Pet Social Media Influencers: How-To and Who’s Trending

With social media platforms becoming ever more popular, whether for shopping, meeting people, or just a source of entertainment, it’s no surprise that peoples’ pets have also made their way onto the sites. Social media for pets has become so popular over the past decade that it’s not uncommon for pet parents to create an account for their dog or cat soon after bringing them home.

Pet social media content now covers health tips, training advice, cute videos, fun photos, brand sponsorships, and nearly anything in between. As a pet parent, you can even learn how to be a pet influencer and possibly gain hundreds or even thousands of followers.

Social Media Accounts for Pets

There’s no doubt that your new feline friend or canine companion is the cutest one on the block, and they have a personality fit to host a show. Wanting to spread the wealth of top-notch pet content, creating a social media account for your cat or dog may be a fun option. This can be a fantastic solution for your friends and family to see their beloved four-legged friend, even if they live far away. And in a world of remote jobs, social media for your pets also allows your coworkers to see their favorite fluffy team member.

Creating social media profiles for your pets can also be a fun way to connect with other pet parents—possibly even some with the same breed. Even if these other pet parents live hundreds of miles away, you can still share advice and what you’ve learned from having a four-legged companion in your home. If you can connect with pet parents closer to where you live, you can use social media to arrange a meet-up or outing, giving you and your pal a chance to socialize.

Depending on whether you choose to make your pet’s page public or private, in addition to giving your close acquaintances some great content, you can also allow others to see your pet’s adorable photos and funny videos.

Keep in mind that no matter which platform you choose, you will need to set up a profile. This can either be your profile, where you post all of your pet’s content, or you can create a page as if your pet were running it. If you choose the latter, be sure still to use your birth date and not your pet’s since most platforms have age restrictions and may delete your pet’s profile since it will show the user being only a few years old.

Creating an Instagram Account For Your Pet

Instagram is among the most popular social media platforms and can be a great place to have your pet join the online community. You will first need to download the app, or if you already have it on your phone, create a new profile for your pet—you can easily switch between multiple profiles on one account.

Choosing your pet’s username will be your next step, but it must be something unique that no one else has used. Try your pet’s name or a nickname, but don’t hesitate to get creative with it. You can also fill out your pet’s bio section with information such as their breed or age. Some pet parents use this section to showcase a sneak peek of their cat or dog’s personality or what people can expect from the page.

As you begin posting content, you can tag others and include locations or hashtags, which may help others find your page and connect. You can also take advantage of Instagram’s fun features, such as Reels, Highlights, and Stories.

Creating a YouTube Page For Your Pet

Some cats or dogs may be naturals behind the camera. You may also find that you and your pets have so much going on that you have plenty of content to share in videos on a YouTube page. Although you can make whatever type of videos you want on your pet’s page, it can be helpful to think ahead of time about what you would like to videotape. For instance, if you have multiple cats, it may be entertaining when they play or run around together. You could even try training your cat and recording your progress along the way. With dogs, taping your hiking adventures could be fun and informative content for other dog parents to watch.

To create an account for your pet, go to the settings of your existing account and create a new channel. You will need a channel name, and you can also add a channel description. There are many ways you can personalize your pet’s YouTube channel, including the cover, profile, and thumbnail photos.

After the channel’s basic information is set up, the extra fun part can begin—filming. No matter the type of camera you choose to use or if you use your phone, don’t forget to bring it along for your adventures. Along with capturing all the fun moments you and your pets have, creating a YouTube channel for your best pal is also a fantastic creative outlet. Between practicing your filming and editing skills, you may find a new hobby that you enjoy.

Once you begin posting your videos to your channel, don’t forget to share them on your other social media pages. If you have multiple social accounts for your pet across various platforms, you can also share items between each one.

In addition to Instagram and YouTube, you could also have your cat or dog join Twitter, Facebook, or TikTok. Although most platforms have similar setup processes, such as customizing your profile photo and selecting a username, each site is still unique. For instance, you are more limited with characters with Twitter, while TikTok is centered around shorter videos. With Facebook, pets can’t technically have their own profile, but they can have their own page.

How To Make Your Pet an Influencer

Creating a social media account for your pet can be something fun that you post to every once in a while. It may be something that only a few of your friends follow, and you post photos more for yourself. You can also use this account to follow other pets on social media. While this casual approach is what many pet parents prefer, others work towards making their pets an influencer.

Whether through strategic planning or by accident, pets can rack up hundreds, thousands, and on some occasions, millions of followers on various social platforms. Making your pet an influencer takes more work and commitment, and you may first want to consider if your pet will be up for it. While some cats or dogs will gladly pose or wear costumes, others may prefer to stay out of the spotlight.

If you believe your best pal is ready to be a star, there are a few things you can keep in mind.

• Find what makes them unique

  Of course, everyone loves seeing a cute pet photo on their feed, but when the cat or dog looks exactly like so many other pet pictures, other people won’t be likely to follow your page. What can be a significant help is figuring out how your pet stands out from the crowd. Does your cat have a hilarious personality? Is your dog’s coat marked in a unique way? Whether it be their physical appearance or character, it can be helpful to show others that your pet, in particular, isn’t like the rest.

• Be creative

  As you continue to post on your dog or cat’s page, it’ll be helpful to mix up your content and not post repetitive images such as your dog sitting or your cat lying around. Change your scenery, swap out your pet’s bandana, stay relevant with the holidays or seasons, or capture a candid moment that showcases their personality. Along with your media, you can be just as creative with your captions for your post. You can stay light-hearted and funny, post from your pet’s perspective, or be poetic.

• Create a schedule

  Although many people have thoughts of when it is best to post, perhaps the more important item is to be consistent with your postings. To help stay in people’s feeds and possibly gain more attention, you may find that posting frequently, at least at first, could help increase followers. Try setting yourself a goal of how often you want to post. You can even work ahead, plan all your photos, and have everything ready for the week.

• Interact with others

  A great way to get others to notice your page is to interact with them. Using your pet’s account, follow other pages, and like and comment on peoples’ posts. By keeping your pet’s online presence positive, more people may be apt to check out your page or follow you back.

• Use hashtags

  When posting on social media, adding a few extra details can be helpful. For instance, if you post a photo of your dog on a hiking trail, include the location plus relevant hashtags. Hashtags, locations, and tagging people in posts are great ways to help your posts receive more attention.

As you and your pet work to gain influencer status, don’t forget to keep pet content ideas in mind. Being a pet parent yourself, consider the type of photos, videos, or pet-related tips you’d want to see on your media feeds.

Biggest Pet Influencers

If you’re looking for inspiration or new pet social accounts to follow, these cool cats and dazzling dogs have gained an impressive number of followers—millions, to be specific.

1. Jiff Pom

   This fluffy Pomeranian is currently the most followed pet on social media, with more than 20 million followers across Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube. This little superstar has even been featured in a few commercials for major clothing stores and in a Katy Perry music video.

2. Nala Cat

   This adorable little feline has come a long way from her days living at a shelter. She is now a Guinness World Record holder for the most popular cat on Instagram, and she even has her own cat food line.

3. Doug the Pug

   The most followed Pug on the internet, Doug has had an online presence for many years. Since gaining his platform, this pup has written a book and, in 2018, was deemed the second most influential pet by Forbes. He even has his own merchandise store.

4. Tucker the Golden Retriever

   A happy and handsome dog, Tucker has grown up on social media, so cute content is in no short supply. He now has a four-legged little brother who makes appearances on his page—adorable content doubled.

5. Venus the Two Face Cat

   With two different-colored eyes and a face perfectly split down the middle into two colors (black and orange), Venus caught millions of people’s attention through her unique appearance alone.

6. Nacho Flay

   This feline has gained lots of attention on social media thanks to his bright orange coat, large, Maine Coon size and personality, and his famous dad—well-known chef Bobby Flay. Nacho even has a cat food brand named after him.

7. Honorable Mention: Brodie That Dood

   Brodie the Goldendoodle has recently gained more attention online, specifically on TikTok. Thanks to his vivacious personality, ability to put a smile on anyone’s face, and carefree hairstyle, following Brodie and his adventures will give you a daily boost of serotonin.

Although these are just a few of the most-followed pets on social media, they are just the tip of the iceberg of pet accounts you can find online. Aside from individual profiles, you can also find pages for pet parents that share advice or even meet up in person.

Whether you follow pet accounts on social media via your personal account, make your pet their own pages, or dive all in and go for the pet influencer route, don’t forget to have fun along the way. In the end, having your pet involved on social media can be a wonderful way to store all the memories you and your best pal have shared over the years.

_{An ASPCA Pet Health Insurance plan can help you with eligible costs for covered conditions like surgery expenses for accidents and help provide peace of mind that your pet can receive the care they need. Check out our online resources to learn more about your insurance options and get a free quote today. The information presented in this article is for educational and informational purposes only and does not constitute or substitute for the advice of your veterinarian.}

(opens new window)