Adding to your name.

fredjclaus

Does it really help your marketing to put words or letters after your name? I know there are things like master photographer, Certified Professional Photographer. Does it matter to put those after your name if they are real?

Now on the flip side, what if you use a title that isn't true or real? Does this type of marketing work? I saw a business card at my vets office that said Certified Pet Photographer. When I called and asked how she became certified she refused to tell me making me think it is not a real title.

I guess my rant is just to ask does this sort of marketing help or hurt your business in any way?

Photog4Christ

It only matters to those that share your profession.

I'm a "MCP, MCDST" (and formerly CCSA).

My mom is an OTR/L

I bet you don't know what that means (without Googling it). I don't say that to brag, I'm just saying that to illustrate that it doesn't really matter.

fredjclaus

Well, I'm not sure if those are photography terms, but when I worked for Ingram Micro we had MCP's in the building. Those were Microsoft Certified Professionals. Don't know what the rest of them are though.

OTR/L sounds like my brother's job. He's an Over the Road Truck Driver. OTR/L - Over the Road Logistics?

Photog4Christ

They're not photography terms. I was just trying to point out that it doesn't matter to the average person.

I was listening to a Podcast the other day by Scott Bourne and Skip Cohen and they were talking about PPA certifications and they basically said the same thing.

chuckinsocal

If it's real, I'd see no harm in putting it on your card, letterhead,etc. It could help set you just a little bit apart from the competition. I wouldn't make a really big deal of it though. For some people it's an ego thing.

If it's not real, then you'd be committing a fraud upon the public and someone would have to come and confiscate your camera.

Just my nickel's worth.

dogwood

Keep it simple is my advice. People are going to hire you for your work. You can be certified professional hot shot factory trained blab blab blab but if you don't have the work to back it up, no one will care.

Ohiohiker

None of them have to do with photography but:

Chris Blank, AAS, BSIT, CQE, CMfgtT, CET, NREMT-P, PHTLS, PALS, ACLS, PEPP,...........

I have seen people with so many titles they seem unapproachable. Skip Cohen and Scott Bourne did a Going Pro podcast that had question similat to this.

fredjclaus

Thanks for that.

Glort

If you have credentials, by all means use them but I wouldn't ever suggest anyone get credentials just for the sake of them.

One of the Pro photographer associations here makes a big deal of being a member and even has placed ads in bridal mags to give the impression that unless you are a member of the organisation then you can't be trusted by the public to take a decent pic.

I have had people come to me and say " are you a member of XYZ?" and when I have told them no, I have been but I consider them a mothers club and people book me for my work, not because I pay some organisation exorbitant membership fees for no real benefit, the reaction has been " Yeah, know what you mean, my industry has the same sort of setup. "

Being a member with the letters after my name was not any benefit in getting work nor has not being a member ever been any hindrance.