How to make your dog famous on Instagram: 9 top tips
As the proud owner of a pedigree pet, you're bound to have considered whether your dog measures up to the new-gen set of Insta-famous pets. A cute face and smile for the camera are good starting points, but to really take your dog to the dizzy heights of social media stardom, you're going to need to put in work.
To find out what it takes, we spoke to pet photographer Rachel Oates, who posts pictures of Winston, her Pembroke Welsh corgi, to his nearly 60,000 followers. From committing two hours a night to Instagram engagement, to truly understanding your audience, Rachel reveals her nine top tips below.
1. Be consistent
"Consistency is key, especially with the Instagram algorithm changes. Some people post twice a day and that works for them, but I post a photo or video once a day with a great caption – you don't want to overwhelm people with your content. I then post at least three Instagram stories because people like to see what he gets up to day-to-day."
2. Know your audience
"We have a lot of followers in Asia and in the US as corgis are in the top 50 most popular dogs over there. I post in the afternoon (UK time) when America is awake and Asia is going to sleep. You have to try out different times and see what works for your engagement and your followers. Having an Instagram business account helps, as it does all the statistics for you."
3. Broaden your hashtags
"Use general hashtags related to your dog's breed (we use #corgi and #corgisofinstagram), then relate the others to the rest of your image. For a snoozy Monday photo, I'll use #Monday, #mondaze or #snooze. It's always good to use weekly hashtags like #throwbackthursday to share puppy pictures. A lot of dog accounts use #tongueouttuesday."
4. Be social
"Being featured on bigger accounts like Dogs of Instagram can drive more followers. You have to follow similar accounts, like and comment on their content then they will do the same for you. I do that for one or two hours a day. We have been asked to join Instagram pods, but we've never taken people up on it."
5. Take things offline
"We attend pop-up dog events where we meet other social media pet stars. It's networking in a sense; if you meet and your pets get along, they might invite you to events you may not have heard of and vice versa. It's good socialisation for the dogs too. Some of our most popular photos are of Winston travelling on the underground."
6. Take care with your caption
"Good quality photos do well, but you can't just post a cute picture and expect it to do amazingly well. The caption and the picture have to work together to get people engaged and make them want to share the post. That's the thing I spend the longest on. A recent video from Winston in the shower was quite plain, but the caption elevated the post."
7. Keep your pet in great condition
"Having a cute puppy helps. We don't wash him too often so we can keep the natural oils in his coat, but we do a regular brush once a week because corgis are incredibly heavy shedders. I file his nails while we're watching TV in the evening – he won't let me cut them. We feed him twice a day with dry pet food and the occasional fun treat. Corgis can overeat so we're strict with his diet."
Feeding your pooch a varied diet is key to keeping your pet happy, healthy and ready to rack up the likes on Instagram. Pedigree's wet and dry food is balanced for every life-stage of your dog. Enriched with nutrients, Pedigree will nourish your dog's skin for a glossy, Insta-ready coat. Pedigree Daily Dentastix are also scientifically proven to reduce plaque and tartar by up to 80% when fed daily, minimising the risk of gum disease.
8. Work with your pet's personality
"I don't think you should ever force your dog to do things they don't want to. Winston is quite a flirt, he'll work his way down a train carriage to say 'hi' to everyone, so I made a hashtag #WinstonTheFlirt to feed off that. If your dog is shy, or not much of a morning person, use that – make your dog more of a personality with a theme and regular content that your fan base then expects from you."
9. Manage your time
"Aside from the couple of hours a day I spend engaging online, I have to organise other things like product reviews, sponsored posts or posting a picture exchange for a product. One day I week I make new content, coming up with ideas and photographing Winston with something like a coffee in the morning, a book in the afternoon and maybe an outdoor shot or a snooze later on. It does take time and work to maintain, but we give ourselves Sunday off."
For a happy, healthy pet worthy of social media fame, choose Pedigree wet and dry food, followed by Pedigree Daily Dentastix
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