Austin Kleon said “an idea is gold only if you name it.” I think he understood that ideas are a dime a dozen. And that the value is not in the idea itself but in the execution.
Part of the execution lies in the name you give it. Because really, most of the time the only protection you have from someone stealing it is the trademark on the name. A brand name becomes the fence you put around your land to mark it as your own. You’re signaling that you’re willing to fight anyone who trespasses. That’s not far from where the term “brand” comes from. The first brands were put on animals to signal who the owner was.
But more than just a legal mechanism, to me there are bigger aims for great naming. I call it the “tip of the spear” approach.
And this approach applies to all forms of idea projects: software apps, books, songs, services, blog posts, gadgets, restaurants, etc.
In military settings, the troops that go into battle first are called the “tip of the spear.” These are usually the bravest and best, because everyone else’s job is riding on them. The Navy Seals have a reputation for being the tip of the spear in risky missions. They have to open the way for the rest of the troops. If they fail, the operation is doomed.
This is how I approach all creative and business projects: they are like spears that need to pierce into the minds of a target market to succeed. The name you give this project is the tip of the spear, because it’s the first thing your audience encounters. And it’s how they will tell their friends. If the tip is dull, your spear won’t cut through.
Good ideas need great names because ideas are hard to own. But names are much easier to own. Your idea’s name will either help it catch on quicker than your competitors, or it will slow your process down while others run past you.
Brian Eno says that ideas don’t belong to an individual, they belong to a scene—a group of people at a specific time. Many within this group are thinking about the same things, but the first one to give it a catchy name gets all the glory.
Social networks were around for a few years in 2004, but Mark Zuckerberg gave his the best name. I was in college at that time and my friend first told me about it like this: “there’s this website where you can see photos of everyone in your classes. Even the cutie that sits in the back.” The following week every student was on The Facebook.
Sam Martin had a popular website called Manspace. It showcased the coolest man caves. This is what he said about it: “It was an idea that was already out there, but I shined a spotlight on it, named it, and everybody got it right away.”
A good name or title makes it click for others. And it also makes it click for you, the creator. 50 Cent said that he has to come up with the hook to his song first, otherwise he doesn’t know what he should be writing about. But once he has the hook, the rest of the song pretty much writes itself.
My advice to you is that once you have a vague idea of what you want to create, the next best step is to come up with the best, slickest name you can give it. You’ll see the big picture appear all at once. And your audience will get it too.
Ok, so I think you’re sold on the importance of a sharp tip to your spear. But how do we come up with the best name possible?
I’m going to walk you through my process of coming up with titles and names for my stuff. Hopefully it gives you ideas for your own way to do it.
First of all, I have a clear philosophy on types of names I like. I think the best names and titles are super-practical. They communicate a strong benefit to the audience in as little words as possible. It was easy to grasp that facebook was a kind of online yearbook.
The same way there’s no guessing what a book like Gone Girl is about. A woman disappeared, but also, she might be mentally not all there either. The name tells you what ride you’re signing up for. It’s specific and mysterious at the same time. A perfect title. But a title like Amy Is Going Through A lot, would’ve not been as enticing.
The other aspect I value is brevity. Names for your projects and businesses should be short. They’re the tip of your spear so they have to be thin and sharp like any good blade. It’s supposed to cut into the mind with minimal effort. If it’s a mouthful I’m betting it’s dull.
Short names are also easier to remember, and easier to repeat. So they lend themselves to spreading by word-of-mouth.
Of course, there are always exceptions to this. Every era has hits with long titles. For example, the book How to Win Friends and Influence People is a mouthful, but has been a bestseller since it came out in 1936. And today we have the smash hit The Subtle Art of Not Giving a Fuck, that’s sold over ten million copies. That one has a long title and a curse word in it, a double whammy. But it’s so good that it still worked. My theory is that these two books became hits in spite of their names, not because of them.
I suggest that you play the odds in your favor—keep names short.
My guideline varies by what type of project it is. For a brand name, store, or restaurant you want to keep it to one word if possible, but two words are just fine as well. It has to look good on a logo.
For a book title, I say four words max. Convey a strong benefit in four words or less. Use words that your target audience will care about. What are their dreams? What do they feel they need? What solutions are they looking for? What keeps them up at night? If you can tie your message to the thoughts that make them toss and turn at 2AM, you will find success.
A great example is: The Psychology of Money. Everyone likes money, and everyone thinks about money. But are we thinking about money in the right way? The title appeals to our curiosity, that’s what the author was banking on. It worked like a charm.
Minor words like “a,” “the,” and “of” get a pass, so I don’t count those. Your title can go up to five or six words without penalty if you’re using some minor ones. Still, I challenge you to get creative and do four words max when possible.
Also, the less syllables, the better. Short, simple words are more effective. Avoid SAT words if you can. Strunk and White put it like this: “Never use a long word where a short one will do.”
The next category is article names or slogans. These will obviously be longer since you have to give more information and be more specific.
A slogan is a memorable phrase that you hope will leave an impression on your audience. It expands on your brand or title. Or you’re hoping to call them to some action. The best slogan ever is Nike’s— “just do it.” Three words, one syllable each. Absolutely genius.
WalMart has a good one too: “Save money. Live better.” Stores and products invest a lot on crafting their taglines because a good one sticks in customers’ minds.
Hollywood calls these loglines: they’re fun phrases that give you the hook of the movie. They were made for advertising on posters. For example, the movie Aliens’ logline was “in space, no one can hear you scream.”
For advertising in visual mediums like posters, billboards, and magazines, I’m a big fan of puns and phrases with double meanings. They pack more information into less words for those who get it. Those who don’t, they still get the main meaning. You can’t lose. For example, the movie poster for Ocean’s 8 had the logline “Every con has its pros.” It’s clever and short. And even if you don’t grasp the wordplay in there, it still gives you an idea of what the movie is about. I give it an A+, even though the movie just average.
In the publishing world, the logline would be a book’s subtitle. The Psychology of Money has an effective subtitle too: “Timeless lessons on wealth, greed, and happiness.” It’s seven words, and notice how it doesn’t repeat any words from the title. Money ties into wealth without being a perfect synonym. You wanna cover a lot of ground with the fewest words, so it’d be pointless to use one twice. Instead, I prefer to swap in a word that is close in meaning but adds more color to your title.
Atomic Habits is one of my favorite books of all time. It’s already sold over 15 million copies, and I believe it’ll be a bestseller forever. But I think James Clear fumbled the subtitle when he used the word “habit” there again. The official subtitle is “An Easy & Proven Way to Build Good Habits & Break Bad Ones.” I’m sure they tried to find a different word than “habit,” but it’s a tough assignment. They also used the word “and” twice. I think this is why the book cover has a second subtitle that’s super short: “Small changes. Remarkable Results.” I like that one. They redeemed themselves there.
For loglines and subtitles, my general rule of thumb is to limit to 12 words max. But I would tell you to shoot for seven words max. It’s hard to do, but if you can say something meaningful in seven words the tip of your spear is razor sharp.
The same guideline applies to articles, email newsletters, and blog posts: keep the title to 12 words max but wherever possible try for seven. At seven words it shows completely on email inbox previews both for computers and phones. In the long run this helps your open rates since many titles include the most powerful word at the end.
Now, let’s put my guidelines to the test on my own book, titled Rich Instinct.
First of all, the name is short. At two words and three syllables, it’s quick and easy to say. Both of the words are common, everyday words we use often. I think I did well there.
Even though they’re common words, we rarely use them together. I searched online and found no mentions of someone using the term “rich instinct,” which means I can technically own it and give it whatever meaning I want. Also a major plus.
Part of owning a phrase in the modern world is owning the web domain name. In a perfect world, you want to lock down the exact name of your thing in the .com version. When I searched on GoDaddy, richinstinct.com was available, so I registered it right away.
In terms of conveying benefit, the word Rich is attractive because, like I said earlier, we all think about money, and we all want LOTS of it. So my target audience will read the title and associate the book with material wealth.
On top of that, the word “rich” also has a secondary meaning of something high in quality and pure, such as when you say “that soil is rich” or “that chocolate cake is rich.” So the noun you combine it with gets an instant boost. Someone with a rich instinct becomes wealthy, but it can also be read as “a rich instinct is an untarnished instinct.” Highly potent. Both meanings communicate desirable benefits in my audience’s mind.
I give it an A+. Nailed it.
I’m very proud of it. I think it will not only stand the test of time, I think its virality will grow and grow exponentially as years pass.
Now, let’s run my subtitle through my gauntlet to see if I nailed that too.
The subtitle of my book, Rich Instinct, is “The World Is Yours if You Can Spot Its Lies.” At 10 words, it passes the first brevity test of 12 words max. But remember, I recommend you aim for seven words max, so technically I failed the stricter standard.
I tried really hard to find a subtitle of seven words or less. I think one option I considered was “Gain Wealth In This Deceitful World” but although it’s just six words, it felt too generic. It had a benefit but no hook or preview of a “how.” That’s because “Gain Wealth In This Deceitful World” only ties to the word “Rich” in the title, leaving “Instinct” an orphan. A good title and subtitle combination clicks perfectly into place, like an assembled jigsaw puzzle with no missing pieces.
Another one I considered was “How To Rule In This Deceitful World” but that one also felt incomplete. And then I thought about using “Rules For Freedom in a Deceitful World.” But freedom doesn’t always imply wealth.
Ultimately, the subtitle “The World Is Yours if You Can Spot Its Lies” stood out as the best option even though it’s more than seven words. “The world is yours” ties into the title benefit word “rich.” And with “if you can spot its lies” I’m previewing the fact that your instinct helps you spot the lies of society. A benefit and a method that match up with the name. It makes a perfectly complete title-subtitle jigsaw.
The subtitle is also efficient with syllables. All ten words are one syllable each. That’s as lean as you can get.
The key thing to remember is that consumers today have abundant choice of what to consume. That goes in terms of products, services, and entertainment. If you hope to get them to buy what you offer you have to pierce through their mental layer of indifference. And this only happens with a sharp first strike—a name that cuts like the tip of a spear. So you have to sharpen it and sharpen it until it’s brief, clear, and promises a benefit. Then you will have struck gold. Then you will have a shot, at timeless.
