Great Lakes Boating Editor: Tell us who you are and which lake you call home!
Adam Terry: My name is Adam Terry, but I go by @Fishhook_Terry on Instagram. I grew up in West Michigan and came from a long line of outdoorsmen on both sides of my family. My grandparents lived on a lake and they had a pontoon, so that’s where I got my start. We’d always go over to my grandparents in the summer, get on the pontoon and fish off the boat, cruise around the lake. It was always good family time!
GLB: How has social media helped you pursue your passion of fishing on the Great Lakes?
AT: In this day and age, social media is definitely not a kid’s app. It’s more of a networking and marketing tool. Using social media, I’m able to connect with people who have my like-minded interests of boating and the outdoors. I’m also able to actually get on the radar of some of the biggest brands in the industry. As just a guy from Michigan who likes to fish, I am now able to get to the decision makers in a way I wouldn’t have been able to do even five years ago. There’s no way you could have called a company and said, “I want to talk to the owner or the head of marketing.” Now, you’re able to network with these folks and make connections that open doors that were never there before. For anybody of any age, if you have a dream of doing something, then social media is definitely the way to get those doors opened and follow your dreams.
GLB: Of all the apps and platforms available for social media, which one do you use the most and why?
AT: For me, it’s Instagram and I feel it’s the easiest to connect with the community of boating and fishing enthusiasts. Some of the other ones are good, but Instagram is where I can connect on a daily basis and share stories together.
GLB: How do you recommend people who want to get involved in Instagram get started?
AT: First things first: download that app! The best accounts are going to be focused on what you’re passionate about. So if it’s boating, try to stick to that theme. You can go searching popular boating theme hashtags and find accounts to follow that look interesting to you. When you’re sharing content, be genuine. Be honest. Everybody wants a good story. So if you share your vulnerabilities, people will pick up on your authenticity and they’ll want more of your story. More and more people will follow you and you’ll make some great friends.
GLB: What advice do you have for those who are trying to turn their social media following into a business?
AT: You have to be willing to put in the time. You have to be consistent with your content and focus on one theme. So if it’s boating, stick to boating. Don’t flip flop around. Really become a part of that community. Search the favorite boat brands and publicationst you like. Follow the hashtags and make meaningful comments to these pages. The more you show that you’re interested in their story, they are going to be more likely to follow you and be interested in your story. Engagement is a huge part of this and can get you where you want to be.
We need more people that are in our neck of the woods on social media. I don’t think there are enough stories of people’s journeys from the Great Lakes visible to the world. There’s definitely interest there, but everybody who is on a boat out here needs to set up their own accounts and really show pride in our Great Lakes states. What are the things around here? It could be just enjoying the water, it could be a situation in Wisconsin where we need to clean up the Great Lakes. You could bring people together just based on this common love of the outdoors and boating in the Great Lakes. That’s why I think more people should do it!
