Can people identify the content you send by the file name?

I’ve written about file naming before (see links below), but it’s time to do it again.

File naming isn’t sexy. It’s not as intriguing as artificial intelligence. But it’s more important than you might realize.

If you send someone a file or invite them to download something from your website, will they be able to distinguish that file from the other hundreds (or thousands) of files in their download folder?

People send me a lot of files—content for books and publications I’m working on, images, general information I’ve requested, and more.

Keeping track of those files can be a challenge, especially when the file names are totally generic, like guestblog.docx or headshot.jpg.

If a file name isn’t clear and complete, I usually change it as I’m downloading and directing the material to the appropriate place on my computer. For example, if I need your picture and you send me a file named headshot,jpg, I’ll add your name to it before it gets into my system so that what I download is name-headshot.jpg.

In addition to letting me quickly find the image when I’m ready to use it, doing that also lets others on my team know what the file is so they can find it if they need it.

Though I’d rather not have to do that extra work, reducing my workload is only one (and certainly not the most important) reason for you to develop an efficient file-naming protocol. Others include:

• So you can find your own files and know what they are.
• So anyone who either has or may need access to the file can know what it is without opening it.
• So it can be easily found by searching.
• So you can track revisions and input from multiple sources.
• So your file names work for you from a marketing perspective.

For tips on developing your file-naming protocol, read Why You Need an Efficient File Naming Protocol.

If you send out files as part of your marketing strategy (such as a free special report or ebook), create the final file name with your audience in mind. For more on that, read Do Your Content File Names Work for You?

It takes effort to prepare and share content. Get the most out of that effort by making it easy for your audience to recognize and use what you send.