How to Become A Pet Influencer in 4 Steps

Have you ever scrolled through the adorable pet photos on Instagram or watched pet-related videos on YouTube and wondered if you could do it too? Today I’m going to walk you through the 4 basic steps necessary to become a pet influencer!

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If you’re a pet parent, odds are that you love talking about your pet. No?

All it takes is the mention of pets and you’ve caught my attention, as I whip up the million random photos on my phone to share!

But have you ever considered taking the steps to become a pet influencer?

What Is A Pet Influencer?

A ‘Pet Influencer’ is an individual who creates a following or community of people that trust them for advice and/or product recommendations.

This includes social media influencers, podcasters, youtubers, bloggers and more.

They use the internet to tell their story, building trust in order to create ‘influence’ (hence the name ‘influencer’).

In the world of pets, influencers generally fall into three main categories – Pet Professionals, Pet Parents and Pets.

That’s right! There are thousands of pets out there with THEIR OWN social media accounts, drawing the attention of followers around the globe!

While some influencers will build their community around the sharing of tips, tricks and knowledge, others set out to entertain.

The most obvious example that comes to mind is Grumpy Cat.

That hilarious little cat has taken the world by storm with her adorable grumpy facial expressions.

Related: ‘11 Must-Have Apps for Pet Parents in 2020‘

What Are the Benefits of Being A Pet Influencer?

For some, becoming an Influencer is a fun hobby. They do it solely for the fun of doing it without looking for any type of financial gain.

For others, however, this is a way of life.

With the help of brand collaborations, affiliate marketing, product sales and ad revenue (among other options), many influencers can make an impressive income online.

What am I talking about?

Brand Collaborations – Teaming up with a specific brand in order to help promote their products or services to your following.

This is often done through reviews and reveals, but the sky is the limit!

Affiliate Marketing – Affiliate Marketing is an agreement with a company in which you drive traffic to their product or service in return for a momentary return.

For example, many influencers around the globe (myself included) are part of the Amazon Affiliate program.

We use a unique link to direct people to the website. We are paid when a qualifying purchase is made.

While the Amazon site has a wide variety of different brands and products, you can also enter into an affiliate agreement with a specific brand.  

Product Sales – Not interested in promoting someone else’s products? Many influencers are able to build a successful business selling their own!

Returning to the Grumpy Cat example, their online shop includes everything from shirts and hoodies to magnets and sticks.

Advertising Revenue – If an influencer is seeing a significant level of traffic to their YouTube videos or blog posts, they may choose to partner with an ad management company to add advertising to their platform.

These ads can earn money for the influencer in a few different ways.

While some companies will pay a small amount each time the ads are viewed, others payout with each click of the ad or even each click leading to a qualifying purchase.

Regardless of how an influencer chooses to monetize their efforts, one thing is certain…

You can earn a great income if you’re willing to put in the time and effort.

How Do I Become A Pet Influencer?

Does the life of an influencer sound like it’s meant for you?

Do you have an ADORABLE pet in your life that you believe the world would fall in love with?

There is no secret to success that I can share. There are, however, steps that you can take to boost your chances by starting out on the right foot (or paw).

Step 1 – Select Your Platform/Approach

There are many ways that you can approach the idea of content creation and becoming an influencer.

Take a moment to consider what you are most interested in creating.

Do you enjoy creating video content? If so, YouTube may be a great fit for you!

Are you a photographer? Do you love taking adorable photos? Why not consider Instagram?

Do you have a love for writing? You may be happiest starting your own blog.

There is not ‘right’ answer here… There are examples of influencers that have achieved great success on each platform.

The key is to find the right fit for you!

Step 2A – Set Up Your Account(s)

Now that you have decided what you want to focus on, it’s time to sent up your account(s).

Select a username that’s relevant and easy to remember for your followers.

For example, ‘IndytheFlattie’ would be a better choice than ‘Indy2183’ or some other variation to land a name that has already been taken.

Word of Advice: Don’t take on too much right out of the gate!

Many influencers will use a variety of different platforms to reach their audience. Shed Happens can be found on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, TikTok and Pinterest.

However, jumping into too much at the beginning can be completely overwhelming, ultimately killing your chances of success.

Instead, start with 1 or 2 platforms that you believe will be important and you can always add more later!

Related: ‘6 Phone Numbers Every Pet Owner Should Have On Hand‘

Step 2B – Blogging

If you are interested in blogging, I highly suggest starting with a self-hosted WordPress blog.

Without getting into too much detail right out of the gate, this means that you would blog on the free WordPress.org platform using a host.

Unlike many of the other blogging platforms out there, you fully own your blog and all your content.

Imagine spending years making content only to have it taken down by the company when they choose to shut their platform down.

Furthermore, this will allow you to incorporate any monetarization strategies you choose.

I highly recommend using Lyrical Host for your Hosting needs (that’s who I host with here for Shed Happens).

Sign up using the code ‘SHEDHAPPENS10’ for 10% off your first hosting payment!

For more information about the resources that I use here on Shed Happens, check out my ‘Blogging Resources’ page!

Step 3 – Create A Content Plan

The easiest way to sabotage your success is to jump in without a plan.

This is where you consider what you plan on posting and how you want your followers to view you.

Are you posting as yourself or as your pet?

Did you want people to feel a professional/knowledgeable tone in your content, or are you looking to be seen more as an entertaining influencer that brightens people’s days?

What kind of value are you bringing to your followers? Why should they want to follow you?

Really consider what will make your account special – What will make you stand out from all the other pet influencers out there?

Remember, you want to present quality content that people will enjoy.

(Avoid spelling/grammar errors and blurry photos)

Keep your answers from above in mind and ask yourself, each time you go to post, whether your content will fit your plan.

Step 4 – Be Consistent, Be Social and Do the Work

It’s called ‘social’ media for a reason… You don’t want to talk TO your followers, you want to talk WITH them.

This means staying humble and making an effort to connect.

Answer comments, ask questions and stay humble as you start to see growth and success.

Be consistent with your posting.  

Posting once and walking away isn’t going to lead to success!

Post often, be involved and be proactive.

Take the time to learn the tricks of the trade for your specific platform.

This includes learning about hashtags (or lack thereof), scheduling, the use of keywords, SEO, and more!

Not sure where to begin?

Consider joining one of these Facebook groups to connect with others in the industry:

• Pet Bloggers & Influencers (our Facebook group)
• BlogPaws Community
• Dog Blogger Society
• Social Media Pet Influencers

Networking is incredibly valuable!

Most importantly, never stop learning!

Social media platforms are constantly changing. As an influencer, it’s your job to put the work into staying up to date with what you need to know.

Success doesn’t come overnight!

Have you ever considered whether you should become a pet influencer?

Who are you favourite pet influencers to follow?