Are you thinking about starting an IG account for your pup but not sure where to start? Imagine if your four-legged friend could actually have a side hustle!
Kahlua’s guide offers 6 helpful tips to get you and your furry family member on your way to becoming the next “Pet Influencer”.
Create an account
First, you’ll need to create an account with a creative username. We suggest you think of something catchy that will attract users to your account when they see your profile in “suggestions”. A crucial part of this step is to make that bio pop! This gives visitors an insight into what type of content is published on your profile. The bio can be tailored to your pup’s personality, habits, and can include emoji’s which make the bio more attractive. Oh, and don’t forget a great profile picture of your pup either!
Follow other dog accounts
Following other dog accounts will help you gather ideas of what to post, and make this page your own. You can observe their activity and see how they stage their dog’s photos. You can take note of how each page engages with their followers; this includes liking posts and comments as well as replying to them. People love being acknowledged when they comment on a post.
This small but meaningful response will be sure to add loyal followers to your account. Following pages of similar breeds is also highly recommended. Let’s make your fur baby some friends!
Post quality photos
SNAP! Who doesn’t like taking photos of their doggo. Taking quality images and catching your dog’s personality will help build your account. You don’t need a fancy camera or a professional setup to capture these moments. With decent lighting and a functioning smartphone, you should be able to take IG quality photos. Don’t forget to utilize Instagram’s great filters and tools to enhance your photos and put the spotlight on your pup. Try to aim for clear and vibrant photos. Props are always welcome to highlight a special holiday, birthday or time of year.
Engagement
As stated above we briefly hit on engagement with followers or potential leads. When someone comments on your post you’ll want to acknowledge them. This will slightly alter their Instagram algorithm and allow for more “dog friendly” pages to cross their feed.
Engaging with similar accounts will help others see your profile. It’s not necessary to follow all similar accounts you come across. Simply liking and commenting on their content will often time result in a return comment and perhaps a follow. It’s recommended to do this for at least one or two hours each day to help build a solid following.
Be consistent
Consistency is key. Instagram’s algorithm is constantly changing so posting every day will help keep you updated. It’s recommended to do a minimum one post a day to your IG feed plus utilize “Stories” to boost your reach with your followers. Stories are quick posts or videos that expire after 24 hours.
When you create an IG post to your feed, be creative with your caption. Creative captions can lead to more likes and comments, which has the potential to boost your account. IG can share your post in their “discovery” grid for new followers to see when scrolling through the discovery feed.
Hashtags
Hashtags, hashtags, hashtags. These are a fantastic tool to help pet lovers find your account when they’re browsing through similar hashtags. Some tags will have thousands of posts and others will have millions so staying on top of trendy niche hashtags relevant to your post and community will help connect you to your audience
You’re allowed up to 30 hashtags per post. It may seem cumbersome, yet using this many tags will broaden your chances of being discovered! (HELLO BARKBOX!)
In my Notes app on my phone, I’ll have a note with all of my hashtags related to my account and just copy and paste them into the comments section of each post.
In addition to the common hashtags like #dogstagram or #dogsofinstagram, use hashtags that reference your dog’s breed. Yes, dog lovers love all dogs, but that doesn’t mean they don’t hold a special place for Corgis, Beagles, or Shih Tzus!
In conclusion
Building your pet’s Instagram account can be fun and lead to rewarding outcomes. When accounts reach a certain level of followers and engagement, you’ll start receiving invites to collaborate with businesses to do advertising for their products. Often times these companies will offer a discount code for your followers to use! You’ll have your own website links that will reward you with commissions when someone buys with your code! The opportunities are endless.
Have fun and like with everything else, good things come in time with patience and consistency. If you follow these simple steps, you’ll be on your way to having your pet as a “Pet Influencer” and maybe a new career!
We hope you enjoyed this article. We would love to connect with you and see your doggy. Follow us on Instagram, Facebook, Pinterest and Tik Tok.