How to Make Your Pet Famous on Instagram
#PetsofInstagram is more popular than ever in our prominent, digital age. No matter who you are, you are undoubtedly following at least one Instagram pet channel. Don’t try to deny it! Instead, we’re here to tell you that your pet can become famous on Instagram, too.
It doesn’t matter what kind of pet you have – furry, feathery, full of scales – as long as they’re cute and camera-ready. For examples on more exotic pet Instas, check out Fennec Fox. But no need to paw over these pages with resigned jealousy. Make your own pet page! Whether you have a dog, cat, lizard, bunny, or aquatic companion, we’ve formed a list of the best tips and tricks to get your pet pal all the Gram hearts they deserve.
Separate Your Pet From You
Remember that, in order for your pet to become Insta-famous and full of fluffy fortune, you’ll want them to have a separate account from yours. This allows your pet to start on a clean slate and keeps your private followers from being bombarded with puppy pics (not that they won’t appreciate such photos!). Giving your pet their own page will open a whole new world for them. By posting photos of their adorable smile while on outings, or during park playtime, your pet is sure to gain new followers by the dozen. Posting the photos to a new account can also ensure your pet has more privacy from people that may already know them. If you want to gain new followers, however, it is best to keep the account public. Just make sure you watch for who is following your pet and what they are saying in comments. Privacy can still be maintained in this setting if you remove all personal details. You can even use your own account to promote your pet’s page and ask your current Insta friends to share it.
But above all, don’t post anything you, or your pet, aren’t comfortable with. Online privacy is more important than anything, especially when it comes to your furry friend. In a public forum, it is best to keep personal details out of posts so that strangers do not know where exactly you are going, or what you look like. You’ll want to consider these same cautions when it comes to your pet!
Know What You Want It To Be
You want to set the tone of your pet’s page before you even start it. Whatever tone you decide will appear in their main bio. Think of a few choice words that describe your pet best. They could be a troublemaker, sassy and spirited; or perhaps a big old marshmallow, thoughtful and friendly, sophisticated and extra, or anything in between! The words you choose to describe your little buddy will become their identifier, so choose carefully. You’ll want to take the perfect photo to capture that personality, too, as that will become their profile pic. This will be their introduction to Instagram and why the world will wish to click on and view their other content.
Here’s an example. If you want the world to see your pet as crazy and funny, don’t post dramatic photographs of them in front of manor houses and looking off into the distance. Especially if they are also wearing a bow tie!
Know What Sells
With so many pet channels and forums on Instagram and beyond, it’s easy to figure out what sells best. Millions of people follow pet influencers and their content is readily available for you to watch. You can even use it as research! Of course, that does mean you will also face LOTS of competition. If your want your to dog or cat to become famous, too, you’ll want to study the market well.
Alternatively, if you engage in photo sessions with your pet lizard, bird, or fish, you may find your follower base to be more niche. This does not mean bad! Instagramers that search of reptiles, rather than kittens and dogs, are more likely to be loyal to the pages they follow, so you will be less likely to see your follower numbers drop and rise like some larger pet influencers. In fact, your aquatic or reptilian pet is more likely to get famous! And certainly more likely to see regular engagement from Insta-fans.
Built It Up
The best way to build your pet’s new Instagram account is from the ground up. Nothing will help you more than following similar pages as research. That way, you can see exactly what they’re doing right and how to mimic it. For example, if you’re trying to give your cat Insta-fame, then follow plenty of other famous felines to give you inspiration for your own posts. Who knows? Some of them may just follow your kitty right back.
Watch other channels closely for social media tips, location ideas, photoshoot plans, and potential brand opportunities. You can also approach influencers in a friendly way to suggest a future collab.
Keep it Real, Dude
One thing that people love about pets is their familiarity. So make sure to keep it real. A famous Instagram dog could remind someone of their childhood buddy and put a smile on their face when they’re feeling blue. A kitten wrestling with a bunny’s tail may just be the daily laugh that someone needed. The best way to encourage followers is to keep up with that sense of familiar accessibility. As long as your posts are natural, light-hearted, and fun, then you’ve done it right, dude. Don’t be afraid to occasionally throw in some staged shots for novelty, but otherwise, try your best to capture your pet in their natural habitat.
A raw, real photograph captures an animal’s personality so much better than a staged one. It reminds people your pet is just another animal pal, living life to the fullest with their human best friend.
Post Frequently
One of the keys to social media success is posting frequently. Give the people what they want and keep those posts coming! The best way to do this is to always have your camera ready. You never know when your pet will do something exceptionally wild and something that could go totally viral! Our tip is to post at least once a day. If you can help it, go for a couple. If you’ve got a choice of 10 great photos from one day, don’t post them all at once. Post a couple and save the rest. You’re always going to want backups for those uneventful or lazy days to keep the fans happy.
Keep The Creativity Flowing
This is where those first pages you followed will start to come in handy. Your timeline will provide you with all the inspiration you need to know how to mix it up. You don’t want people to unfollow you because they’ve seen your iguana sit on the curtain rail for three whole days. Switch it up! Change the camera angle, use different rooms and spaces, get out and change the environment completely. You can set the stage for a fun photoshoot, though don’t forget to play with product placement. That way, you show your audience your pet is a viable option for future sponsorships. Which, of course, could mean more cha-ching for you!
Figure out some creative and fun captions to really seal the deal. Don’t be afraid to tell a story to draw people in and be sure to include a video or two a week, if only to mix up your account and break up the pictures. A video will also encourage users to click on your post to see more, so make sure to use the thumbnail to present something enticing. You can even pop a video into your story with a link to your site, or another social media account.
In Social Media, Quality is Key
Brushing up on your photography skills could be hugely beneficial for the long haul of internet fame. Amateur photos will only get you so far, but figuring out the finer points of lighting, positioning, props, and composition will take you miles. Ideally, you’ll want to get a high-quality camera or phone with a high-end camera attached to it. This will ensure your pet’s pictures are good quality and will also save you from working so hard on that final image.
If you’re worried that your photography skills may not be up to scratch, you can utilize the great range of filters and editing tools that Instagram has to offer. There are also fantastic editing apps available to download that will surely boost your aesthetic.
Don’t Be Bought By Products
Possibly the most enticing part of becoming Insta-famous is the potential for free stuff. It’s the secret that most Instagramers hope to attain! But be wary of this temptation.
Influencers usually start to rake in the money around 10,000 followers. It sounds like a lot, but it is not as difficult to reach as you might think. Once your pet is there, you are likely to be approached by bigger brands that want to give you free products in exchange for a post of your pet advertising the product. Sometimes, all it takes is a simple product placement or mention within your caption.
Don’t accept them. By not accepting free products in exchange for brand recognition, you are keeping your page clear of free product placement posts. This will show that you are an influencer that cannot be easily bought and will prevent bigger brands from expecting the same of you. In order to make Instagramming your livelihood, you need to hold out for that 20k , taking the longer route to financial success.
Networking & PR
Getting 20,000 followers is possible, but not easy. You will need to network and do some solid, pet PR. This means joining pet meet ups, appreciation groups, and social media conferences. These are available as both digital and IKR. You can also communicate with plenty of other professional pet channels and social media influencers with large audiences that can bolster your view counts.
Additionally, seek out PR contacts. These include publication editors, human influencers, website writers, social media handles, and simple email addresses. Make yourself known by offering your pet’s handle. To make you and your pet more appealing, make it sound like they’d be doing themselves a favor by giving you a shout out.
Don’t be afraid to approach other social media accounts, as befriending them could be of huge benefit to you. Once you become familiar, you can ask for their advice. They’ll be happy to provide tips on how to gain followers, the kind of stories you should tell, and how to increase your engagement. You may even learn about the best resources to network and how to better stay engaged with your fans.
It’s hard to resist a pet with personality, so work theirs from every angle. Show everyone your pet’s social media star potential!
Invest Yourself and Your Time
If you want your pet’s Instagram account to be a viable freelance career, you have got to completely commit yourself and your time. This includes investing money into the project. Like the old saying goes: “It takes money to make money”. You’ve got to invest in a good camera, puppy costumes, and even editing software. Start with the essentials and get yourself a good camera. Next, commit your time by planning out the next post. Think of ideas, edit the pictures, network, and expand. Basically, do whatever you can to keep your pet’s followers coming!
A dog Instagram account may naturally get followers, as dogs provide a comfortable and easy appeal. But if your pet is more unusual, then that may just be the thing that makes them stand above the rest. For example, a popular platform and rising pet star is the pig. That’s right – pet pig posts are more popular than ever! So if you have a more “exotic animal”, use them to your advantage! Look for ways to show everyone why your pet is so fabulous in all of the pictures that you post.
Train Your Pet
Training your pet is not an absolute essential, but it is certainly recommended! If you can teach your pet to perform a perfect pose, trick, or to stare straight into the camera, then you’ll likely give yourself a leg up over some other Instagram accounts. A signature pose would be a great move and something that isn’t too hard for your pet to repeat.
Try not to repeat poses and tricks too often. Remember, though people may find it thoroughly entertaining to see a dog walk on its hind legs, it’s not something to put into every post. Always be mindful of your pet. If they don’t feel like performing, then don’t force them to. This isn’t a boot camp – it’s supposed to be fun! Trained poses and tricks are a novelty, but followers love to see candid shots of the pet they’ve come to know, so bear that in mind, too. Sometimes even a simple snort or funny sound will do!
Find the Right Hashtags
Hashtags form the brickwork of any successful Instagram account. The same goes for big pet accounts! It’s essential that you use hashtags in just the right way. For example, you don’t want to create a block of hashtag text at the bottom of your caption. It’s better to find the perfect words to describe your picture, and a few choice tags to link you to the major searches (#petsofinstagram for example). Be sure to make notes of the hashtags being used by the bigger pet channels, as using those tags will put you into the same image pool and give your pet more chances of being seen.
Spread Yourself Out
Once you’re feeling more confident in your Instagram game, it’s time to expand. Your PR and networking efforts have hopefully brought you closer to your follower goal. It is also worth spreading yourself onto other platforms, like Twitter, Facebook, Pinterest, and Reddit, as any social media platform will give you a boost toward your target audience. Building a website or blog is also a great way to post stories and pictures of your pet. Shape it just how you would want your followers to see you and your pet!
Instagram fame may be the goal, but expanding your platform will help you get there quicker. Don’t forget to use hashtags where you can to connect your channels together and encourage more engagement from your potential audience.
Work Hard, Play Hard
Whether your pet is a canine, feline, reptile, fish, bug or bird, be sure to reward them for a job well done. When you work hard, you get to play hard. When training your pet to do tricks, provide constant positive reinforcement, so that they can look forward to the next photo shoot. In fact, giving your pet a treat is another bonus of candid photography gold!
The path to becoming Instagram famous can be a long, expensive, and time-consuming road. Sometimes, only the most dedicated people make it work. So if you think you’re ready to put everything you have into building a digital platform to display your pet in the perfect light, then have at it! Just keep this advice in mind, remember to be patient, love your pet regardless, and good luck.
