Social media has not left out man’s best friend. We all love going on Instagram and Twitter for the memes, selfies, and perhaps most adorably, fluffy little angels. Maybe you’ve seen some Hollywood potential in your pet: an adorable smile, big expressive eyes, or a unique coat of fur? Any animal enthusiast (or any human with a heart) enjoys watching pets sleep, eat, defecate even (!) – anything really, it’s all just enchanting.
One pioneer in the industry was Arizona-born Grumpy Cat (Real name: Tardar Sauce), whose angry little face got her a claim to fame back in 2012. Although she passed away in 2019, Grumpy Cat still boasts more than 2.6 million followers on Instagram, and in her life she caught the eye of many human celebrities including Paris Hilton. Grumpy Cat still has a range of merchandise including fun face masks to battle COVID-19. She passed on the torch to hundreds of thousands of famous Instapets, ranging from geckos to gerbils.
Pets have a massive stronghold over social media and the power to go viral overnight. Nevertheless, there’s a lot of fluffy competition out there. Getting your pets to trend has proved to be a difficult task.
Here are 5 tips to get your pet on his or her way to be a #Influffencer!
- Start early
People love looking at baby-anythings. Start your Instagram account with pictures and videos from puppy stages and let your audience watch your pride and joy grow into his or her gorgeous fun-loving self. And capture the sillies on the way! Funny videos are a major plus.
- Create a catchy username
Can you imagine if Grumpy Cat’s username was @tardar_1010_cat? That’s not catchy at all. Find something that suits your pet and that stands out. Alliterations and snappy adjectives are a marvellous way to get started.
- Take good quality photographs
Use a high-definition camera and edit your photos well. A grainy blurry photograph will get you nowhere, even if your pet is the most adorable in the world. If you’re feeling fancy, splurge on a professional pet photoshoot. Splento offers affordable expert photography services for your furry friends, starting from just £99/$149 an hour. What’s more? The insta-ready images reach you the very next day. Professional photos will undoubtedly stand out and may even catch the eyes of pet merchandisers.
- Know your audience
It would be helpful to create an Instagram Business account, so you can view your analytics. This can help you judge where your audience is from, what gender they are, and their age group. Catering especially to your demographic will extraordinarily boost your activity and interactions.
- #Hashtag #Everything
Hashtags are a great way to up your visibility. Use relevant and popular tags on each of your posts. A rule of thumb is to have specific routine hashtags for each post i.e. if you have a labrador, use #labrador #labsofinstagram, and then add tags relevant to the particular post i.e #mondays #snooze #poolday. Jump onto trends too: #throwbackthursday, #humpday – just to name a couple.
- Be consistent
For any social media, the key is consistency. Some accounts post twice a day, some once a day but with a clever caption. You must try to post at least 3-4 times a week in order to keep your audience engaged, without overwhelming them with content. Instagram stories are a great way to keep active without having to post curated images. Create polls, Q and A’s, and quizzes to interact with your audience.
- Socialise and connect!
Follow similar accounts and established accounts such as @dogsofinstagram. Comment and interact with accounts similar to yours and you will reap what you sow. Direct message such accounts and ask for features, these will boost your numbers unlike any other.
- Create a brand that matches your pet’s personality
Authenticity is obvious and attracts millions of viewers. If your pet is a social butterfly and loves people, try something like ‘Everybody loves ____’. If your pet loves to snooze on his own in a dark corner, try ‘Lazy ___’. Remember, while you are building a brand, you need it to be authentic to your pet.
- Remember to love
Do not make your pet do anything he or she does not want to do. If your furry bestie hates being photographed and put into funny outfits, don’t force it. Try something more natural that they may be more comfortable doing. You are a pet parent first and it’s important not to exploit your pets, no matter how many likes they get on the gram.
Use these easy tips to get started on your pet’s Instagram. For photography, visual marketing services and further queries do not hesitate to get in touch with us. Go on, make your pet instafamous and get that sacred blue tick!
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