Jordan Matter began his career as a photographer in New York. His early content featured behind-the-scenes looks at his photo shoots and photo challenge series with famous creators like Addison Rae and Charli D’Amelio. 

In 2021, Jordan’s content shifted to feature his family, particularly his daughter Salish, a talented gymnast.

The Most Important Skills for YouTube Success

Before he was a photographer, Jordan pursued acting after graduating from college. These improvisational skills gave him a unique bent toward creating unscripted content.  

He explains, “She [Salish] and I improvise everything. Having strong improvisational skills has allowed me to be very comfortable with that and then help teach her how to do that as well.”

In addition to improvisational skills, Jordan shares that his background as a photographer has been immensely helpful in setting up a successful YouTube channel. 

He has an excellent visual sense for what looks good on camera and can partner with his cinematographer to create high-quality videos due to this skill set. 

Jordan adds, “One thing that many YouTubers could pay more attention to is audio and camera angles and how they shoot the video to make it look more dynamic and less iPhoney.”

VidCon Anaheim pictures

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Jordan Matter (@jordanmatter)

VidCon Anaheim 2023

Jordan participated in various VidCon Anaheim 2023 panels, including “Content Marketing for People Who Hate Marketing,” “All in the Family,” and “Creator to Creator: Cooking with Lynja and Jordan Matter.”

For Jordan, the highlight of VidCon Anaheim 2023 was meeting other creators and participating in panels. He said, “My channel has grown through collaborations. I started with photography and collaborated with a different creator each week. Now, half of our videos are made with other creators. I enjoy meeting new people and reconnecting with those I already know.”

Meeting fans was another high point of VidCon Anaheim 2023 for Jordan and his family. They appreciate their fans and enjoy thanking them in person.

Jordan also spoke about learning from other creators at VidCon Anaheim. He said, “It’s interesting to learn from others about their creative processes. I always have a list of questions to ask when I meet someone new.”

Jordan recommends that even smaller creators should not hesitate to ask questions and network with larger creators. Such interactions can provide valuable insights and may change the course of your channel.

The Future of Creator Events

While events like VidCon Anaheim are a great networking opportunity and a way to meet your favorite creators, it’s also a chance to learn from your supporters. 

Jordan shares, “The biggest mistake a creator can make is thinking they know what the audience wants best. I would say that nexus [of industry, creators, and fans] would be great if there was more of an online forum that existed year round where somehow creators and fans could communicate, and fans could give creators advice.” 

For example, a creator’s views may shift suddenly, and they may wonder if this is the result of an algorithm change or an audience’s interest in what they’re putting out. 

Open communication between creators and fans about what the audience wants would help creators make better decisions about their content. 

The State of the Creator Economy

The creator economy is blowing up from the huge number of participants, viewers, and ad dollars invested in it. 

Jordan comments, “It’s an unbelievable thing that you could create something, and that amount of revenue can come in. Top creators, I think, are up there with any professional in terms of revenue, and that creator could be 18. It’s crazy. I think it’s only going up from here.”

More and more opportunities are becoming available for creators, especially as many creators expand into launching brands and products that live on beyond their Internet fame. 

The Future of the Creator Economy

Jordan predicts that creators will continue to have more opportunities in the creator economy, from brand deals to product launches to TV or film opportunities. 

He predicts that the biggest challenge for creators will be breaking through as competition continues to skyrocket now that more people recognize a career in social media can bring in serious money. 

He explains, “Even a couple of years ago, I would say I do YouTube, and people would ask do you make money? How do you make money? Now everybody knows that it’s a serious revenue-generating career, and as a result, more people want to do it, so it’s going to be harder to break through. The way to break through is to stay original, be yourself, find something unique that you have to say, and stay consistent.”

Due to all the opportunities in the creator economy, Jordan thinks the future of the creator economy is solid as long as creators are honest and not deceptive about what they sell to their audiences. 

2023 Social Media Predictions

Short-form content on TikTok and YouTube currently dominates people’s attention, which Jordan doesn’t see changing anytime soon. 

“I think there’s going to be more and more platforms vying for eyes, vying for people to come and see them.”

As a result, he feels that creators will need to be on more platforms because they’ll never know what the next best thing will be. For example, BeReal was rapidly gaining popularity but has now faded away, but other platforms like TikTok have remained popular. 

Jordan adds, “I think the platform that figures out how to seriously monetize short-form content first is going to win that game. Imagine if Instagram suddenly paid a hundred thousand dollars if you have a viral reel, people would leave TikTok and Shorts and go straight to Instagram because everybody would want that revenue.”

Jordan’s Advice for Aspiring Creators

Above all else, he says to be patient and consistent. Remember, building a strong and loyal relationship with your audience is the number one priority. 

Learn from previous content by assessing what does and doesn’t work well with your audience. Stay consistent with your posts and make each video better than the one before. 

Jordan comments, “Nobody cares if you get famous or rich. They’re not going to watch your videos for that reason. What do you have to share? What is your life experience? What stories do you have to tell? If you can answer that question and feel passionate about waking up in the morning and telling these stories, you have a really good chance of breaking through.”