Today we’d like to introduce you to Jared Long.
Hi Jared, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start maybe you can share some of your backstory with our readers?
I moved to Southern Illinois in 2019 so I could be close to my daughter who was just born. When I first moved to Southern Illinois I knew no one. Months after moving down, Covid happened. I was locked inside in a town far away from family and friends and I knew I needed a change in my routine. As covid subsided, it became possible to go visit the State Parks in Southern Illinois as well as the Shawnee National Forest. I fell in love immediately. I started taking videos with my phone to show my friends and family back home, then I started a Facebook page. From there, a fire was lit. I realized there were not a lot of resources advertising Southern Illinois. I was confused how I had lived in this state my whole life and never heard of Garden of the God’s, or Rim Rock, or even the Little Grand Canyon. Since discovering these places for myself, I made it my job to help show everyone else just how much they are missing too, by not visiting Southern Illinois. In 2021 I got my hands on a drone that I could barely afford at the time. Now I have built the business to be able to afford 5 drones with all different capabilities for different projects. I consider videography a Covid hobby that got wildly out of control.
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
Absolutely not, it has not been a smooth road. I had no idea how to run a business and I surprisingly did very little hiking before moving to Southern Illinois. Many times I felt like giving up. I’ll never forget one of my first clients telling me I was too expensive and they were finding someone cheaper. I was defeated and felt like giving up. A month later that same client called me back and said the video turned out terrible and they wanted to hire me to do it after all. I did the job at no charge and let the client know relationship was more important to me than numbers. We have since worked out an arrangement that works for both of us but I can name multiple examples like this where I felt like I was backsliding but in reality it was a stepping stone to something better. I knew if I continued getting better every day that eventually someone would see the value in what I am doing.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about SO ill CINEMA, LLC?
I am a drone and camera Videographer and Photographer. I work free lance and surpassed my day job income last year doing free lance work. I focus mostly on tourism and story telling. I am also quickly getting acclimated with Economic Development groups in my area and working on projects for them. My full time job is working for the State of Illinois and helping highlight the numerous outdoor recreation opportunities available in Southern Illinois. I also have specialized in marketing, specifically social media marketing throughout most of my career. The thing I love about what I get to do is that I also get to work with inspired people. Oftentimes, people are very good at their specific trade but struggle to tell their story. These are the situations that I live for. I want to help tell the stories that help people, that encourage people, and hopefully can somehow unite us through powerful storytelling.
Is there a quality that you most attribute to your success?
I think being able to relate with my clients has been paramount. I am used to working with business owners through my pas careers and I am familiar with feelings that come from feeling like you’re giving effort in marketing but getting no results. I have been there too. Over time I have been able to research what works and tailor my content to demographics that drive success. It’s one thing to create a great video, it’s another to make sure it gets in front of the right eyes!
Contact Info:
- Website: https://soillcinema.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/soillcinema/?hl=en
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/soillcinema/
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@soillcinema
