How to turn your pet into a social media star
The internet has a long history of turning pets into stars. From Grumpy Cat to Jiff Pom, countless animals have risen to celebrity status through platforms like Instagram and Facebook. Sometimes it might seem like pure luck that these pets rose to stardom, but often their celebrity status is the result of their carefully crafted social media accounts. If you believe your pet has what it takes to reel in followers, then here are some helpful tips to get you started on turning your pet into a social media star.
Pick your platform
Maintaining accounts across multiple social media platforms can quickly become confusing and overwhelming. Try sticking to just one or two main sites. Most pets find success on Instagram due to the platform’s focus on pictures and videos. Cross posting on places like Twitter or Facebook is fairly easy and can help reach a wider audience.
Make an account just for your pet
For your pet to get recognition they have to stand out on their own, which is hard to achieve when they’re just a side note of your personal social media account. By making them an account of their own you can begin building their individual image and brand.
Come up with a unique name
The goal is to have a name that is easy for people to remember and to find through a simple internet search. For this reason, try to avoid using numbers or any special characters. The tried and true formula for most pet influencers is your pet’s name followed by some kind of descriptor. This could refer to their species or breed, be a pun based on their name, or be about something that makes them unique. Some examples of this you might recognize are nala_cat, itsdougthepug, hamlet_the_piggy, or popeyethefoodie. Once you have a name stick to it, as changing it later can cause confusion when people are trying to look you up.
Find out what makes your pet unique
When building your pet’s social media presence, you are essentially building their brand. Because of this, you want to have something that makes your pet stand out amongst the crowd. Maybe your cat likes exploring new places, or your dog always has the cutest interactions with your kids. Find something that sets your pet apart from the rest and use that to your advantage. Your pet may be cute, but so is everyone else’s. It’s their personality that makes them unique, and that is what you are showing off to the world.
Learn about content creation
Being a content creator may sound simple, take a pic of your pet, post it with a cute caption, and done. The reason some accounts get popular though is because they are focused on producing high-quality content. This means their pictures are well staged and clear, the writing under their posts is attention grabbing and well-worded, and they masterfully operate all of the features their social media platform has to offer. If you’re not confident in these skills, there’s nothing wrong with taking some lessons! There are plenty of blogs and YouTube channels full of tutorials on these things that will make you a master content creator in no time.
Study other pet accounts
This tip can get tricky, as you don’t want to blatantly copy another pet account, but at the same time other accounts are wonderful sources of inspiration. Whatever you do, just be sure to add your own creative twist to it, whether you’re following along with a current trend or setting up a photoshoot that’s totally unique.
Set a posting schedule
Successful pet accounts keep up a steady stream of content for their followers, though it’s safe to say not all of us can manage at least three posts a day. Set a goal for yourself that you believe you can reasonably achieve and stick to it, whether that’s one post a day or one a week. Our pets can also get burnt out and need a break from modeling, so make sure to keep their needs in mind as well.
Utilize hashtags
What do people search for when they want to look at cute pets? By using these keywords, your posts can show up in all kinds of search results. Try looking at the tags that some other large accounts use, and don’t be afraid to follow along with popular trends.
Submit photos of your pet to other accounts
This tip may sound counterproductive, but it’s actually a great way to get recognition. There are some massive accounts on Instagram whose sole purpose is featuring other people’s pets. If a post you’ve submitted gets chosen, then that guarantees a significant amount of people noticing your furry friend. Another way to go about this is to enter pet photo contests, which are usually easy to find on platforms like Instagram. Often, the winner of these contents gets their photo promoted and can gain your account recognition.
At Iconic Paw, we believe every animal is a star and deserves to be treated as such. That’s why we offer custom pet portraits that highlight your furry friend’s unique personality and style. Come check us out at https://iconicpaw.com/ and see how we show everyone that your pet is one of a kind.
