Becoming A Dog Influencer: The Step-By-Step Guide

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In recent years, social media has given rise to a new kind of celebrity – the pet influencer. From Instagram to TikTok, dogs continue to take the internet by storm with their cute looks, funny antics, and heartwarming stories.

While it may seem like a fun hobby to post pictures and videos of your dog online, it’s not just for fun anymore. In fact, some of these pet influencers are making big bucks. Some companies are even willing to pay thousands of pounds for a single post or story.

So, if you’re a dog owner who loves social media, becoming a dog influencer may be just the thing for you. In this article, we’ll take a look at what it takes to become a dog influencer, from creating engaging content to building a following and monetizing your account. So, grab your pup, and your camera, and let’s get started!

What is a dog influencer?

Plain and simple, a dog influencer is a social media account that is run by a dog (or by its owner on behalf of the dog) with a large following on platforms like Instagram, TikTok, or YouTube or other social media.

The account usually features photos, videos, and stories of the dog’s daily life, adventures, and products they use or endorse (that’s how owners make money from their pets, but more on that later). These accounts have become increasingly popular over the years, and many brands and businesses have recognized their potential for marketing and advertising.

As a result, some dog influencers may receive sponsorships, partnerships, or collaborations with brands in exchange for promoting their products to their followers.

Why should you become a dog influencer?

Becoming a dog influencer could benefit you and your 4 legged friend in many different ways. Every dog has their own background, character and personality that you could share. For example:

Your dogs story: as a dog influencer, you can share your dog’s unique personality, adventures, and daily life with a wide audience. This can be a fun way to connect with other dog lovers and showcase your dog’s individuality all whilst spending more time with your dog.

Opportunities for partnerships: If you grow a large following, you may have the opportunity to work with brands and businesses who want to partner with you and your dog. This can include sponsored posts, product endorsements, and collaborations.

TikTok Vs Instagram: Which is better for dog influencers?

Both TikTok and Instagram can be effective platforms for a dog influencer, and the choice between them depends on various factors such as the format of content you want to make. As said before, TikTok uses a short video medias, whereas Instagram uses photos, videos and longer content.

Here I broke it down into 4 main differences, and went deeper into detail.

1. TikTok is a short-form video app that can be more suitable for showcasing a dog’s playful, energetic, and humorous side. Instagram, on the other hand, is more diverse and allows for various types of content, including photos, videos, and longer captions.
2. TikTok has a younger demographic, with most users being in their teens or early 20s. If the dog influencer’s target audience is younger, then TikTok might be a better option. However, if the target audience is more diverse in age, then Instagram might be a better choice.
3. Instagram has more features, including Instagram Stories, Reels, and IGTV, which can be used to showcase different aspects of the dog influencer’s personality and daily life.
4. Instagram is generally considered a more established platform, and influencers on Instagram tend to have more credibility and influence. However, TikTok is growing rapidly and has a high potential for viral content.

Overall, both TikTok and Instagram can be effective platforms for a dog influencer, and the choice should be based on the influencer’s goals, target audience, and content preferences. It’s also possible to use both platforms simultaneously to reach a wider audience and showcase different sides of the dog’s personality.

How do I make money as a dog influencer?

Monitsing your content is the hardest part of becoming a dog influencer, any influencer in fact. But there are several ways you can earn money through your posts, stories and videos on social media platfroms. I’ve compiled a list of the top ways dog influencers get paid.

1. Standard sponsored posts: A brand or business can pay you to promote their products through a story, video or post. Usually you will be given the product to use and depending on your account following, paid too.
2. Commission sales: You can earn commissions through sales when people click and buy through a link you post. Don’t worry, this sounds confusing at the start, but I will be explain more later.
3. Merchandise sales: Selling your own product through your own website or social media account.
4. Partnerships: Including event appearances with your dog, you can make money with brand partnerships where you cooperate with brands over a longer period of time like becoming their ambassador or spokesperson.

How much money can a dog influencer make?

Let’s break this down into the 4 main income streams dog influencers can be paid with. Most if not all income streams mostly depend on your clicks, views and likes. Basically your interactions, or how users interact with your account.

Sponsored Posts

This is the easiest way a dog influencer can make money. Usually brands will approach you via comments or in your private messages. Or via email of course. There will generally be a contract for example, you will need to post a picture or video using the product in a certain way and return be paid and/or get to keep the product. Sponsored posts can be deleted, depending on your terms. Typically brands will pay less for a story post because they are less engaging and only last for 24 hours.

Charging for a standard post:

Like the table above, there is a general rule of how much brands will pay you to do a sponsored post. Usually your comments and likes are taken into account, but a good bench mark is to follow the 1%-4% rule.

Example:

Your following (3000) x 1% (if you have a low engaging account) = Sponsored Instagram post. So you can expect in the range between £30-£50 with an account with 1000 followers.

High engaging account, Your Following (3000) x 3%-4% = £90-£120

Commission Sale

Commission sales are more complicated to understand. Commissions or affiliates are a way to make money through links either in your bio on Instagram, Reddit or Tiktok and your own website. The Amazon.co.uk affiliate program is probably the best. After making an account you can select a product you want to promote, whether that be a dog toy your dog likes or a specific brand of food. You are then given a link which you can embed on your social media or site. You then receive a commission (proportion of the sale) based on how much the product is sold for.

Example:

You have a link in your Instagram bio of your dogs favourite toy on Amazon. This toy cost £10. The commission based on pet products is 6%. Meaning for every sale, you would receive around £0.60

Your clicks or Instagram followers 10,000 x 1%-3% (of people clicking the link itself in the bio) = 300.

300 x £10 (cost of toy) = £3000. £3000 x 6% (Amazon affiliate) = £180

Merchandise Sales

The most lucrative of the 4, selling your own products through your dog influencer Instagram, TikTok or blog. Setting up a shop, sending orders and creating a product line can be very difficult and time consuming but highly rewarding.

Your merchandise could be T-shirts with pictures dogs to toys that your dog may also like to use. Merchandise can really be anything you are willing to sell in relation to dogs or pets.

Example:

With printing shops like Vistaprint and Teamshirts you can buy Gildans T-shirts for as little as £6

So let’s say you sell 20 shirts for £20 = £400

£6 to buy per shirt = £120 = £400 – £120 = £280

Partnerships

Partnerships are probably the hardest way to monetise your social media account. Brands often look for partners who know the space well and are very active.

Partnerships with brands often mean endorsing one brands products, you could be expected to use, post and go live with these products. Certain contracts may also stop you from using other dog products or representing them on your social media accounts for a limited amount of time.

Example:

A brand would approach you via email or private message.

They will ask you to endorse the product, i.e post multiple times a day for a week or go live with the product.

£1000 per week (a going rate for accounts with around 50,000) for you to endorse the posts with 5-6 posts, tweets and videos with the product.

How to become a dog influencer: Step by step guide

Credit Unsplash.com User @unkown

Step 1 – Choose your dog

This may sound like an obvious step. But choosing the right dog is extremely important. The most popular breeds for dog influences are small dogs with lots of energy.

It’s also important to check your local laws. Some types of dogs may be banned or have stricter rules. Consider your budget, caring for a dog can be expensive, not to mention choosing a “sort after breed”.

Remember that your dog is still your pet. You must provide the right care for them. People who follow pet or dog influences online pay special attention to the living conditions of the animals. Remember you are in the spotlight after all.

Step 2 – Setting up a profile

The next step is creating a social media account for your pup. Now you can show the world what your dog is capable of!

Good Bio

Create an exciting bio and picture is crucial if you want to stand out and project your dog. The bio should tell users what you have to offer, what you do and what you have to offer. Here is an example of PiperGraceTheGoldenDoodle account on Instagram:

What about a social media platform?

The last step of creating your dog an online profile is choosing what social media platform to use. Each platform has its own positives and negatives. The most popular for dog influencers are Facebook, TikTok and Instagram.

YouTube: The hardest platform of them all, mainly because YouTubes format is longer well made videos. This takes time and you must be good at shooting and editing content.

Instagram: The most popular platform, easy to use, millions of active users and you can post different types of content. Whether that’s lengthy videos, short videos pictures or stories.

TikTok: The best platform if you don’t want to take dog influencing so seriously but still want to nenjoy a following. TikTok’s short and snappy videos are addictive and can gain thousands of views. Although you will have more engagements on other platforms like Instagram. TikTok is the easiest platform to gain a following quickest.

Step 3 – Start posting content

Posting content is arguably the most important step. To grow your account you must be active and post different types of content. Whether that be videos, still photos or stories. There’s no point making an account if you will only upload once a month!

Photos, videos and sotries

Instagram allows you to post different types of content. It’s worth you taking advantage of this feature to diversify and grow you account. But it’s worth finding a balance between photos, videos and stories to not spam, but posting 1 story a day is a good way to keep your followers up to date. Here are some other important points:

• Content should be engaging – Post the odd question or quiz on your story or in your posts. This will increase the engagement between your followers and your account.
• Make sure your content is unique – Unique content is important fro growing a brand or account. Keeping the content unique and relevant to your topic ensures returning likes and followers who come to check up on your pup.
• High quality content – Again, this main seem obvious, but investing in the right equipment from the start is a good way to keep your content of a high quality, whether that be the photos from a camera or apps to edit. But don’t worry, I have made an equipment list.

Overall being creative with your content is important. Adding reviews, guides and how-to videos or pictures not only diversifies your account more, but increase the engagement. But remember not to spam, and to keep in mind what the follower wants to see.

Good captions

Captions on posts are extremely important. Finnthefloofster_ on Instagram is a good example.

A small caption at the top, typically a quote or brief description from whats happened in the picture. Followed by a lengthy update, on what they may be doing during the day or the upcoming days.

Many pet influencer accounts also like to tag other influencers, this is a good way to get your account noticed and gain more followers.

At the end of the caption, they have posted a code. This is how they will make money, from example 2 (what I previous mentioned) affiliate codes. Through every sale using this code on a website, a proportion of the order value will go to Finn and his owner.

Step 4 – Market your account

Marketing and growing your account can be a hard task. Providing you are following all the steps above and are posting regularly, you are on the right track to growing your account and content.

However, there are other ways to grow your account fast, whether that be with collaborating with other brands/influencers, marketing your account by using ads, or joining an influencer agency.

Collaborating with influencers

Collaborating with other dog influencers is a good way to grow your content and account. Meet-ups or online caption tagging is a good way to market and expand your reach.

Caption tagging is a common way influencers link their accounts to others in the similar niche to “share” clicks and visitors. So if I am interested in one dog influencer account I would be more likely to follow more and thereby gaining clicks for the other accounts too.

Hashtagging or “spamming” hashtags of key words, or words that may be associated with your dog has become obsolete. Mainly because it ads clutter to your caption and Instagram considers your account to be a bot “spamming” account and not a real person, which may negatively influence your ranking scores and reach to others on the app.

Using ads

Unfortunately ads on social media have become expensive. Ads are also complicated as they require you to make an end “goal”. This is when you decide what you want from your ads, whether that be sales, clicks, followers or likes.

How much are Instagram ads? Instagram ads use a cost per click system. Meaning for every £1 spent, in return you get 1 click. The average cost per click in the influencer dog niche in 2022 was around £0.3-£1 per 1 follower. Meaning for every 30p spent on a click you got 1 follower in return.

Engagement (like likes, comments or views) returns are cheaper, this can mean anything from interest on your account to just a view. This ranged from £0.05-£0.20 in 2022.

Influencer agency

An influencer agency is a creative marketing agency focused linking brands together with influencers and content creators. All most like jumping a step.

Essentially, agencies assist you with all the boring parts, like structure time schedules, when/if to post and how often. All whilst using their platform to promote and market traffic to your posts and accounts.

Influencer agencies can also set goals and buy ads for you in order to market your account. The pricing usually depends on how much activity, likes and follows you want to have on your account. Some agencies with use other methods and different resources to grow accounts, they are usually more expensive.

Some influencer agencies include companies like. Later, Moburst and SociallyIn.

Step 5 – Content rich, be active

The final point follows on from marketing and growing your account. Being active and producing rich content are very important if you want to grow your social media accounts into a full time job or profitable side hustle.

Content rich

Being content-rich means creating and sharing a significant amount of valuable and engaging content across a platform (Instagram, Facebook or TikTok). It involves consistently providing your audience with a wide range of high-quality content that is informative, entertaining, and resonates with your followers.

As a dog influencer it could mean:

Depth and breadth of topics: Offering a diverse range of content that covers various topics and interests within the dog niche. This could include educational posts, entertaining videos, product reviews, tutorials, behind-the-scenes footage, interviews, and more. By providing a variety of content, influencers can attract and engage a broader audience.

Valuable and insightful information: Delivering content that provides unique insights, expertise, or perspectives on a specific subject. This could involve sharing personal experiences, offering practical tips, providing industry knowledge, or delivering thought-provoking opinions. Many dog influencers strive to be a reliable source of information for their followers.

Being active

This goes without saying right? Being active is vital for growing any social media account. I would suggest to aim for at least one post every day across any social medias. Being active not only allows you to keep up with the trends but enables you to build a deeper relationship with your followers.

It’s also worth seeing when users are most active on social media. Whether that’s Instagram, TikTok or Facebook.

As you can see with this data from Instagram in the UK, Sundays between 12pm-6pm has the most active users. So it would be better to post during these times for example.

Here are some reasons why being active is important:

1. Increased visibility: Social media platforms have billions of active users, and by being active on these platforms, you increase your visibility and reach a larger audience. This can help you gain more followers, fans, or customers, which in turn can contribute to your growth.
2. Brand building: Social media provides a platform to build and strengthen your brand. By consistently sharing content, engaging with your audience, and showcasing your expertise, you can establish yourself or your business as a credible and trustworthy entity. This can lead to increased brand recognition and loyalty, which are crucial for growth.

But, it’s also important to note that being active on social media doesn’t guarantee automatic growth. It requires a thoughtful strategy, consistent effort, and a focus on providing value to your audience.

Additionally, different social media platforms may be more effective for different purposes and target audiences, so it’s essential to identify the platforms that align with your goals and invest your time and resources accordingly.

What do brands look for in dog influencers?

When brands consider collaborating with dog influencers, they often look for certain qualities and characteristics that align with their marketing objectives and target audience.

Brands look for influencers who genuinely represent the brand and its products/services in a natural and authentic way. A dog influencer’s content should resonate with the brand’s message and appeal to their desired audience. For example, a company making dog clothes wouldn’t look to partner with a working Border Collie.

Brands also consider the size and demographics of a dog influencer’s audience. They look for influencers with a substantial and engaged following that aligns with their target market. Brands may also evaluate metrics such as engagement rate, reach, and the influencer’s ability to drive meaningful interactions and discussions among their followers.

Should I buy Instagram or TikTok followers for my dog influencer account?

The short answer No! Not only is this against the Terms and Conditions of many social media platforms, it may even hinder your engagement and lead to you ending up being “shadow banned”.

Purchased followers are typically fake accounts or bots that don’t have real interest or engagement with your content. They don’t provide meaningful interactions, such as likes, comments, or shares, which are essential for building a genuine community and establishing trust with your audience. From an outsider looking in, the accounts look genuine, but brands can quickly find out who is buying followers to boost an account.

How many followers do I need to become a dog influencer and get paid?

You don’t need many followers to become a dog influencer, I have seen accounts with good engagement with 100 followers to 1000 followers. It’s important to try and build a following and keep recurring likes, follows and views. A good benchmark would be about 200-500 followers or friends, that way you see the effort required to gain a following and make money.

Dog influencers can get paid from 0 followers. If you have a pretty looking dog doing modeling shoots, paid promotions or posts can be accessible with a very small following. Although smaller accounts are less likely to come up on brands radars it’s important to remember to constantly stay active and post content. Again, a good reference point for an influencer who wants to take it more seriously would be about 1000-5000 followers. Brands are a lot more likely to see you and want to cooperate with an account with 5000 followers and good engagement.

What products do dog influencers promote?

Dog influencers can promote a wide range of dog related products, whether that be individual toys or even services which make dog ownership that little bit easier.

An individual product, could even be one you already use or need. For example, I needed a set of dogs steps to attach to my car, so I picked up the PiuPet dog steps and wrote an extensive review about it. Or when I tested the best GPS pet trackers, and the PitPat with no monthly subscription.

A dog influencer makes money in a similar way, they would be approached by a brand for example, then review or test a set of dog steps and in return they are paid or receive a proportion of every sale generated.