Naming Force Review: Make Money Creating Names for Businesses

Updated on: by Amy Kennedy

Naming Force is a crowdsourcing platform that hosts contest to try to help its business clients find the perfect name for their business or domain. You can help by lending your creativity to come up with names for a chance to win a cash prize in a contest. Here’s how it works. Do you find yourself cringing at new business or product names you encounter online or in your neighborhood shops and just know you could do a better job?

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You’re probably right!

And now you have the opportunity to prove it – and get paid.

Some websites exist to bring creative people like you and businesses that need help with their branding together to find just the right name for the business.

You get to show off your creativity and earn money while the company gets a brand new name that aligns with its products, services, and brand mission.

One of the ways you can make your voice heard using your creativity and competitiveness to help new businesses is with Naming Force.

Find out what it takes to be a Namer for this crowdsourcing company with this in-depth Naming Force review that explains everything you need to know.

What is Naming Force?

Naming Force is a company that assists clients in finding appropriate and catchy business and product names using crowdsourcing and market research techniques.

As of this writing, the company has helped more than 4,600 businesses get their perfect names using crowdsourcing techniques.

What is crowdsourcing?

It refers to the process of using the feedback of a group of people, like a crowd, to help with something.

In this case, Naming Force utilizes a crowd of creative people like yourself to come up with the perfect names for its clients, which are usually new businesses that need help deciding on the right name for their companies.

Crowdsourcing can be a really efficient way to conduct market research, especially for this type of work.

Naming Force members, known as Namers, will all give out their creative ideas for businesses, allowing a business to choose what they like most and reward the winning Namer.

They’re getting what they need while Namers get to have fun and have a chance of getting paid.

Essentially, what Naming Force does is conduct contests for its business clients.

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You’ll enter a contest as a Namer (you only need to enter the ones you’re interested in, not all of them).

Then, give your creative ideas to the company.

The client then has a few days to look through the names and pick a favorite.

If you’re the lucky winner, you get paid!

What do you do as a Namer for Naming Force?                          

As a Namer, you input creative names for business, products, and domains in contests.

As you gain experience and win contests, your Naming Score increases as does your Rank.

Moving forward in the ranks grants you extra abilities to hopefully boost your earning power.

There are three rank levels:

Cadets are defined as members with scores from 0-24. These users may submit 2-4 names per contest.

For those with ranks between 25-69, they are considered Corporals. Corporals also have the following perks:

  • 4-8 name submissions per contest
  • Up to 3 duplicate name entries per contest
  • Client chat module to communicate with contest holders
  • Permission to request new keywords for contests
  • Skip weak names in the voting process

The highest rank is that of Sergeant, for users with ranks surpassing 70. Here is what comes with this rank:

  • 8-15 name submissions per contest
  • Up to 5 duplicate name entries per contest
  • Skip weak names in voting process
  • Award one user per contest with a Medal of Honor
  • May be assigned to approve duplicate challenges

What are the requirements to be a Namer?

Creativity is the main requirement to be successful in this position.

A firm grasp of the English language is another necessity because most of Naming Force’s clients are English-speaking.

That means that you should also have a good understanding of puns, idioms, slang, and other types of speech that might serve well in a business name to make it catchy.

A background in advertising or marketing would also be assets to this role but aren’t necessities.

All applicants must be at least 18 years old and live in the United States or Canada.

Are there any special equipment or software necessary?

An Internet connection and a working computer are the only requirements for this gig.

What is the schedule like?

There are no set hours as a Namer.

You’ll be an independent contractor, meaning that you’re free to schedule yourself and work as you please.

You are compensated by winning naming contests on the site as a registered member.

Since you’re an independent contractor and not an employee, it’s your responsibility to track how much you earn and report that money on your taxes.

You can always check in with an accountant if you’re unsure how to track your income or claim that money on taxes.

How do naming contests work on Naming Force?

Contests look like they follow a simple procedure but reading through the FAQ section got me a little confused.

So, I checked out some Naming Force reviews and read over the site’s guidelines to better understand the process so that I could explain it here.

First, a client submits a contest to Naming Force.

Once approved, Namers are given a period of 7 to 10 days to submit name suggestions.

This is the first phase of a contest (each contest has three phases).

Over this time, it’s possible for thousands of name ideas to roll in.

That’s why Naming Force implemented a voting system, which is the second phase in a contest.

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This voting system is in place to help weed out the unpopular names and push the best ones to the top of the list, making it easier for a client to choose the one it likes the most.

Registered members or other Namers then have three days to vote on the best name for the contest.

You can browse through the names and vote on the ones you like during this time.

The client is then presented with the results after those three days are over and given a period of 7 days to choose the winner in the third phase.

If the client fails to make a decision within that time period, the selection that received the most votes from the Namers will automatically win and that user will be rewarded.

This ensures that someone wins the contest, even if the client doesn’t come back to pick someone.

There’s also an optional rush contest that clients can choose to use, which lowers the first phase to just three days instead of seven.

However, the other phases will remain the same length of time.

During any contest, your Naming Score might go up or down.

Your score comes mostly from the voting process.

If your name keeps getting voted down, your score could drop quickly, but if it keeps getting voted higher, it could rise dramatically during one contest.

If your name gets liked by a client or chosen by a client, then your Naming Score can get an even bigger boost.

It’s possible that, during a contest, you’ll see icons next to some of the names you submitted.

A star icon means that a client “liked” your name, which helps the client narrow the choices down to a shortlist.

If, later, you notice the star has been dropped, then the client probably “unliked” the name to further narrow the shortlist.

If you see an X by a name, then that means a client rejected that name completely.

It’s possible that there’s a business local to the client with a similar name or that the name you submitted just doesn’t represent the company well.

A shield icon means that your name is being protected from duplicates (names submitted by other Namers that appear to be the same as yours).

If you were the first person to submit that name, then you’re the lucky one with the shield.

You’ll also get a Name Quality Score with each submission.

This score relates to how unique your name is when compared to other trademarked business names.

If a name you submit seems very similar to a blog name, social media account username, or other business listings, you’ll get a lower score (A is the highest and F is the lowest).

Having a higher Name Quality Score can increase the chances of your name getting picked by a client.

What is the compensation?

One considerable advantage of Naming Force is that there is no limit to the money you can make as a Namer.

However, your possible earnings will be affected by factors like the number of contests in which you participate, the percentage of your names that are chosen, and your ranking.

The higher your rank, the more entries you will be permitted to submit per contest.

The average payout per contest is $100, though it can range from $50 to $500.

Rates are decided by the contest holders, and payment is performed via PayPal.

Apparently, clients are required to submit payment upfront to Naming Force, so there is no danger of being stiffed.

Because these winnings could be somewhat lucrative if you won a few times or more, you must fill in a W9 for tax purposes.

Naming Force will need to send you a 1099 if you earn at least $600 in a calendar year (if you’re in the United States), which is quite possible if you enter a lot of contests and keep your scores up.

It’s important to remember that you will not get paid for every contest you enter.

This isn’t a paid gig that guarantees money for your work.

You could enter 20 contests and not win a single one if you don’t submit quality names.

However, you could also win your very first contest if you happen to submit a name a client loves!

It’s all a gamble.

But on the plus side, you’re not spending a lot of time submitting names to a contest.

It shouldn’t take you more than a few minutes to do, so you can simply set aside a few minutes a day to enter Naming Force contests and see what happens.

You’ll get paid via PayPal if you do happen to win a contest (or if the client times out from choosing a winner and you’re the top ranked contestant by votes).

Make sure you set your PayPal email address in your account settings, as that’s where Naming Force will pull the information from.

What do current or former Namers say about Naming Force?

I’m sure you can imagine that using a site of this kind to make money isn’t going to work the same for everyone.

Honestly, it all boils down to your creativity and how well your names strike a chord with others so you can move up in the voting system.

However, there have been some complaints about Naming Force, mostly in regard to its voting system.

Here are a few of the common complaints and praises I found about Naming Force after reading several reviews and forum threads:

Problems with voting

On a few forum threads, I noticed people talking about a “rigged” voting system.

There’s nothing to confirm that the voting system is rigged, but several people seem to agree that the Naming Force system tends to favor the same people over and over again.

In other words, voting doesn’t seem to matter because the same people keep getting to the top.

There are some theories that these are higher ranked people or people who spend a lot more time on the site than others.

Unfortunately, there’s no way to know if this is true.

All you can do is spend some time on the site, submit names to a few contests, participate in voting, and determine for yourself whether it seems to be fair or not.

It’s tough to actually win

I understand that people want to get paid for their time working on something.

However, Naming Force is all about contests.

Contests aren’t always easy to win!

So, this complaint is a little silly in my opinion.

No, it won’t always be easy to win a naming contest on the site.

You’ll need to submit names that really stand out, make sure they’re meeting quality standards, and keep up your score.

There’s some work involved, but really creative people always have some chance that they’ll win a contest.

I suggest only entering contest for clients with businesses that really resonate with you.

You’ll feel more connected to the business and what it does, which will likely help you find just the right name for that business.

Payment protection is in place

One of the things I like about Naming Force is that you’re protected against payment scams if you win.

One way Naming Force does this is by requiring that clients pay up front for a contest before it actually gets the contest up and running.

Clients can choose how much they want to pay the winner, but that money must be paid before a contest starts.

Another way Naming Force ensures payment is by protecting winners against unresponsive clients.

If a client doesn’t come back within the last contest phase to pick a winner within 7 days, then the top voted name automatically gets the prize.

There will never be a contest in which someone doesn’t get paid, so there’s no shady practices going on here.

Naming Force has quality control practices in place

I also like that, unlike some similar crowdsourcing sites I’ve seen, Naming Force makes sure that people don’t keep submitting the same names over and over, copy names of businesses that already exist, or use names very similar to domain or social media names.

It has some practices in place, like its Name Quality Score system, to make sure that people aren’t just stealing names and posting them on the site to earn money.

That makes the system fairer for Namers overall.

Is Naming Force legit?

From what I can tell, Naming Force is legit.

I haven’t seen complaints about people not getting paid.

My only concern, really, is what people say about the voting system, but I think it’s likely that those who tend to not get their names picked are just upset that they haven’t had a win.

It’s absolutely possible that other people can win frequently because they’re super creative, maybe have some marketing experience, and are able to come up with creative business names that have heart and emotion behind them.

Naming businesses isn’t for everyone, but if you’re sure you have some winners on your hands, then keep working toward a win on Naming Force!

What is the process like to register as a Namer?

Click here to register as a Namer.

It is a very short form in which you input your name, chosen username and password, and e-mail address.

After this, get ready to start submitting your best name suggestions and get your name score up!

Are there Naming Force alternatives?

Yep!

There are several other crowdsourcing sites that let creative people create names, designs, logos, and other stuff for business clients.

Some of them might offer better opportunities for you, depending on what you’re looking for.

Here are some of the best on the web:

  • SquadHelp: This is one of the most talked-about naming crowdsourcing sites on the web. You can submit names for business, domains, and more for a chance to earn some cash.
  • Crowdspring: This site is mostly for creative designers who know how to make designs, logos, and other graphics for businesses. Projects run for 7 days, so you’ll have a week to create designs and enter them for a chance to win the prize.
  • Ink and Key: Namers and designers can enter contests on Ink and Key for business clients to get a new name or logo idea.
  • Design Hill: You can join this site as a designer to either enter contests put in place by businesses or to work with clients directly on their creative projects.
  • 99 Designs: 99 Designs also focuses on all things design work. Clients can post clients for designers to enter or search for designers in the database to work with directly.
  • PickyDomains: PickyDomains is a risk-free naming service that claims to have a large group of contributors who brainstorm to come up with the best names or slogans to suit your needs. You provide the brief, and the community will generate ideas.
  • Hatchwise: Hatchwise operates as a creative crowdsourcing platform. It allows you to create contests for your naming and design needs. You set your specifications, and then creative minds from around the world can submit their ideas.
  • Namesmith: Namesmith is a unique platform that uses algorithms to generate business name ideas based on the keywords you provide. You simply input your keywords, and it will provide a list of generated names, many of which are also available domains.
  • NamoBot: NamoBot functions as a business name generator that creates name ideas based on the keywords you input. It also helps you by checking domain availability instantly, which can save time when searching for the perfect name for your business.

Have you used a crowdsourcing platform to try to earn some money with your creativity?

Do you have experience with Naming Force, specifically?

We’d love to hear your thoughts, so feel free to leave a comment below!

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Wallet Squirrel

February 25, 2017 at 2:04 pm

Thanks Kelsey, this is a nice overview of Naming Force. I tried it out for a month and was a bit let down. Here’s why:

Starting off there are only 10-15 contest available for beginers and each of those were easily filled up with 600 other name submissions (they tell you starting off). So you’re begining with a 1 in 600 chance that you’ll win.

You’re given a small paragraph about once facet of the company you’re supposed to come up with a clever name for. So you really don’t even know your client.

Then you spend 20-30 min thinking of a clever name and searching godaddy.com to see if it has an available domain. If not, you need to start over.

In the end, you’re spending 30 min of your time for a 1-600 chance to submit a name to a company you don’t really know all for a chance to win $50 or $100.

That’s why in my opinion it’s a waste of time. This is was a nice overview post, but if you want my full experience, here is my review: http://www.walletsquirrel.com/naming-force-review/

Shish

November 7, 2019 at 9:55 am

The site is a mess. The admins of the site do not respond to questions in a timely manner, if at all. Clients don’t know how to use the site’s features and it seems to be intentionally difficult. For instance it says you have 1 day left to choose, but really that 1 day is the current day. So you actually have 0 days left. Most contests end without the client actually being able to choose a name.

Namers don’t read the site rules or client specifications. The great majority of names are repetitive garbage. The filters that are supposedly set up are easily bypassed and the “sergeants” who are supposed to handle duplicate name disputes just let anything pass. It is not taken seriously and leads to a large number of names being too similar.