- Words by Devon Paige Smith Photography by Lia Crowe

Full-time professional content creator乌鸦传媒�乌鸦传媒攊t乌鸦传媒檚 a title Jared Vandermeer is still getting used to. But it乌鸦传媒檚 one that乌鸦传媒檚 quite fitting after he spent the last year fully immersed in creating content for his social channels.

乌鸦传媒淚t乌鸦传媒檚 definitely been a whirlwind,乌鸦传媒� says Jared, who in the last year has gained over a million followers, posted over 700 videos and has a combined billion views across social media platforms乌鸦传媒攚ith much of that content filmed right here on Vancouver Island.

乌鸦传媒淢oving to the island was the best decision I made, I乌鸦传媒檝e never looked back,乌鸦传媒� Jared says. 乌鸦传媒淏eing here has been such a huge part of me getting to where I am today.乌鸦传媒�

Jared, who grew up in Edmonton and started a marketing agency there, had no plans on leaving Alberta乌鸦传媒攗ntil the pandemic hit.

乌鸦传媒淐OVID-19 was really the catalyst,乌鸦传媒� he explains. 乌鸦传媒淏efore the pandemic I spent most of my time working with clients at the agency and I had my day-to-day routine. When the pandemic hit, and a lot of my restaurant clients, in particular, really pulled back on a lot of their projects, I had time and space to refocus my creativity.乌鸦传媒�

After he made the move to southern Vancouver Island, and while COVID-19 was keeping most people close to home, Jared started exploring more content creation locally.

乌鸦传媒淎t the beginning, more than anything, creating content for my social channels got me out walking, got me out of the house,乌鸦传媒� he laughs, adding that exploring local nooks and crannies is what really got his creative juices flowing.

乌鸦传媒淚 had the inspiration of the island right here in front of me. The water, the ocean, the forest. Just being able to go for walks every day and not having snow on the ground for five or six months, it was all new. There乌鸦传媒檚 no interruption to the inspiration here.乌鸦传媒�

And Jared has many favourite spots on the island to dial in his creativity.

乌鸦传媒淭he inner harbour in downtown Victoria is great乌鸦传媒攊t乌鸦传媒檚 just so vibrant and there are so many different people down there, different types of architecture, great scenery. I also love getting out on trails, and down to beaches all over the island.乌鸦传媒�

And asked if he misses the snow, he laughs, as most islanders would: 乌鸦传媒淎bsolutely not.乌鸦传媒�

With a background and wealth of experience in marketing, it was no surprise that Jared乌鸦传媒檚 content began to hone in on a specific subject matter and audience in the last year.

乌鸦传媒淢y passion has become teaching people how to create content and create a brand without any major investment. My mission is to show other creators and businesses that they can be successful by creating content with only a phone or camera, some dedication and some creativity,乌鸦传媒� Jared explains. 乌鸦传媒淚 was tired of all the shortcuts and latest trends, and I wanted to focus on the things I knew really worked for me, and this is where I ended up.乌鸦传媒�

On his channels, much of his content relates to photography, and showing his followers tips and tricks for better and more creative picture-making on both digital SLR cameras and iPhones. He also shows his followers how to edit creative video content for Instagram and TikTok, and he gives his followers ideas for compelling product photography.

More than anything, Jared says, it乌鸦传媒檚 the type of content he enjoys creating most.

乌鸦传媒淪howing people how to take cool photos and make neat videos is fun for me. And I know if I乌鸦传媒檓 having fun, the content I乌鸦传媒檓 creating does well.乌鸦传媒�

Jared believes that乌鸦传媒檚 where a lot of burgeoning creators go wrong: 乌鸦传媒淭hey feel like they have to jump on the latest trends or try to film content that乌鸦传媒檚 popular but maybe isn乌鸦传媒檛 of interest to them. And the audience can always tell if your heart isn乌鸦传媒檛 in it. As long as you乌鸦传媒檙e having fun creating, your niche and your audience will eventually evolve. It乌鸦传媒檚 a natural process.乌鸦传媒�

Along with having fun, Jared attributes his growth over the last year to seriously committing to content creation乌鸦传媒攖o filming it, editing it and posting it.

乌鸦传媒淚 make sure I乌鸦传媒檓 posting every day, at least once a day. That was a shift for me. I realized I really had to commit to it. I also film and edit content almost every day. It乌鸦传媒檚 more than a full-time job.乌鸦传媒�

So, what lies ahead for someone who is now a full-time professional content creator?

乌鸦传媒淚乌鸦传媒檓 going to stay true to the audience that乌鸦传媒檚 gotten me to where I am today乌鸦传媒攖hat乌鸦传媒檚 important to me. I want to bring my content to a new level while I continue to show people that content creation is accessible to everyone and that you can do some incredible things with just the phone in your hand.乌鸦传媒�

You can find Jared on Instagram @jared_vandermeer, on TikTok @jared.vandermeer and on YouTube: JaredVanderMeer.

Jared乌鸦传媒檚 simple tips for content creation success:

乌鸦传媒� Commit乌鸦传媒攎ake time for content creation and take it seriously.

乌鸦传媒� Plan for quantity乌鸦传媒攑ost at least once a day, twice if you can.

乌鸦传媒� Take risks乌鸦传媒攑ost everything, even if you don乌鸦传媒檛 think it will do well (often, that乌鸦传媒檚 the content that ends up surprising you).

乌鸦传媒� Don乌鸦传媒檛 overthink it乌鸦传媒攑lanning too much is a content killer, because the content starts to feel unauthentic. Hone in on an idea and run with it.

乌鸦传媒� Most of all, have fun with the content you乌鸦传媒檙e creating. Your followers can tell.

Story courtesy of , a Black Press Media publication
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