In the age of social media, almost anyone and anything can become an influencer. Even your dog has what it takes to join the ranks of popular influencers for pets and gain their own social following! And if you think your dog has star quality and social media appeal, there’s no better time than the present to start.
Although creating a successful social brand for your pup can take time and work, the rewards can be worth it. So are you hoping your four-legged friend can break into the influencer scene? Here are some essential social media tips to boost your dog’s profile.
Choose the right platform
The first step to creating your dog’s social media profile is to choose an ideal platform to showcase his personality. Thanks to their largely visual appeal, the top options for animal influencers are:
Instagram- Instagram reigns supreme when it comes to animal influencers and is perfect for sharing photos and short video clips. With a nice handle and bio, you can start gaining followers and building connections within the pet influencer community.
Youtube – Create a channel for your dog by uploading funny vlogs, snippets of their tips and skills, product reviews, or other short videos. Grow your subscribers by collaborating with other company YouTubers.
ICT Tac – TikTok is a short social video platform ideal for quick clips of your dog being adorable or showing off. Pair up with other pet profiles or create challenges for your dog to participate in. Gain followers using popular hashtags.
Ultimately, think about what types of content you want to share and which platforms best fit your dog’s unique personality. You may want to start with just one platform before expanding to additional channels. The key is to regularly post authentic, high-quality content.
Develop your dog’s personality and voice
Now that you’ve chosen a social media platform, it’s time to develop your dog’s unique personality and voice. Start with a memorable name or ID for their profile that captures their spirit or a distinctive attribute.
Next, determine the tone you want your dog’s account to have. Want to show off their sassy attitude? Playful and wacky side? The sense of fashion and style? Choose an authentic tone and voice that matches their natural personality, allowing their charm to shine through to their followers.
Also, create a personalized profile biography that gives an interesting fact or two about your pup. Once you’ve figured out their name, tone, and biography, stick with them! Your dog’s social brand should appear authentic and consistent in the eyes of its followers.
When writing social media posts, think about content, captions, or hashtags that match your dog’s brand personality and voice. For example, an adventurous dog can post photos hiking with his family using hashtags like #adventurepup #naturedog. A stylish city dog can show off his trendy outfits and collars with fashion-inspired hashtags.
Create engaging content
Now comes the fun part: creating content to showcase your dog’s personality! Focus on sharing photos, short video clips, stories, reels, and other content that captures your dog’s charm. Here are some ideas:
- Adorable or funny photos of your dog being silly himself. Use props or costumes appropriate to their style and brand voice.
- Take your dog on an adventure, like a hike, to the beach, or to a new park. Share photos and clips of them exploring using action-inspired hashtags.
- Share training stories or tips. Publish pictures of new cheats or commands they have mastered. Engage with your followers by asking them what to teach your dog next.
- Go live on Instagram or TikTok to stream outings, playtime, meals, walks or car rides with your dog. Subscribers will be able to see their playful personality in real time and engage by sending comments and questions.
Keep your content light, authentic, and optimized for your chosen platform. Post regularly to retain your followers, at least 2-3 times a week. Reply to all comments and continue to converse with your dog’s voice.
Choose high quality images and videos
When creating a social media profile for your dog, high quality visual content is essential. Followers will come for the adorable photos and stay for the playful clips that capture your pup’s personality. Invest in a camera, like a DSLR or mirrorless model, that takes crisp, bright photos to do your dog justice. You will get the most engagement by posting:
- Close-ups of your dog’s charming facial expressions. Take pictures of them smiling, nodding, yawning, or grabbing treats.
- Action shots of your dog playing, running or jumping. Use a fast shutter speed and burst mode to get dynamic shots of them in motion. These types of photos always attract attention.
- Photos of your dog striking a silly pose. Place toys, treats or props around them and take pictures as they explore and interact with objects.
- Video clips of your dog acting funny or playful. Videos instantly grab attention and capture your dog’s mind in a way that photos alone cannot.
- Share behind-the-scenes clips of your dog getting ready at the groomer or clips of him playing with grooming tools at home. Followers love to see what keeps dogs looking their best.
With a quality camera and a bit of patience, you’ll be capturing photos and videos in no time. Look for natural lighting and authentic moments that your followers can’t help but share and comment on. Frame blur, shadows, and unattractive backgrounds to get food that shines as bright as your dog’s personality.
Build your audience
With a social media profile now created and lots of lovely content to share, it’s time to start gaining followers and growing their following. Some of the best ways to build followers include:
- Follow other animal influencers and interact with their followers. Like and comment on their posts because their followers will also check out your profile and content. They can follow if they like what they see!
- Organize contests and giveaways. Offer a prize from your dog’s favorite brand or store and promote the giveaway on your profile and stories. This spreads awareness of your dog’s profile and gains new subscribers who want to enter the contest.
- Be active in pet communities. Engage with local pet communities by posting in Facebook community groups, NextDoor sites and lifestyle forums. Share your dog’s profile and some of their content to connect with potential new followers.
While gaining followers organically through community building and high-quality content is ideal, you may want to consider partnering with a digital marketing agency to help increase your visibility and your initial traffic.
Some agencies offer social media marketing services for influencers and brands, thus helping develop strategies to increase the number of subscribers, engagement and brand awareness. Exploring professional marketing options in addition to DIY tactics can help emerging canine influencers get discovered faster.
Additional tips for success
Once you’ve gained momentum and built up a solid base of followers, keep these additional tips in mind to pursue your dog’s success as an influencer:
- Be authentic. Don’t post just for likes or endorsements. Share meaningful moments in your life with your dog that show your true bond. Subscribers will stay loyal if you stay real.
- Consider working with pet brands. Once you’ve built up an engaged customer base, pet brands can seek collaborations, sponsorships, and product placement deals. Be selective but open to associating with brands that match your dog’s image and that you actually use and love. Subscribers will know the difference!
- Cross-promotion on all social platforms. Share the same photos and clips on Instagram, TikTok, YouTube and anywhere else you have a profile for your dog. This exposes your content and profile to potential new followers on every platform.
- Stay on top of trends. Find out what types of content, posts, and collaborations are popular with other animal influencers. Recreate trends with your unique touch to keep things fresh while gaining additional visibility and new subscribers. But avoid anything that seems inauthentic for your dog’s brand.
With dedication, your dog will continue their rise to influencer fame and success. But never forget: keep it real, keep it fun, and keep sharing the joy and light your loyal followers need. Stay true to your dog’s brand and opportunities will present themselves.
Your dog’s well-being should be the basis of everything you post and share on their behalf. Make sure that creating their social media profile does not replace their basic needs for love, attention, exercise, play, and proper health care. Be vigilant, follow the advice of veterinary experts, limit time spent on branding efforts, and remember that their happiness and safety should always come first.
Shine brightly on social media
If you have an attractive dog on social media, don’t hesitate to start creating their influencer profile today. With consistency, high-quality content, commitment to the pet community, and staying true to your dog’s unique personality, his followers and fame will grow over time.