In 2017, I became a dog parent to Shadow, a goofy, blue-eyed Siberian Husky. Little did I know that starting an Instagram account to share pictures and videos of him with friends and family would lead to millions of people seeing his adventures years later.
Today, I’m unveiling what it takes to become a momager on the pet influencer aka “petfluencer” side of Instagram.
While Insta-fame doesn’t happen overnight, with the right plan and commitment, you too can become a social alpha. The process is simple but it’s not easy. Let’s dig in.
How to Turn Your Dog Into an Instagram Star
1. Brand your account to stand out.
No, you don’t need a logo, but you do need a clear niche and a consistent, authentic narrative, writing tone, photo style, and color palette.
Let your pet’s unique personality shine and use your brand to guide your content creation. Every photo, video, and comment you post on the app should amplify your brand.
Instagram is a crowded, noisy platform. The faster you learn to stand out from the pack, the faster you will grow.
2. Set up a best in show bio.
Your profile is your opportunity to make a great fur-st impression in 150 characters or less.
Choose a high-quality profile photo that shows your pet’s genuine personality the best.
Next, update your display name with keywords (e.g., Shadow the Siberian Husky) so your account shows up in search results for that keyword.
Finally, craft an interesting summary of who your pet is and what your account is all about in 150 characters or less. Showcase your pet’s story, use emojis and make it fun to read. Learn how to create the pawfect bio here.
3. Create and post killer content.
Whether you’re posting photos or videos, focus on quality over quantity. Most importantly, focus on consistency.
Every post should include a quality image or video, a compelling caption that includes a call to action, 30 relevant hashtags (e.g., #cutehusky), and a geotag to associate your piece of content with a searchable location.
Always aim to create savable, shareable content that people will enjoy engaging with.
4. Build a community.
Instagram is a two-way street all about engagement (likes, shares, saves, and comments).
It will take longer for you to grow if you “post and ghost.”
Your goal is to build relationships by responding to every comment or direct message while also liking and commenting on other accounts as well.
Forming connections with people will help make your brand stronger and lead to a more successful account. And it’s always more fun to connect with like-minded people and form real friendships along the way.
Above all, the secret sauce is consistency and patience. The roadmap above worked for me, and it can work for you too.
Remember, there are more than one billion Instagram users, meaning there is an audience out there ready for you to show up and say woof.
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