One of the first steps an angler takes when entering the fishing industry is generally becoming a “pro staff” or “field staff” for one or multiple companies within the fishing industry. While the position, requirements and incentives can vary based on the company and the individual angler the same general concepts apply to most of these relationships.
To begin, let’s first discuss the basics of these positions. Companies from large to small have recognized the importance of influencer marketing, which is utilizing individuals who have the ability to influence another individual’s purchasing habits or decisions. This could be because of their knowledge base, position of authority or their relationship with a relatively large audience, which is generally social media driven.
The fishing industry is no different. Companies within the industry have recognized the impact influencer marketing can have on the purchasing decisions of other anglers and have specialized this marketing tactic to the field, creating “pro staff”, “field staff” and “ambassador” level positions within their marketing plan.
Individuals who are recognized as influencers often have a large following on social media, an established guide business, are common faces at tournaments on a variety of levels or have a combination of these elements. Again, these are individuals who are well known within the fishing and/or outdoor industry and have the ability to influence other angler’s buying habits.
The exact relationship and position can vary based on each individual company and angler, but in most situations the company provides their product or services at a discounted price to the angler in exchange for the angler sharing posts, pictures and/or videos of the products. For guides, this involves getting those products in the hands of clients and in the case of tournament anglers sharing the product they were using in the post tournament interview.
Social media is often the common denominator as established guides and tournament anglers often already bring a strong social media following and even anglers who do not run a business or fish competitively may have a large following on their social media platforms. Sharing pictures, videos and other posts of the products or services in use by the angler helps get the product in the screens of their followers from a source those followers have personally deemed credible.
The success of a company’s influencer marketing campaign is ultimately determined by the influencers themselves, which makes these individual’s role in the relationship critical. Individuals who hold these “field” or “pro” staff positions within a brand can help both the company and their own brand grow, which is key for building these relationships and entering into new ones.
How can anglers succeed in these positions? We share a few key tips on making the relationship a success.
Believe in the product and/or company.
First and most importantly, the angler has to believe in the product and/or company they are promoting. If you don’t believe in what you are sharing, don’t share it. Anglers who are fully committed to what they support are often the most informative, engaging and most importantly genuine. Your followers believe in you, you need to believe in what you tell them back.
Quality is more important than quantity.
We’ve all heard it, quality over quantity, but what does it mean in this situation? Well there are a variety of meanings. First off, think about the number of companies you want to represent. Many individuals cast a wide net thinking the more pro staffs they are on, the more professional they will appear. This isn’t necessarily the case. Focusing on a couple companies you actually believe in will allow you to focus more on doing a good job with those individual relationships, building them for the future and leading to more quality relationships as well.
Secondly, the same can be said about the quality of posts regarding these products. Many of these relationships have a required number of posts and possibly types of posts required over a certain amount of time. However, this does not mean you should simply throw together random posts to meet your quota. Take the time to make your posting and messages engaging and informative, even if there are fewer of them, your followers and your company will thank you.
Communicate with your company often.
Communication is key in all relationships and the same can be said for these. Constantly stay up to date with the latest information provided by the brand(s) you represent. This may be as simple as interacting with their social media posts or taking the time to see what their initiatives are. Do they have a new product they are trying to market? Is there exciting news that can be shared?
In addition to staying engaged with your company, establish a contact and keep in touch. When entering a pro staff or similar agreement, there will often be a marketing or digital advertising coordinator who will be your point of contact. For smaller companies, it could even be the owner or president. Build a relationship and ask what you can do to support them, you’ll often find they are willing to help you as much as you are willing to help them!
Maintain a constant brand for yourself.
This seems simple, but is important. Your imagery, voice and what you share is critical to your brand. When you begin working for a larger brand, you are also still representing your own brand as well. Stay authentic to yourself, this will in turn keep you authentic-and most importantly credible-to your followers and partners as well.
Know that everything you post or say can tie back to your own brand and the brands you represent. Always be mindful of how you act online, on the water and off. You want both brands involved in the relationship to be stronger as the relationship continues.
Have fun.
The most important thing to remember, fishing is about having fun. We all take to the water to enjoy a day, relax and be ourselves. At the end of the day, make sure you still are motivated to participate in the sport for the same reasons you were when you got started.
Whether you are just beginning your career path to becoming a professional angler or have established yourself in the industry, pro or field staff positions are a great way to continue building and maintaining your brand and positively influencing the industry as a whole. Good fishing!
Learn More About Building Your Brand
There are hundreds of thousands of anglers in the region, how are you going to stand out from the rest of them? The key to building your brand in the fishing industry is emerging from the rest of the pack. Find out how you can rise to the top in Standing Apart from the Crowd.
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.
