Impressions - March 2018 - 31

Earven's how-to videos
feature instruction on
working in a print shop,
and comparisons of shirt
brands, inks and even
equipment.

Cam's Gear List
Main Camera: Lumix G7
Second Camera: Canon G7X
On-Camera Microphone: Custom
Mini Tripod: Polar Pro
Editing Software:
Adobe Premiere Pro CC

Whether it's reprinting film for a screen because he created the
artwork incorrectly, or simply counting inventory, Earven shows it
all. For larger shops or veteran shop owners, some of his revelations
may be too rudimentary to inspire interest. However, all viewers,
regardless of experience, seem to enjoy the entertainment aspect of
The Print Life.
"My audience is primarily [comprised of ] newbies to the industry,"
Earven says. "They all have a fear that they don't stack up [and] that
they are doing something wrong. When I show my struggles, too,
that's where the magic happens. Once I got over my fear of showing the problems, that's when things clicked in for The Print Life.
Learning the proper way to tag the videos, and other social-media
tricks, has helped grow my audience. But showing everyone the daily grind, believe it or not, has had the biggest payoff. I'm all about
helping other shops get through their day and improve."

Content is King
Helping other printers has added tremendous value to Monument
Ltd. "All of the video content adds what I call 'link juice' to our SEO,"
Earven says. "It is so powerful that I've been the top-rated return
on search without having to do anything other than basic site SEO.
The backlinks really help, and make the shop's website dominant."
Earven has big ambitions for his Print Life channel. He and his
other shop employee, Jessie, post four types of content: how-to videos, equipment/product reviews, a live feed (every Wednesday at 7
p.m. MST) and his personal daily vlog.
"My goal is to grow the Print Fam community to 20,000 members at end of the year," Earven says. "We'll get there by creating tons
of great content, some speaking engagements, workshops and live
screen-printing demonstrations."
The how-to videos feature instruction on working in a print shop,
and comparisons of shirt brands, inks and even equipment. "I offer
my take on how we have figured it out," Earven says. "What's great,
though, is that the Print Fam even teaches me new tricks. This entire
experience is so rewarding, as I get to learn from all angles."

The Print Life's weekly live feed features Earven discussing any
recent happenings in the shop. He fields questions and even offers
viewers the chance to post ideas. "There have been some pretty heated
debates in the chat," he says. "But it's all good. We're family."
For 2018, Earven wants to do a daily vlog from the shop. "I tried
this awhile ago and, just as I was picking up steam, life happened and
I stopped," he says. "To achieve my goals this year, doing the daily
vlog is going to drive those [subscriber] numbers up."
While pursuing this passion project, Earven also is working to
automate shop tasks with a bigger strategic picture in mind for The
Print Life and Monument Ltd. Everything is connected and he wants
to leverage it the right way, he says.
Earven always is searching for a better product, gizmo or app to
enhance shop efficiency. When he finds it, he discusses it with his
online community and shares his unbiased thoughts.
"We want to be the best craft printer in the industry," he says. "I
know it's a big goal and we have a long way to go. But while we learn,
we'll be documenting that journey."
That, folks, is infotainment. 
Marshall Atkinson, owner of Atkinson Consulting LLC, is a decoratedapparel industry production and efficiency expert who focuses on operational
efficiency, continuous improvement, workflow strategy, business planning
and more. For more information or to comment on this article, email Marshall
at marshall@marshallatkinson.com.

Get Connected
YouTube Channel: "The Print Life"
Instagram: @camearven
Twitter: twitter.com/camearven
Website: monumentlimited.com

MARCH 2018

P.31

http://www.monumentlimited.com

Impressions - March 2018

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Impressions - March 2018