How to Create a Successful Instagram for Your Pet
These days, practically anyone with a pet has an IG account for their little fur baby (or feather or scale baby).
But only a select few really take off and become successful viral sensations. You know you're thinking of your favorite pupper from another mother right now.
If you've been thinking about starting an Instagram account for your pet, consider the following suggestions below for taking your page from average to viral:
Give a Little Backstory
Use the bio of your pet's Insta to give us a little background on their life. If they are a rescue, tell us about their journey. If they have a physical disability, tell us how they overcame it. If they are an unusual pet like a pig, raccoon or featherless bird, tell us how they came into your life. The backstory is the first thing that separates your pet from the rest of the world's adorable doggos and kit kats.
Keep a Consistent Theme
Just as you want to have a glam theme for your own IG account, you want your pet's theme to remain consistent eye-candy. While your pet will pull a lot of the weight just being the cute widdle baby that she is, you can help boost their popularity with appealing tones and angles.
High-Quality Photos Are a Must
When you're first starting out, you really want to make sure that your photos are sparkling with HD quality. As time passes and your pet's page grows in popularity, you won't need to worry about graininess or shadows quite as much, but in the beginning you really want to make sure that those grams shine. Thanks to the iPhone, anyone can be a photographer, so you really want to separate yourself from the Joe Shmoes of the world and use fab photos.
Let Your Pet's Quirk Shine
While everyone's pet is the cutest pet in the world, there's no doubt that some of the most popular pet Instas on the internet feature an animal with a quirk, whether it's a mustachioed patch of fur or a tongue that just won't stay in your dog's mouth. Make the quirk the focal point of their Instagram and always make sure to feature their money shot.
Sprinkle in the Baby Pictures
Don't be shy about baby pictures, folks. Everyone loves a good puppy shot. Change things up every now and again by engaging in #tbt with the most adorable pics in your photo album. It'll make your followers feel like they've watched your pet grow up and they'll maintain their loyalty to your page.
Keep Your Insta Story Poppin'
Your Insta Story is a great place to advertise new posts and show snippets of your pet's personality through videos. Let's face it, not everyone has the patience to watch Instagram videos but they practically expect it in your story. Also take advantage of live videos to gain engagement with your fans!
Display Your Fan Art
Once your account is popular enough for fans to be creating art of your little guy, show it off! If you give love, you'll be sure to receive love. There's nothing that fans want more than to be seen by the people (and pets) that they idolize. Not only will it warm the hearts of your art-creating fans, but it'll also alert the rest of the followers that you're available and interactive.
Glamor Shots Are Just as Good as Bloopers
While a beautiful glamor shot of your pet is likely to bring in the likes, so are the more humorous photos. Don't be afraid to get silly with it and show off all of your pet's funny faces. This will also give you tons of material to work with in the caption.
Collaborate With Bigger Names
YouTube and Vine stars know the true value of collaborating to amplify their views. If you know of another Insta famous pet in your city, reach out to see if they would be up for a joint photo shoot. Alternatively, feature some of your favorite brands in the pic of your pet and make sure to hashtag. For example, consider slipping your Kylie Jenner lip kit socks onto your pet's paws. Not only will this be adorable, but it'll get the attention of other IG accounts searching through those tags.
Tags, Tags and More Tags
Speaking of hashtags, tagging is your No. 1 best friend when accumulating followers. Research the most popular hashtags for pet accounts while also creating your own hashtag for your specific pet. This tag will have to be versatile so it can be used for pretty much any photo. And always include your pet's name in the tag! In addition, you always want to tag other pets, people or places that are in your photos so that you optimize searchability. Lastly, geotag every time your picture takes place at a popular location. From your travels to hikes to theme parks to cute coffee shops, geotag your location for more views.
Play Dress Up
Whether you're showcasing a family holiday photo all decked out in theme or you're showing off your pet's new sunglasses, don't be shy to ham out with a costume. We love to watch the seasons change as your pet is dressed in their holiday best or burried in a basket of Easter eggs.
Stay Hip to Internet Trends
Whenever something goes viral, try to incorporate it into your pet's IG. For example, when Beyonce posts a popular pic, photoshop your dog into it. Man buns trending? Gently tie your pup's ears into a band (if it is safe, comfortable and painless for your pet!!!). PSA: Never do anything to jeopardize the comfort of your animal… though we both know you could never harm your fur baby.
Speaking of adorable doggos, click HERE to see what real back-to-school excitement looks like as this pup boards his doggie school bus.