5 Types of Fishing “Influencers”
This year I’m starting off with a fun post about the types of social media influencers I’ve seen in the fishing world.
1. Thirst Trap (TT)
Don’t know what a thirst trap is? See a fancy definition here -> ( What Is a ‘Thirst Trap’? | Merriam-Webster (merriam-webster.com)
Yep, I’m taking the gloves off right off the bat. If you clicked on this blog solely because of the image, you’ve been trapped. Pisses you off right? Maybe you liked it, who knows. Keep reading and maybe you’ll enjoy the rest.
Most fishing influencers in this category are women or men that use women to achieve the same goals. Most of them actually don’t even fish or give a crap about anything other than likes, views, impressions, and selling themselves. Their posts usually have very little depth information-wise and tend to focus only on looking sexy in their videos or pictures. They are like the fireworks of the social media influencers. They take off really fast and get popular really quickly, but once their “fans” run out of lotion and find a new pretty face or curvy figure, they quickly burn out. They are not respected nor trusted, much less taken seriously by real fisherman. The bottom line here is that Sex Sells. Unfortunately, this type of influencer creates an even tougher time for legit, passionate and knowledgeable influencers, particularly those that are female. While I still have a pulse, I have come to consider these type of influencers as spam.
2. PPUB: (Part-time, Passionate, Unattractive, or Broke $$$)
This category of influencer is a dreamer, has experience, but usually lacks something. Maybe it’s the time, good looks, or resources to “make it” very big. At least, not without a few extra hurdles to overcome. Since they lack the full set of ingredients per se, it may take them longer to make the same gorgeous and delicious cake. Once they get some traction, they have to work hard to maintain it or they will again slip back down the mountain they have been climbing. Some in this group do it because they simply enjoy it. Others do it with the hopes to be able to support themselves with earnings they receive from their content and quit their 9 to 5 for good. I do it because I think it is fun to journal my thoughts and experiences I have with fishing.
I pretty much fall into this category. I love all things fishing and writing this blog, but I also have a full-time job and a family to support. Yes, fishing is my dream, but currently I have to prioritize life over fishing many times. I don’t even own a truck or a boat but I don’t let that stop me. One day, maybe I’ll come to a cross-roads where I’ll be able to make a more informed decision on jumping into career related to fishing or doing something else.
3. Salesperson:
Everybody has bills to pay, I get that. HOWEVER, this category of influencer just loves money and will say or do anything they can to get yours. Greedy. That’s how I view this group. They may have the expertise, knowledge, legit resume, etc… but they one thing they’re missing is integrity. An example of this type of influencer’s post would always look like an advertisement to sell something.
“Buy this super new (way expensive) gear so you too can compete with the PROs!” The stuff they pimp out is so ridiculous sometimes it makes me laugh out loud.
4. Entertainer:
This group is fun to watch. They usually are comedic, crazy, or gifted presenters of information. It may be the style of presentation, or the type of content they produce that gets people hooked. Sometimes they are serious and are able to share golden nuggets of fishing information, but usually they are just out for a good time. I love these influencers. They make me happy.
5. Serious Professional / Experienced Fisherman
This category is usually the least entertaining, but their content is usually always golden. They specialize in “tips and hacks” that you don’t see very much from the other types of influencers. Sometimes they can go off the deep end with their ideas, but most of the time they keep things simple and speak in laymen’s terms. They don’t always give the “juice” because like true fishermen, they know once the cat is out of the bag, it’ll never get back in. These are the good ole’ boys and girls that could probably fish themselves a 20 lb. sack out of a 3 ft. mudhole. A lot of these influencers are considered “old school” and might be slow to changes in technology.
An influencer can fit into more than one of these categories at the same time, or possibly even move and shift between them all at times. What do you think? Did I leave out a category? Are your feelings hurt now (TTs and Salesmen)? Good, they should be.
Originally published at http://l2-fish.com on January 3, 2021.
