#GD101 - Choosing a Channel Name

Zack Wellman

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Graphic Design 101 - Helping YTtalkers Help Themselves.

Choosing a Channel Name

Literally the most important part of your channel branding is your name.

It doesn't matter what type of YouTuber you are, without a memorable and brandable name you're going to get nowhere.

Now, for this example I'm going to use actual statistics using my channel name "Faptain Obvious".

This is a step-by-step process, so pay attention.

Step #1 - The Brainstorming
This step is probably the most frustrating, so you want to give yourself plenty of time to get through it.

BE WARNED! You're going to have to make a decision, so keep the best names out and debate with a friend or family member as to which one best suits your needs and channel.

Your name must reflect your videos and overall theme, so having the name "MarkyGAMES" and uploading music videos makes no freaking sense so stop it Markiplier-wannabe.

Also stay away from cliche's or already popular names. I've seen "SeaBanana" And "DewPieDie" before, so don't be that guy. Keep it clean, original and if necessary. Hilarious.

I was originally going to be "ZackPlaysGames" - but that name isn't catchy, and sounds rather boring.

Of course, my name isn't something you'd want on a tee-shirt either. So if your name doesn't fit, you can always use funny quotes, abbreviations or just go all out and have a big disgusting picture on your merch.

Everything on your channel must be brandable, and your name is obviously the first step.

Childhood nicknames, personal jokes and things like that are great places to start! If you're lucky enough to be able to use your name, you can slap your favorite saying or word on the end and BINGO.

"I think a good piece of advice is if people are really into their name, just stick with it cause eventually it'll grow on people and your fan base" - NewAgeSteel

Your name is YOURS, so I can't exactly give you advice on how to get to the final decision. It's up to you.

Just remember; keep it clean, simple and awesome.

Step #2 - Are you the only one?
A big step is to make sure that the name you've chosen isn't already in use; so search for it!

If an already moving channel has it, find another one. If it's a channel with no videos that hasn't been active in 4 years, you should be safe to keep going.

It's not cool to steal someone else's name, even if they're not famous. Would you like it if someone did it to you as you were starting off? No. Keep that in mind.

Step #3 - Branding
Like mention in my earlier article "Basics to Channel Branding" - You need to ensure that your graphics not only reflect your name but is also easily recognized (Aka. Brandable)

This step doesn't need much explaining; simply ensure that your graphics reflect your name truthfully and in the most detail possible.

Step #4 - Get started!
If you've followed these simple steps, you should have no problem coming up with an awesome name and being able to use it effectively!

Get out there and start making a name for yourself playaaaah!

Why did I say that...

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That concludes this episode of Graphic Design 101, stay tuned for more articles!

Main #GD101 Index: http://yttalk.com/threads/graphic-design-101-article-index.161371/

Your friendly neighborhood designer,
Zack Wellman.
 
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NewAgeSteel

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I was a bit skeptical about my name at first but after a while i realized how well it worked and how much i loved it. I think a good piece of advice is if people are really into their name, just stick with it cause eventually itll grow on people and your fan base.
For anyone who knows Pokemon, I love explaining my name to them haha.
 

FlashToroGaming

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It was darn difficult thinking of my name, I combined different things from obsessions to what I planned to do with my channel. Luckily my equipment upgraded but I stuck with the name FlashToro. Sadly just FlashToro was taken so I added Gaming which I think was a better choice so I can have more of a sealed brand.
 

Hephaestus

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I really don't know man. I've been trying to think of a name to get me started for a while, even changed it a few times. Right now it's Hephaestus, as in, the Greek God, but other people have variations with the name as well, a couple are active. I can't think of anything else though.
 

braixen1264

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My name is actually kinda uncreative, but nobody really has to know that. It's pretty catchy and it sounds creative so I guess it's fine xD
 

DaRealApollo

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One cool way I've seen to do things is to take the first two letters of your first, middle, and last name to make a username. So like if your name was George Walker Bush (you know, the guy that did 9/11), you could have your name Gewabu. Some names sound cooler than others, but it is just one way to try things
 

Daniolo

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the best way to come up with a youtube name is simply by listing things that relate to you, and get inspiration from other Youtubers. put these together and soon enough you will find a catchy name! that's exactly how i did it! But dont make it to specific because you may want to move into another area lets say Call of Duty and if your channel is FifaMan there's no logic in that!
 

braixen1264

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What I did was just make a short sentence, then shorten it really short(took out a bunch of letters).