How To Become an Influencer in the Fishing Industry

You Want to be an Influencer?

If you’ve ever dreamed of becoming an influencer, there may be no better time than now. With the rise of social media and its influence on consumers, influencers are more sought after than ever before. And if you’re passionate about fishing, then this is the perfect career path for you! Companies within the fishing industry are always looking to partner with influencers who can share their enthusiasm and love for fishing with their audience. But what does it really take to become an influencer in the fishing industry? Let’s find out.

One thing to keep in mind while you are going through this process is that in general, influencer marketing is just that, marketing. This entire process with funds and/or product will be directly related to marketing, a marketing team at a company and marketing budgets. That said, these companies will want to know exactly what you will do for them and how they will get a return on their investment in you.

What Companies Need Influencers?

There are several fishing companies that need influencers on their team and are actively looking. To start, you may have to go the old grass roots way and look up each company’s website to see if they are posting about adding to their team. You might happen to get lucky and see a social media post about a company adding as well. A lot of companies only accept applications at certain times of year. Other companies are actively looking year-round and reach out to influencers directly. Okuma is a good example of that.
Another place to look is NPS- National Pro Staff. They are an organization that helps you get discounted product, sometimes leading to bigger things. Sometimes it’s all about getting your foot in the door.

Be Passionate About Fishing

If you want to be a successful influencer in the fishing industry, it goes without saying that you need to have a passion for fishing. After all, how can you convince someone else to get excited about fishing if you don’t even enjoy it yourself? You need to have a deep knowledge and understanding of the sport so that your content can provide valuable information to your followers. You should also be able to speak confidently about various topics related to fishing such as tackle, techniques, fish species, etc.

Build Your Network

One of the most important things you can do as an aspiring influencer is build relationships with other people within the industry. This means joining organizations like bass clubs or national associations which will help you build relationships with like-minded people who have similar interests and goals as yours. Joining these organizations will also give you access to resources that will help you become a better angler and learn more about the sport of fishing. Additionally, building relationships with companies within the industry will open doors for potential sponsorships and paid opportunities down the road as well.

Some companies might have their own minimum thresholds on how many subscribers, views, etc. So don’t be discouraged.

Create Quality Content

The content that you create is what will set yourself apart from other influencers in the same space. It’s essential that your content is engaging and high quality so that your followers stay engaged and interested in what you have to say. You should also focus on creating content that provides value such as tips or tricks on how to catch more fish or reviews on different types of tackle or gear. By doing this, your followers will trust your opinion and look forward to new content from you each week!

Remember that there are several types of content out there. Like all industries, influence is all about getting eyes on a company’s product. In the fishing industry, there are your standard Product Introduction videos, Unboxing videos, How To’s and of course, general In-Use video strategies. Once you get in contact with a company, you will need to let them know what you specialize in as well as what types of content you can offer them.

Where do I post my Content?

There are so many social type platforms nowadays, and all of them very popular. Currently, the fishing industry is mostly interested in YouTube, Instagram and TikTok. Of course, Twitter and Facebook are always popular as well, but if you can provide the first three, you are certainly on the way. Of course, once you are speaking with a company, ask them specifically what outlets they would like to see the content you create used. Some push more for YouTube over Instagram, and some are only wanting TikTok right now, so always worth the ask.

Starting the Influencer Conversation

When you finally decide to reach out to a company that you would like to work with, always remember that you need to form your communication in the “Here is what I can provide for you” type of structure. Fishing Tackle companies get people coming to them with their hands out all the time. Having someone reach out to them with some basic metrics is always great.

Here is an example of a conversation you might have with a Fishing Tackle company:
Hello Fishing Company- My name is ****. I would like to reach out to you as I feel that I would be a great part of your community. I currently create content on several platforms including TikTok, which is really taking off, YouTube and Instagram. My combined reach is ***** and I have generated over **** pieces of content this year bringing in over **** views with **** minutes of combined time consumed. In fact, my average watch time is currently **** on my YouTube channel.

I have always been passionate about the sport of fishing and I hope you can see it in the content I create. I am also involved with these fishing organizations that help to improve the sport….(list out the organizations if any).

I would really like to speak to someone about your influencer/creator/ambassador program.

Something to that effect gets the conversation going. This clearly tells the company that this isn’t only about getting free product. You want them to know that you want to help them market their items and help to grow their brands.

Conclusion:

Being an influencer in any field requires hard work and dedication but if being a part of one of America’s oldest sports excites you then being an Influencer in Fishing could be just what you’re looking for! To become a successful Influencer in Fishing it’s important that firstly understand why companies look for them – they want someone who knows their stuff when it comes to angling and has some sort of following online so they can spread awareness around their products or services they offer – secondly make sure when creating content its informative yet still engaging so followers have something worthwhile taking away from each post; finally network. Build relationships within both local & national organizations which could lead into possible sponsorships & job opportunities further down line! The possibilities are endless if you’re willing put in effort into making yourself an influential figure within this industry! Good Luck!!

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See you on the water!