Here is a photo of a golf club shaft I did years ago. I used it as an example, provided with the critique I just did. The student’s photo is below mine. He had asked in his project submission how he should fashion his name or company. To protect his privacy, I didn’t show his own name and signature here.
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When I teach my Engraving Workshops, there are numerous discussions and examples of the importance of the engraver’s name associated with their work. For years, I’ve fumbled my way through all the search engine optimization, ranking, and Google’s robotic ‘crawlers’ roaming around on blogs and websites by the gazillions. How they would EVER find my name or any other is a total mystery to me.
So be the mystery! Doesn’t matter that I don’t understand it perfectly like some of my behind-the-scenes helpers. Russ Larsen is the force behind the scenes on this blog. Russ is with TAKING AIM MARKETING that supplies the Ken Brown Engraving System to all my students. See Russ at the EQUIPMENT An Apple geek in Dallas bails me out when I’m in deep stuff that needs personal attention.
Most of whatever positive values that have come were merely because my name has been out there a while. I suppose this blog may take the top honor for my coming up quickly on a Google search.
My Toronto, Ontario, student’s work is progressing nicely and he was asking about me about a name for his new hand-engraving business. I made some suggestions but the most emphasis was on his signature. His, on the golf club shaft, was a cross between a signature and the Copperplate script we use with the drill. It looked clunky and un-artistic. Readable, though, and THAT is the main thing.
I never put my company name or my logo with my ‘Ken Brown’ signature that goes on every single item I engrave. Rarely, in my haste, I’ll forget to sign something but it IS rare. I know the value of clarity when a recipient gets the item as a gift and wants to know where it came from. This, for me, is mostly wine and spirits bottles. I SIGN my name as I would with a ball point. I take just a moment longer each time to be absolutely sure there is no question that the hastily written letters say Ken Brown.
These search things can often change from one try to the next. As a test, while I was commenting on the student’s critique, I put my name into Google, slowly, a letter at a time. When I got to ken br, a choice box popped up and the top listing was ken brown engraving. I clicked on that and the top item was this blog from August 16…four days ago! When I did that one, I had NO idea it would be found and listed on a Ken Brown search 4 days later. The next nine consecutive listings were mine with dozens and dozens of photos of me and my work when IMAGES was clicked. Amazing.
BOTTOM LINE: Sign your name on every piece of work you put out there. Make it small and discreet. Almost hide it. It should not be in a place or in a size that calls attention. If the recipient is interested in the source, they’ll find your sig. Just be sure they can read it. The Google search? Well that may take some time. There’s no question that if you set up your own blog page, with a photo now and then and the information about your skill, the robots will find you.
Still have a couple of seats in the September Workshop and several still open in October. Whether you’re a rank amateur/beginner or a seasoned student wanting an invaluable refresher to get you kickstarted again, remember that Christmas is coming and it’s always a bonanza!
Ken • 214.260.6958
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