- Words by Devon Paige Smith Photography by Lia Crowe

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

鈥淚t鈥檚 definitely been a whirlwind,鈥� 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鈥攚ith much of that content filmed right here on Vancouver Island.

鈥淢oving to the island was the best decision I made, I鈥檝e never looked back,鈥� Jared says. 鈥淏eing here has been such a huge part of me getting to where I am today.鈥�

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

鈥淐OVID-19 was really the catalyst,鈥� he explains. 鈥淏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.鈥�

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.

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

鈥淚 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鈥檚 no interruption to the inspiration here.鈥�

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

鈥淭he inner harbour in downtown Victoria is great鈥攊t鈥檚 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.鈥�

And asked if he misses the snow, he laughs, as most islanders would: 鈥淎bsolutely not.鈥�

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

鈥淢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,鈥� Jared explains. 鈥淚 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.鈥�

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鈥檚 the type of content he enjoys creating most.

鈥淪howing people how to take cool photos and make neat videos is fun for me. And I know if I鈥檓 having fun, the content I鈥檓 creating does well.鈥�

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

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

鈥淚 make sure I鈥檓 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鈥檚 more than a full-time job.鈥�

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

鈥淚鈥檓 going to stay true to the audience that鈥檚 gotten me to where I am today鈥攖hat鈥檚 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.鈥�

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

Jared鈥檚 simple tips for content creation success:

鈥� Commit鈥攎ake time for content creation and take it seriously.

鈥� Plan for quantity鈥攑ost at least once a day, twice if you can.

鈥� Take risks鈥攑ost everything, even if you don鈥檛 think it will do well (often, that鈥檚 the content that ends up surprising you).

鈥� Don鈥檛 overthink it鈥攑lanning too much is a content killer, because the content starts to feel unauthentic. Hone in on an idea and run with it.

鈥� Most of all, have fun with the content you鈥檙e creating. Your followers can tell.

Story courtesy of , a Black Press Media publication
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