Knowing where to jump is just as important as knowing how to jump — always make a plan for where you’re going to land and and have a backup plan to go with it, based on what you’ve learned about where good gear spawns. Check the map at the start of each match, find your preferred drop zone, and go for it (and have another spot in mind if your favored one has too many other parachutes dropping in). That little bit of preparation can help you start a match strong.
Your best results are often to pick good places as far from the line of the cargo plane’s path as you can manage. Jumping late in the plane’s flight also has the benefit of putting you away from more players, although you’ll have less time to loot than you would if you jumped early. Once you have a good feeling about locations you like for their loot, and where cars spawn, you can start picking jump zones that will have good loot and nearby vehicles right at the start of the game. That means you can quickly get across the island if the play area doesn’t favor your drop zone, and hopefully have good-enough gear to punish anyone who comes after you.
In any case, by planning your drops in better areas, you’ll almost always be better off than if you pick a small, random farmhouse settlement in the middle of nowhere.