Rob Carter: We are launching on Substack to reach anglers

Over the past few months, I’ve been working on a new project that reflects a significant shift in the way the angling trade now communicates with its audience.

The result is that Angling International will be launching a Substack. If you are not familiar with the platform, it is where expert journalists provide content for a niche audience.

What makes this project different is that the audience we will be reaching on Substack will not be trade professionals, although they are very welcome to follow. No, in a major departure for Angling International, instead we will be targeting anglers, specifically those dedicated angling fans from around the world who want to know the inside stories behind the products they love, delivered by the professionals who make them.

Why are we doing this? For two reasons. The first is that the traditional distinction between B2B and B2C media in the tackle trade is no longer as clear as it once was.

When Angling International was launched almost 20 years ago, trade news was separate to consumer announcements, carefully managed to be delivered many weeks in advance. It matched the sales schedule.

That is no longer the case. Brands now communicate directly with anglers. Consumers want insight directly from the source. And product developers have become personalities in their own right.

There is still a need for exclusive trade news, delivered better than anyone else by Angling International. It underpins the global industry connections that lead to new business opportunities in new markets. That is not going away. Angling International will remain the best platform for creating awareness about your factory or brand to distributors and retail partners around the world.

But we are also going to bring ourselves closer to the end users that want to know more about how your products reach them, with a new family of Substacks – all from the makers of Angling International but under a new name.  

We have chosen Substack because, unlike algorithm-driven social media, which rewards speed, noise and endless scrolling, Substack attracts highly engaged niche audiences. These are dedicated anglers who actively choose to spend time with specialist content. They are not passive consumers. They are enthusiasts.

Which brings me to the second reason, and also my pitch to you. The content we will make for hardcore enthusiasts will be deep and detailed, the opposite of typical social media feeds but also in keeping with the brand values of Angling International – where professional journalism is the cornerstone and the stories of our subjects matter more than our own opinions. We plan to give anglers access to the inner workings of the tackle trade and ask the questions they always wanted to ask of design heroes who are just out of their reach.

It means that for brands, the opportunity is considerable – while requiring very little additional effort.

By supplying news more regularly and allowing access to designers and pro anglers for interviews and Q&As, brands can place themselves directly in front of a concentrated global audience of serious fans through a trusted independent platform.

Just as importantly, it creates an opportunity for brands to showcase the people behind their products as innovators, thinkers and influential voices.

Very few platforms currently allow those stories to be told properly. And none will ever be able to do it as consistently as one owned by Angling International.

Soon, we will launch Access All Lure Angling, the first in our series of Substacks. If you manage a predator brand, you may or may not already be working with Angling International, depending on your B2B objectives. But now is the time to increase your intensity. In short, we have a new outlet for your news content and for telling your inside stories.

Access All Lure Angling gives predator brands a new global stage at no extra cost except the time it takes to work with us on content.

Importantly, this is not short-form promotional content competing for attention in a crowded feed. It is long-form storytelling that builds authority, brand value and genuine consumer connection over time. The brands that understand this shift earliest are likely to benefit most.

We’re excited to add Substack to our list of platforms, but especially energised to give brands a new outlet to reach fans that will likely become consumers. Predator brands, you are the first to be able to take advantage. I look forward to hearing from you with your news and talented product developers.