Social media is a life staple for the majority of members of modern society. It’s not unusual to wake up and immediately check Facebook or Instagram and do so again right before bed, not to mention the countless times it is checked throughout the day—proving that it’s become part of our everyday routines. Another part of many of our everyday routines? Our pets! Put one and two together, and voilà—social media accounts for pets have become a thing.

Putting numerous pictures of your pooch or feline on social media is one thing, but making accounts for them, as them, takes it to another level. Creating social media accounts for pets certainly gives them a presence outside of your home or backyard—but why do people do it? And if you want to do it, how should you go about it? Read on.

Why do people do it?

People love animals—period. That being said, people also love sharing about their animals on social media. In fact, according to iheartdogs.com, about 65 percent of pet owners post about their animal companions on social media an average of two times per week, with 16 percent posting more than four times per week.

Some pet owners get to the point of realizing, “Hey, I’ve posted SO many pictures of Fido/Fluffy on my social media page. Maybe he/she should have one of his/her own!” Put simply, it’s just another way to organize how social media users share about their four-legged family members.

While some do it for fun, however, others do it for fame. Social media accounts for pets have transformed some ordinary companions into full-on celebrities, yielding their owners millions of not just followers, but dollars, in the process.

Take “Jiff,” the Pomeranian who has the most social followers of any other animal in the world at 24 million across all his pages, including 8.9 million on Instagram. He set the Guinness World Record for most Instagram followers by any animal at 7 million in 2017. Others you might recognize include “Grumpy Cat” at 2.4 million Instagram followers, “Doug the Pug” at 3.6 million followers and “Maru,” the Shiba Inu that always wears a smile, at 2.5 million on Instagram.

How much money have these famous pets made for their owners? In 2016, JiffPom was bringing in an estimated $17,500 per post, according to GoBankingRates. In 2014, several news outlets reported that the owner of Grumpy Cat, Tabatha Bundesen, earned $100 million in the first two years of her feline’s fame. Though Bundesen denied that claim, she has not revealed the actual number.

How should I start a social account for my pet?

Wanting to make millions off of those puppy-dog eyes? Or maybe you just want to keep your pet’s fame limited to your inner circle. It’s really as easy as creating a new account, using your pet’s name and uploading his or her cutest profile picture. But to run successful social media accounts for pets, here are a few pointers.

• Start by inviting friends and family. You know your friends and family will be the first to feel thrilled about following your furry family member. Start your following by inviting them to like the page. Once you get a good start with people you know, then you can branch out into the big leagues by asking them to share with their friends, and their friends, and so on.
• Talk like a pet. Point of view is everything when cultivating successful social media accounts for pets. If it is truly to appear as your pet’s page, then your messaging should be in “first person” from the pet’s perspective. For example, rather than, “This is my pet, Max,” use, “This is my human, Bob” on the pet’s page when showing a picture of the two of you.
• Think like a pet. Along similar lines, put yourself in your pet’s head. What is he or she thinking when you go for a walk? When you leave for work all day? When you give him or her a treat or new toy? Use the answers to those and comparable questions to fuel your pet page content.
• Be relevant. As you would on your business page or personal page, connect your pet to relevant, timely topics. For example, during the holiday season, post about holiday happenings from a canine or feline point of view.
• Interact with your followers. This one’s a given for any type of page you are maintaining. You can’t expect people to want to engage with you if you don’t interact with them back! Think about the dog park—people love to pet your pooch and ask you questions about him/her. You wouldn’t ignore inquirers there, so don’t do it on social media either!

Social media accounts for pets can just be for fun, or they can potentially make your four-legged family member Jiff-level famous. How far you try to take it is up to you!

Not interested in maintaining your business’ social accounts—let alone one for your pets? The McNutt & Partners team can help. McNutt & Partners is a full-service advertising and digital marketing agency. Contact us today for your marketing needs! Call 334-521-1010, or visit our contact page.