Some time ago I was featured on the topic of how to get paid to go fishing in Jahdissa & Kalassa -online magazine. I’ll link the article for my Finnish readers below.

Key Lessons For Fishing Folks To Do Business Online?

My answer is – Messaging.

That’s important. Very important.

Teksti: Miika Manninen (Jahdissa & Kalassa. 8/2018)

Read the full article (in Finnish) here: 
https://verkkolehti.jahdissakalassa.fi/en/magazine/12049/824960/anni_yli-lonttinen_1.html

 

How to get paid to go fishing

 

If you are not fluent in Finnish, the whole point of the article is what is it that I actually do for a job?

My full time job is this online business called Kajana Club. And in the very center of that job is the puzzling word -messaging.

What do I mean by it? It’s one of the key elements for my online fly fishing business. Messaging is marketing, getting knew people to know what I do and building trust and engaging with my existing super-folks (i.e. my InnerCircle people) and my social media followers. So messaging is an important part of my day to day routines.

For my fly fishing business it means quite a few things. Messaging definitely means my videos and blog posts. It also means the emails I write for my InnerCircle. It means all the thought-out as well as all the random Facebook posts, small Tweets and stupid Snaps (@Kajanaclub). It means everything. Sharing my message.

And my message is that fly fishing is awesome!

It’s a kick-ass reason to get outdoors and enjoy the nature.

It is a way to live more. And it doesn’t have to be difficult to get started with.

That’s fly fishing, if you ask me!

But when it comes to sharing that message. Surely I just can’t go and blast out the joy of fly fishing randomly just anywhere in any form. Especially since I have a business.

 

Posting as a Fly Fishing Business

 

For quite some time I thought that all this messaging I do online, should be well thought-out.

Well planned or at least somewhat professional.

Perhaps SEO-optimized, scheduled and properly distributed in native-form to all sufficient platforms online.

That’s what a smart person would do, right? That’s what a REAL business would do, yes?

Well. Probably.

And I have tried that.

I’ve planned and wrote out a nice, proper marketing schedule. I’ve pre-wrote content and tried to stick to my publishing schedule. I’ve made the whole thing daunting and heavy and boring. Don’t get me wrong, a tool like publishing schedule is a great productivity tool. Helps to get something out, when creativity is blocked and writing the first word feels impossible.

But then, what always happens?

I get annoyed and frustrated with my professional marketing plan. It feels like WORK. And then in the evening I scroll through my photos on my phone or get a random idea for a post. I don’t think too much and just publish it. And it turns out to be really liked and shared post. That’s crazy!

Or on the other hand, it’s not crazy at all. It’s authentic.

And that’s what we like to see.

At least I do.

I love the random stuff those people I follow online post.

I like the “official, proper, credible” stuff too. That’s usually what brought me to them. I want to learn or get inspired by them. But what magnetizes me to those people and keeps me following their posts again and again. Is often times the random, real-life, behind the scenes content.

That’s just my thought for you.

If you are aiming to build something with your online work.

If you are a fly fishing professional, a fishing guide, accommodation owner or tackle shop, maybe that’s something you could add to your online marketing.

A chance for people to see the faces behind your business.

And not only those faces holding the perfect trophy catch in the perfect lighting. But those moments the fly got stuck to a tree, those moments you are unglamorously doing inventory in your warehouse, or cleaning the cottage for the next client, or just have a random thought you could share.

That’s messaging.

That’s building a relationship.

That’s engaging.

That’s giving something extra for your client. … In the form of sharing your message.

.

 

What do you think?

Do you have a different take on how to do business online and get paid to go fishing?

Best fishes!

Anni

 

PS.

If you’d like to read more, check out my e-book on Amazon.