? Simple Justice? Whatever. Your stuff is good enough that the only thing you need to worry about is not having Findlaw glom your next name as well.
I never like the name of your blawg. I'm glad you have to change it. And the best name, by far, of any blawg in Kevin O'Keefe's stable is Iowa Dirt Lawyer.
Unlike Venkat, I am a branding expert. If you want proof, let me know and get a really hot fire started. I'll show you my stuff.
I never like the name of your blawg.
We're on the same page.
I am a branding expert. If you want proof, let me know and get a really hot fire started. I'll show you my stuff.
OK, maybe not.
I tried to be clever in choosing a blog name but never liked any of the choices. I similarly didn't want to scream "SEO!" in my choice of title. I thus made my title vague and comprehensive: my blog is about litigation and it is about trials, and so it is named accordingly.
Since there are so few other Turkewitzes out there, I think you should stick with your real last name, rather than a pun to make it memorable. I also think putting "Times" in a title is degrading.
Based on those principles, I'd say "Turkewitz on Torts" is the way to go.
Then again, what do I know? My blog's title is the equivalent of a restaurant called "Lunch and Dinner."
Then again, what do I know? My blog's title is the equivalent of a restaurant called "Lunch and Dinner."
Max's Menu?
NEWYORKPERSONALINJURYATTORNEYBLOG.COM doesn't expire until Oct 2011 so I don't see the necessity for any change to the name of your blog at all.
Am I missing something? (Wait! Please don't respond to that.)
If you're leaving Blogger (good for you), then I recommend you at least consider using WordPress as your new platform. It's great stuff and it's well supported.
NEWYORKPERSONALINJURYATTORNEYBLOG.COM doesn't expire until Oct 2011 so I don't see the necessity for any change to the name of your blog at all.
Am I missing something? (Wait! Please don't respond to that.)
Necessity? No. But if a guy is gonna change his shirt he might as well consider changing his pants while he's at it.
But the new pants still have to be significantly better than the old pants.
Keep the old URL. You're gonna need it so people can find the new one.
Keep the old URL.
Changing the URL is not an option that I would consider. That would only cause problems.
A change to the title, if I make it, would be cosmetic only.
I like Turkfeasor. It's original, memorable, and catchy.
Seriously, it's a great name.
FTP stand for "file transfer protocol". One would assume you're using the online interface for blogging, so that would be of little importance to you now, but perhaps in the future. The domain certainly has seo benefits, but it's not the keys to the kingdom. Your consistent quality posts deserve credit for your results more than your domain name; however, reviewing only one of the hack blogs by the company who has attempted to poach your name demonstrates why you would like to distance yourself for your existing name. I like Turkewitz on Torts. WordPress is a great option should you make the move. Just be sure to redirect your existing domain so you're not losing the rankings your years of efforts have earned you.
Meh.
Kevin O'Keefe does have a lot of experience in blogging and branding, no question. Here, however, I disagree slightly with him.
He's right in that names based on this formula aren't problematic per se – but that doesn't mean they aren't problematic, ever.
It all depends on your purpose behind this blog. If it's marketing to potential clients (an issue on which I know you and I disagree, but I'm OK with that), there's nothing wrong with the name and it will help in SEO, assuming you're not loading up on a ton of black hat tactics besides.
If it's something else besides marketing, then this [geographical market][practice area] formula can actually hurt you. In branding terms, you could name your blog "Onion and Mayo Sandwich" and enjoy popularity, if you use it creatively and consistently, and promote it as such.
Whatever you choose, I'd invest in purchasing the URL based on that name and redirecting it to this URL, in addition to the move and rename.
Please tell me you're going to self-hosted WordPress. It's so much better (and I've had blogs on just about every platform out there).
How about Turk's Place.
What you get there is Turk's Take.
I like "Turkewitz on Personal Injury Law."
The name calls to mind "Nimmer on Copyright," "Darwin on the Origin of the Species," Vitruvius De architectura," "Plato on Socrates," or "Oprah on [Any Topic or Product She Cares to Discuss]."
I dk if you and your blog (or blogs generally) have aspirations to treatise status or otherwise authoritative association with a topic for all eternity, but isn't it pretty to think so?
Lucy
Lucy:
The name calls to mind "Nimmer on Copyright," "Darwin on the Origin of the Species," Vitruvius De architectura," "Plato on Socrates," or "Oprah on [Any Topic or Product She Cares to Discuss]."
I've been compared to a lot of things in my life. But never Plato.
So let me take the opportunity to quote the great philosopher:
He was a wise man who invented beer.
I'm willing to concede that even if Plato did not say as much, it's high time someone did.
Since you're so tickled by the Plato comparison, how about:
"Turkewitz for Philosopher-King (He's buyin'*)
*Terms and conditions may apply.
Lucy
I am willing to concede that even if Plato did not say as lot, it’s time anyone did.
Till you’re so tickled by the Plato comparison.