For anglers looking to turn their hobby into a career, a key part is standing out from the crowd. There are hundreds of thousands of anglers in your area, to successfully build a brand and business, fellow anglers and potential customers are going to need to know who you are and what you can provide for them. Fortunately, there are several steps anglers can take to stand out from the rest!
The first step is to begin building your brand. Without even knowing it, many anglers have already begun this process and are ready to take this to the next level. Your brand is who you are. This includes your voice, your imagery and your reputation. For many anglers looking to take the next step, this includes a logo.
A well designed logo is your next step to standing out from the majority. When you begin placing this logo on your social media pages, on promotional materials such as business cards, flyers and/or clothing your brand awareness will increase significantly. You’ll also look more professional to prospective clients and partners.
Consult a professional graphic designer when it comes to designing your logo and other promotional materials, this will ensure your products as the best possible and will leave a lasting impression on those who see it. They may also be able to offer advice on where to get these items printed or shared.
Once you’ve put an increased focus on building your brand, this is something that will be something you need to consider every day throughout your entire professional career. As you’re building your brand, it is a good idea to partner with other brands to help grow together. A pro staff or similar position with established brands in the fishing industry is a great next step. Availability for these positions depends on the company, but many are willing to bring on individuals with brands and objectives that align with their marketing strategy.
To obtain these positions, you’ll need to stand out from the other anglers. This is where your work building your own brand and displaying professionalism will pay dividends. To continue to build your credibility and display your professionalism, you’ll need a strong resume and cover letter. Imagine you were applying to any other job and approach these positions that way.
As your career develops, begin keeping an active resume about your accomplishments. This may include your tournament finishes, guide days, master angler awards, articles published, interviews completed and/or analytics from your social media, video views or website traffic. This helps give potential partners or sponsors an idea on your accomplishments and why partnering with you would be a good move for their brand.
In addition to your resume, you’ll want to share a good cover letter as well. This should give a brief introduction on who you are, your goals and a brief list of your accomplishments. Your resume could be one page or a front/back, but you want your cover letter to be just a couple paragraphs about yourself and why they should partner with you.
Finally, once you’ve entered into these partnerships, work hard to do the best you can with them. Not only will this benefit the brand you represent, but it will also help your brand grow as well. As that relationship grows and succeeds, often times it will open up the door for other relationships as well.
Many anglers looking to become pro or field staff for companies will often cast a broad net and submit applications or messages wherever they can. Oftentimes, they are more focused on the benefits that come with these positions such as discounted products. Few recognize the importance these positions can play as they build their brand and/or business in the fishing industry.
By showing your professionalism through your branding, resume, cover letter and understanding of how these relationships can be mutually beneficial you will be able to stand out from the rest of the anglers who are trying to compete for the same types of positions. As your brand continues to grow and develop, you’ll see continued success both creating and building these relationships for years to come. Good fishing!
Learn More About Building Your Brand
Your brand is who you are and who people recognize. As your brand continues to grow, your impact in the fishing industry will become bigger and bigger. Learn how you can continue growing your brand in Building Your Brand in the Fishing Industry.
