Earn Your First $1,000 as a Pet Content Creator 

Hello, everyone! My name is Ashley, the pet content creator coach at Petfluencer Secrets, and I help people make money by sharing pictures and videos of their pets. I’m going to tell you how I made my first $1,000 doing this! I’m hoping my resources can help you make money with your pet too!

Don’t forget to sign up for your FREE Pet Influencing for Beginners eBook & mini course here!

I started sharing pet content a handful of years ago. Back then, I made money in ways that don’t work anymore, like the TikTok Creator Fund. But don’t worry—I’ll share ways that definitely still work today to help you earn your first $1,000!

I have two cat accounts that make enough money for me to do this full-time and I want to teach YOU how to do it too. Let’s talk about how to make money with your pet online!

Ways to Make Money: Lots of Choices

There are many ways to make money by showing off your pet online. It’s like having a big box of crayons—you can pick any color you like! Everyone does it differently, and there is no perfect option. Here are some ways:

• Merchandise: Sell things with your pet’s picture on them, like shirts.
• Affiliate Marketing: Tell people about products and get paid a little when they buy.
• Brand Deals: Work with companies to make videos or posts for them.
• UGC (User-Generated Content): Make things for companies to use on their pages.
• Amazon Influencer Program: Share products on Amazon and earn money.

These are just some ideas. In this article, I’ll tell you what worked for me to make my first $1,000! These aren’t the only ways, but they worked fast for me. You can do this too—keep trying, and you’ll get there!

My First Brand Deal: A Big Step Forward

Brand deals are a great way to make money as a pet content creator!

A brand deal is when a company pays you to make a video or post about their product. This is called active income because you have to do work to get paid. It’s different from passive income, which comes in without extra work after you set it up.

Here’s how I got my first brand deal: I put my email in my profile so companies could find me. A pet food company emailed me and asked if I’d make a video. Instead of just one video, I offered a package deal. That means I’d do more for them than just one video, like a few videos and some extra content.

I charged $250 each month for a video and an Instagram story. I shared them on TikTok, YouTube, and Instagram as well. They liked it so much that they kept paying me for a year and a half! That $250 every month helped me a lot as a brand new content creator, and it definitely sparked some excitement and motivated me to keep growing.

Amazon Influencer Program: Money That Keeps Coming

Another way I made money was with the Amazon Influencer Program. This is when you tell people about products on Amazon, and if they buy them, you get a little money.

It’s passive income, which means it keeps coming even when you’re not working every day.

I made an Amazon page and put videos and pictures of the cat products that I already had—like food, treats, and cat beds. I didn’t share these on my regular social pages, just on Amazon.

Soon, I was making $150 a month! After a few months, it grew to $250 a month. That’s money I didn’t have to work for every day—it just came in passively!

How to Start:

• Make an Amazon Influencer page.
• Show products your pet uses (videos or photos).
• Make simple videos about them and post consistently.

Selling Products You Received: A Smart Way to Earn Extra Cash

I also made money by selling things I got for free!

Companies sent me expensive pet products, like cat strollers or litter boxes, to make videos about. After I made the videos, I sold the items on Facebook Marketplace for $100 or more. People like buying things cheaper than in stores.

For example, I got a $200 cat stroller, made a video, and then sold it for $100. I made money and got content too! This of course works for dog products like large gates or crates too—whatever your pet uses!

Here is the simple breakdown of how this works:

• Ask companies for products to review.
• Make videos with them.
• Sell them after for extra money.

How I Made My First $1,000

Here’s how I put it all together to make my first $1,000:

• Brand Deal: $250 a month from the pet food company.
• Amazon: $150 a month, then quickly rose to $250+ a month.
• Selling Stuff: $100 or more from each item I sold.

In a few months, I was making $1,000 every month. That might sound slow, but it’s fast when you’re starting something new. You have to plan and work smart—not just hope a video gets lots of likes.

How You Can Start Today

Here’s what you can do to begin making money with your pet. These steps are easy to follow and will help you get started right away!

1. Add Your Email: Put your email where people can see it, like in your bio on Instagram or TikTok. This is how companies will find you to offer brand deals. Make sure it’s clear and correct so they can send you messages.
2. Look for Brand Deals: Ask companies to work with you—start with a small price, like $50 or $100 for a video. You can email pet companies you like and tell them about your pet and why you’d be good to work with.
3. Use Amazon: Make an Influencer page and share products. You can use items that you already own, or borrow some from friends and family!
4. Sell Things: Get free items, use them, and sell them. There are multiple ways you can utilize the products you receive for free! This is just one simple way!

Let’s talk more about finding brand deals!

You can start by making a list of companies that sell things your pet likes, like food, toys, or beds. Look up their websites and find an email or contact form.

Write a short message saying, “Hi, I’m [your name], and I share videos of my pet online. I’d love to work with you to show your products!” Tell them how many people follow you and what you can do, like make a video or post a picture.

Even if you’re new, start small—companies like working with people who try hard. Over time, you can ask for more money as you get better at this.

Using Amazon is another great step, and it’s simple to begin. Sign up for the Amazon Influencer Program—it’s free—and they’ll give you a page to share products.

Pick things you already have, like a pet brush or a water bowl, and make a quick video of your pet using them. Say something like, “My cat loves this toy because it’s fun to chase!” Upload it to your Amazon page, and when people buy those things through your link, you get a little money. It adds up over time, and you don’t have to do much work after you set it up.

Keep adding new products to keep the predictable money coming.

Summary

I want you all to have incredible success as a pet influencer! I started years ago with two cat accounts that now pay me full-time, and I used three main methods: brand deals, the Amazon Influencer Program, and selling products.

My first brand deal came when a pet food company emailed me (since I put my email in my bio) and paid me $250 a month for videos and stories—it lasted over a year! I also earned $150 to $250 a month on Amazon by posting pet product videos, and I sold things like cat strollers for extra money after reviewing them.

I’ve got easy steps for YOU to start: I suggest putting your email in your bio, asking companies for brand deals (even small ones at first), making an Amazon page with product videos, and selling items you review on places like Facebook Marketplace.

I learned that making money needs a plan, not just luck—it’s like planting a seed that grows with effort.

Don’t forget that I offer a free ebook and mini-course to help, and I know you can do this with any pet, even with a SMALL following!

Let Me Help You Get Started Today!

Whether you are a brand new pet content creator and growing your pet’s social media presence, or an experienced influencer, success starts with the right knowledge. Download your free Beginner’s Guide to Pet Influencing and start building the side hustle of your dreams today!

Below are some more action steps:

• If you need 1-on-1 help, I do virtual coaching sessions! Learn more here.
• If you want a pro to look at your pet’s social media profiles and give you tips and suggestions for improvement, an audit is the way to go! Get more info here.
• If you are new and don’t want to mess anything up along the way, I highly recommend the group program/online course! I have over 70 videos with in-depth step-by-step guides, downloads, printables, and bonus goodies included. Get access here.
• If you don’t want to invest in your pet’s new biz right now, I get it! That’s why I also offer a free eBook & mini course series! Download your goodies here.

No matter where you are in your journey, there’s a resource to help you succeed. I’m SO excited to see you earn your first $1000!