Learn about Jamie van Leeuwen and his work in sports as the Social Media Lead for ESPN.
Jamie van Leeuwen recently took some time from his busy schedule as the Social Media Lead at ESPN to tell us about his roles and career journey.
About Jamie van Leeuwen
Nationality: Australian
Current Role: Social Media Lead
Residence: Australia
About Jamie’s Social Media Lead role
Managing the ESPN social media accounts and engaging with our fanbase.
It’s my responsibility to create a wide range of content for our channels from Facebook to TikTok and to implement a strategy that best promotes the ESPN brand in Australia & New Zealand.
How do your roles contribute to the overall goals of the organisations?
In 2020, social media is the front window for an organisation.
It’s my responsibility to grow a loyal fanbase and to reach new audiences that wouldn’t be reachable through the use of traditional media.
The media landscape is always changing and so is the way we interact with our audience to cultivate an environment that we’re proud of – one that celebrates sport and the achievements of athletes around the world.
How did you acquire your current roles?
I have worked in the social media space for a number of years, both in Australia and abroad.
Prior to that I received a Bachelor of Communications and Media from the University of Canberra, Australia and pursued further study in Switzerland.
“It’s my responsibility to grow a loyal fanbase and to reach new audiences that wouldn’t be reachable through the use of traditional media.”
What typical equipment, tools & technologies do you use to achieve great outcomes in your work?
Adobe tools are my bread and butter.
Premiere Pro and After Effects are fantastic tools for video production, while Photoshop, Lightroom and Illustrator are where I got to edit or create images.
What methodologies and standards do you incorporate in your work?
I think it’s important to know your audience and also to know the organisation you’re working for. I’m lucky that, as a sports fan myself, I fall into the audience that ESPN is wanting to target.
Every day I come into work and think about what would resonate with me a sports fan. Having that mindset has served me well and has helped ESPN grow their presence in this part of the world.
What’s your favourite or go to sports brands for your role in sports?
I like to keep across as many as possible to keep on top of current trends. I’m a huge football (soccer) fan and many of the European/U.K based pages I get a lot of inspiration from.
What advice would you give to anyone wanting to be in your role in the future?
Be passionate and keep working on your skills. I always try to teach myself new skills and to be as varied as possible. If you have a computer, you can access a huge range of YouTube tutorials.
Choose a new skill or technical area you’d like to improve on and learn all there is to know. That way, when a job pops up that you’re wanting to apply for you already have plenty of skills under your belt.
That’s what will separate you from other applicants.
“Every day I come into work and think about what would resonate with me a sports fan.”
What are some key successes or personal milestones you’ve achieved in your career?
Last year I was a finalist at the Australian Media Awards for outstanding individual digital sports coverage and I pride myself on creating content for a number of different mediums.
Photos I have taken have featured on book covers and in international magazines, while videos I’ve produced have been viewed millions of times online and broadcast on TV.
What’s some advice or knowledge you wish you had been aware of earlier in your career?
You don’t need formal qualifications or enormous experience to make it in this industry.
I’ve taught myself 99% of the skills I learnt over my career and because I’m passionate, I’ve been able to keep progressing.
Teach yourself the skills you need for the job you want.
From your perspective, who are some success stories you look up to and why?
I have a lot of respect for people who are able to keep adapting and reinventing themselves and never resting on their laurels.
The media landscape is shifting so quickly, I respect anyone who can stay ahead of the curve and continue to create and set trends.
“Photos I have taken have featured on book covers and in international magazines, while videos I’ve produced have been viewed millions of times online and broadcast on TV.”
What regions of the world and specific organisations you’d like to be part of during your career?
Not specifically. I’m excited to see what new players emerge in the media landscape in the coming years.
What types of roles would you like to be doing in the future during your career?
I love filming and content creation. It’s nice to have the technical skills of social media strategy and distribution, but being creative is my passion.
More about Jamie van Leeuwen and his work in the international sports industry.
If you would like to learn more about Jamie van Leeuwen’s work and connect with him.
Check out his LinkedIn profile for more information and details.
