HOW DO YOU DEAL WITH SOCIAL MEDIA?
As social media reaches its saturation point, how it relates to the fishing industry is changing yet again. Once only a convenient spot to post photos; it’s become a focal point of modern society. It has brought the fishing community together in ways never thought possible a decade ago.
IS EVERYONE ON SOCIAL MEDIA?
The fishing industry has completely jumped on board the social media craze. From industry giants such as St Croix Rods to your local boutique bait builder; they all have a presence somewhere online.
At no other time in history has information been this easy to share with customers, or friends. Long gone are the days of pro fishermen only being someone you saw on television or magazines. Now they post regularly so you can follow them and interact in real time. Trends in fishing from one area can quickly be duplicated in your home area.
We, as anglers, can turn to a relevant post for insight on a particular technique, or see how companies recommend you use their products. This educational aspect cannot be overlooked. From the big fishing personalities sharing daily or weekly tips, to local guides or lodge owners sharing fishing reports. Everywhere you look you’ll find a wealth of knowledge.
HOW IMPORTANT IS SOCIAL MEDIA?
Very few people in the business of fishing takes social media lightly any longer. They work hard to have quality content, and to avoid any negative connotations. The sharing of positive posts is a primary source of the promoting work they do.
We, as individual fishermen all share our photos or opinions. The fishing companies get free advertising when you post photos or videos with their gear in them. The upside of this grassroots marketing is many fishermen get added notoriety if the company picks up or shares their post.
This is where a lot of pro staff fishermen get started. You do a good job promoting yourself, using their product and they notice. Don’t kid yourself; industry insiders watch social media for those that separate themselves from the crowd. The downside of social media is the anonymity it provides people. While most individuals post quality content or comments; the inevitable bad apple spoils the party. It’s not our intent to dwell on the negative aspects social media.
ON BEING SUCCESSFUL
The debate on the ethics of social media is beyond the scope of this article; we can only discuss how it relates to us, personally. As pro staff team members, a business manager, and writers, we treat our social media as an ongoing resume of our life. Whether we are posting for our personal page, guide service, or in Kyla’s case Bobby’s Sport Shop, we are always conscious of the content we create. Being on the inside of the industry we have an obligation to uphold the values of the companies we represent.
Any success we have in the fishing industry is a result, in large part to our social media presence. Early on we took our posts serious, trying to avoid hot topic issues. Our goal in fishing is to help educate and promote conservation and to further help grow our sport; not police it.
CORE VALUES
We try to understand the core values and beliefs of the companies we work with, and post accordingly. When we look to add fishing related posts, we ask ourselves what the companies we represent, or our clients like to see. On the water we take pride in capturing quality photos; in unique ways. While the hero shot is awesome, sometimes a different angle of a unique fish will generate more interest. We’ve included a couple photos that our sponsors have used or shared; and a couple that show different angles that keep things fresh.
LOST IN TRANSLATION
Something that gets lost in social media is the fact that everyone you interact with is a real person. In today’s society, we seem to have lost the desire to talk to one another. Nothing beats a face to face meeting or even a phone call. That being said; use social media to your benefit and reach out to other anglers. You’ll be surprised at how open most people are if you approach them with an open mind and ask for advice. Just because someone is a top pro, a TV personality, or even your local tackle shop manager doesn’t mean they don’t want to talk to you.
As you plan your next fishing trip, take a few minutes to plan some cool, unique photos. Think your next social media post through and tag your favorite fishing company; who knows yours might be the next post they share.