How to grow Your Dog's Instagram Account

 Photo by @itsdougthepug

Over the next few months, we will be giving you all the tips and tricks on how to skyrocket your dog’s Instagram in our new series: How To Grow Your Dog’s Instagram

Are you ready to document the daily life of your pup? Maybe you want to capture their photogenic faces, fun tricks, and skills? Or maybe you’ve already started an account but want to take it to the next level? You're in luck! 

In this series, we will break it down into four main categories:

• How To Start An Account
• Photography
• Engagement
• Accessories.

Each topic will tackle frequently asked questions, our best tactics, and feedback from your favorite insta-famous dogs. For tips on making your u insta-famous, check our other resources.

In this week's post, we are starting with the basics. We are talking How To Start An Instagram Account For Your Dog and How To Create Content.

How To Start An Instagram Account For Your Dog

So you’re ready to take on the next level of your #dogmom status. Creating an IG for your dog can be LOTS of fun. The dog community is a great place to meet like-minded dog lovers and friends in your city! 

So first things first. To get started, you need to: 

• Come up with a catchy handle: try using your dog’s name, puns, or short fun phrases
• Find some friends! Start with people you may know, see who they are following, and go from there. If you don’t have any friends on IG try following @barkleydoodles @bowserkoopaha @thegoldensrule @minidoodlebentley @sullybearandmax @dood_itscharlie @itsdougthepug and us @patchworkpetinc 
• Post your first photo! Make sure it's well-lit, shows your dog's personality, and is accompanied by a fun caption. (stay tuned for more on photography!)

You’ve officially started your pups IG! The next steps are fairly easy but essential to growing your account. The key to Instagram is staying consistent. So, if you want to grow you need to post everyday around the same time. At first, posting everyday will really help people find your account, but after a while it’s okay to only post during the work week or 4-5 days total. You’ll find your rhythm and what you're comfortable with in no time. And don’t worry, you’ll be insta-famous soon ;)

After you start to gain followers, make sure you keep engaging with them on a daily basis. This will help your account get noticed by others and they will want to follow you too. 

*PS: don’t be upset if people don’t follow you back. It will take time and lots of commenting/liking on your part to get noticed. It’s generally thought of to have more followers than people followed - so don’t rush things. It will all come with time. 

How To Create Content/What Content To Share

Now you’re ready for the fun part! Content is what keeps the Instagram world spinnin’ and what will keep your account afloat. Coming up with content can be fun and exciting, but also kind of stressful when you’ve run out of ideas. The key is to try to plan ahead as much as possible and write down any photo ideas you may have WHEN you have them. You don’t want to forget! 

I love using the calendar to my advantage. Think Valentine’s day photos in February, spring themed pics in March-April, and showcasing your summer fun in May-August. 

Use national and quirky holidays as inspiration as well as things like back to school to revolve your photos around. Have some Patchwork Pet toys laying around? Throw those into the photo for a fun prop. 

Another fun tip is to stake out the Target section periodically and pick up a few inexpensive items to use as props in your photos. Your dog gets a cute photo and you get a trip to Target, talk about a win-win. ;) 

The number one priority when sharing content is to make sure you’re having fun while doing it (and a little natural light wouldn't hurt). Instagram will become a CHORE if you forget why you’ve started an account in the first place - so make sure you are posting what you want when you want. Don’t let anyone else tell you otherwise! 

If you really get stuck on what type of photo to take, try thinking about a caption first. Maybe you recently heard a funny joke or what to make your dog seem really punny or sassy. Google “sarcastic Instagram captions” and read through them to help spark your creativity. 

Hopefully this first installment of our How To Grow Your Dog’s Instagram series helps you get your social media game going strong. Be sure to check back soon for the next post on Instagram photography!

Do you have any tips that we missed? Comment below! 

 

Blog content created by Sydney of @madpuplife Follow her content at Mad Pup Life for all things pet and pet lifestyle.

 

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