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Wednesday, January 18, 2012

The Name Game

I've been tossing around an idea for the past couple of months and I need some input from my fellow bloggers.

Final Clothes-Out is almost three years old. In the beginning, it was just something fun to do while I was bored at work, and back then it was exclusively about shopping and fashion. Things haven't totally moved away from that, but now there are DIY projects, tutorials, Pinterest roundups, Etsy finds, shop updates, etc. that have been added to the mix.

And I kinda feel like "Final Clothes-Out" isn't a very good name anymore.


The new name I'm considering is "Little Nostalgia," a combination of my two Etsy shop names. I'll be honest, my favorite thing about it is the vagueness. No pigeonholing myself with a shopping pun this time, folks.

Sometimes I hesitate to post things here because I know it doesn't make sense with the name, which sort of defeats the purpose of giving myself a creative outlet. I don't want to feel like I'm stuck writing about the same old stuff all the time, so I think the ultimate makeover could be coming.

I told Hubsey about this, and he got me all paranoid with his talk of re-branding and blah, blah, blah, so now I need to know what fellow bloggers have to say.

What do you guys think? Have any of you ever changed your blog name? Or seen one that went through a mega-transformation like that? Was it weird? Is Little Nostalgia an okay option? Am I just being my usual worry wort self and over-analyzing? Some advice would be super.

18 comments:

  1. I've been considering the same thing, but then the whole idea of changing the link to my blog totally freaks me out, and then making a new banner and buttons and new links to the buttons. That all blew my mind. In theory I think it's a great idea to change it, what you're blogging about has changed dramatically enough to reason it to be a good move, and SewSavoirFaire just doesn't make MUCH sense since I'm not sewing anymore really. But right now, weighing the options, I just don't have the energy to completely change everything that goes along with a name change. So, SewSavoirFaire has worked for me for almost a year so I guess I'll stick with it for now. What do you think you'll do?

    PS - I apologize for the length of this AND Gary has made his appearance today on the blog!

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  2. If you're going to do it, I'd do it now, expecially since you've gone to working for your self full time. I think it would made sense now since you're still in that transition. I'm sort of going through the same thing, but not... since we just started our home blog. I'm trying to come up with a strategy to get new followers from my blog over to that one. And to find time to blog more!

    I like the new name - or anything with Paige in it would be great too. I love your name!

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  3. Jenna, yeah it would be a lot of work to re-do everything. Especially since I'm on the slow side in Photoshop. But if you decide you want to go for it, you could name it something related to your new shop. "Georgia Peach" would be nice and versatile.

    Meg, I hadn't thought about it like that before! Now that you've said it, duh, this would be the time to do it if I'm doing to. :-) As for pumping up your house blog, you should mention it on your other blog for a while. Maybe put a little blurb at the end of your posts that says something like,"Check out ___ over on my new blog today!"

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  4. It won't be easy, but anything worth doing isn't easy. If your gonna do it, just jump in with both feet. When you get everything changed over, you can always do something big to invite people to see the "new", like a giveaway or link party.

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  5. I absolutely love that name! And I think if that's the direction that you've grown into then absolutely do it. Your blog should reflect you and if this name isn't you any more, then it's time for a change!
    Sarah
    http://comingunstitched.blogspot.com

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  6. Oh this is a tough one. I say, go for it. It will make you happier and, who knows, perhaps open new avenues and possibilities. Don't get me wrong, though, I love what you do here. So, no matter the name, I will be back to check out what you are up to!

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  7. I love the name Little Nostalgia! I changed my blog name slightly when I went from a blogspot address to a domain name and didn't have any problems with it. I think that with a name that reflects your current blog topics, you'll get more followers. Good luck with your decision!

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  8. I think it's a great idea. You know I've been toying with the idea of changing my shop name to be more generic, but my hubs has been saying the same thing about branding. Must be a husband thing. :) I think the name of something is the hardest thing to come up with. But I like the mix of your shop names so it's recognizable to your shops, and I also like Meg's idea of using Paige. You would have a lot of page-Paige options that way.

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  9. I would change it. It seems like you've thought about it enough and that your gut is telling you to change. I say, always follow your gut. If you feel something's not working, why keep going at it? That's silly. Take the leap, go for it; it seems like you're ready for the positive change :)

    Whatever you decide, I've always loved your posts, and will always support!

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  10. I think it would be fine to change the name. It can be a little intimidating, but I think that it makes sense. Particularly if you are using a new name that ties in so well with your etsy shops. Go for it!

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  11. If you change your name, would you change your URL too, to a new blog? That could be difficult. When I first started my crochet blog, I had a different name, but I quickly realized it wasn't very fitting for a "Brand" for my shop. So I just started over. I didn't have many followers so it wasn't that big of a deal, but still took a lot of work. But if you think you will be blogging and having a business for a long while, it seems totally worth it to me!

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    1. There's actually a way to change the URL within blogger, so I don't have to worry about switching sites or starting over completely. As long as the name is available, I can just plug it in!

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  12. I think you should go with the name change. I think the name has a big impact. If you are going away from clothes, then now is a good time to change it. Good idea to make it something that offers you a choice of variety in your subjects.

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  13. I like the new name! So cute and personable too!

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  14. If you're going to change the product/look of your site, then the name change makes sense - and you're right about not being pigeon-holed. After nearly two years selling the toys in the shop at www.coldhamcuddlies.etsy.com, I'm finding my suspicions about them being more attractive to adults than children becoming more and more accurate. Also, am not sure that I'm pricing them right as a result. So while they will still be cuddlies, they may become collectables as well, with a consequent price hike (because most of them are one-offs or limited editions anyway). If anyone has any ideas over (after helping Paige, of course) all suggestions are most welcome.

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  15. I like the phrase "Little Nostalgia," but to me it sounds pretty specific, like you should be focusing on only old or vintage things. I think expanding the scope of the name is a great idea that you should definitely pursue, just that particular name idea doesn't feel right to me for the content you post.

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    1. Hmmm, that IS a good point, but I really like that it relates to my shops. Maybe I could investigate a tagline that would make it a little more versatile.

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  16. i love this name. you're exactly right that it won't put you in a box. that's why i decided not to tack on "jewelry" or "designs" to my etsy shop name because it left the door open for more opportunities to expand or change things up a bit.

    same can be very true for a blog. also, i love the cursive for the banner. so cute.

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