With influencers and online creators popping up everywhere, being a pet influencer has quickly become a dream for many pet owners!
Who wouldn’t want to showcase their cute cat or dog to the world – all the while making money by collaborating with big brands?
If you’re ready to turn your pet into a social media star, follow these steps to embark on an exciting journey as a pet influencer and open doors to collaborations with major brands.
Here are the 7 steps to become a pet influencer and collaborate with big brands:
- Get a pet and a phone or camera
- Dedicate at least 1 month to learning – this is where the coaching program comes in handy!
- Don’t give up after the 3 month hump
- Follow big and medium sized accounts
- Reach out to brands, sign up for affiliate accounts
- Pay attention to sponsored posts that you see others do
- Sign up for 3rd party creator marketplaces – these are popping up everywhere
And don’t forget! You can get started TODAY by signing up for your free 2-day mini course and download your ebook to learn how to become a pet influencer!
Step 1: Get a Pet and a Phone or Camera
The first step is obvious (but, important!) – you’ll need a pet and a phone or camera to capture photos and videos. Whether you have a silly cat, a highly energetic dog, or any type of exotic pet, your pets can be the next big star online!
Becoming a pet influencer starts with a passion to share your pet with the world!
The bond between you and your pet is important because you’ll be spending a lot of time focusing on them!
Simply having your pet opens up a world of endless possibilities for making engaging content. From 2 a.m. cat zoomies to heart-melting snuggles, I can guarantee that you’ll find something that others will want to watch and see!
I Have A Pet. Now What?
You may want to invest in a good-quality phone or camera that can capture high-resolution photos and videos to showcase your pet’s charisma in all its glory.
As you embark on this exciting journey, remember that authenticity is key. Your pet’s unique personality is what will captivate your audience and set you apart from the crowd. Whether they’re goofy, elegant, or mischievous, embrace them as they are and let their true character shine through your content.
Showcasing these moments not only creates heartwarming connections with your followers but also sets the foundation for attracting the attention of big brands seeking to collaborate with your pet account!
In the next steps, we’ll explore how you can leverage your pet’s star power and your creative skills to build a strong online presence, engage with the pet influencer community, and unlock exciting opportunities to collaborate with big brands!
Step 2: Dedicate at Least 1 Month to Learning
Let’s just be honest up front here: Becoming a successful pet influencer takes time and effort.
Dedicate at least one month to learning the ropes of social media, content creation, and digital marketing. Consider joining the Petfluencer Secrets coaching program tailored specifically to new pet influencers!
A program like this can provide you the step-by-step guidance and strategies to help you navigate the evolving and competitive world of pet influencing!
The Necessary Foundations To Becoming A Pet Influencer
Becoming a successful pet influencer requires more than just sharing cute pictures and videos of your pet!
It is essential to dedicate time to learning and mastering the art of social media, content creation, and digital marketing. This investment in knowledge will be the foundation for building a your big online presence and attracting the attention of big brands.
As mentioned above, to begin your learning journey, consider dedicating at least one month to immerse yourself in the world of pet influencing. This period allows you to learn already-establish influencers, figure out what works (and what does not work!), and gets you primed to launch successfully.
During your learning phase, experiment with different styles of content, such as photos, videos, and captions. Explore different platforms like Instagram, TikTok, or YouTube to find the one that aligns best with your pet’s personality and your own creative strengths.
Be sure to ALWAYS analyze the engagement metrics and feedback from your audience to identify what resonates most with them.
Additionally, start familiarizing yourself on the latest trends, hashtags, and challenges within the pet influencer community. Begin engaging with other pet influencers by commenting, direct messaging, or simply replying to Story posts.
Building connections within the pet influencer community can provide valuable support and potential cross-promotion opportunities in the future!
How Long Will It Take To Start Up My Pet Influencer Profile?
Remember, Rome wasn’t built in a day, and neither will your pet influencer empire. Dedicate time to continuous learning and improvement.
Stay open-minded, adapt to changes, and don’t be afraid to experiment with new content ideas! Consistency, patience, and a hunger for knowledge will set you on the path to becoming a sought-after pet influencer, (or any type of content creator online!).
Step 3: Don’t Give Up After the 3 Month Hump
Building loyal subscribers and attracting big brands takes time.
Many successful influencers admit that the first three months are the MOST challenging as a content creator! It’s important not to get discouraged during this period. Stay consistent, keep learning, and know that your dedication will eventually pay off.
What Is The 3 Month Hump?
It’s important to brace yourself for the initial challenges and not get discouraged during the first three months. Many successful influencers of all categories have faced these hurdles and emerged stronger on the other side.
During the early stages, it’s common to experience slow growth, limited engagement, and doubts creeping in.
However, it’s crucial to stay consistent and keep pushing forward! Stay focused on creating high-quality, compelling content that showcases your pet’s unique personality and is relatable to your audience.
Use this time to learn from your experiences, adapt your strategies, and refine your content. Pay attention to the photo, video or text content that resonate well with your audience and analyze the engagement metrics to understand what works best – and why!
You can even ask your followers for feedback! This can be a helpful tool for improvement.
It’s also important to keep learning and evolving as a pet influencer! Stay updated on the latest trends, explore new platforms, and experiment with fresh content ideas. Hopping on a trend is helpful to stay up-to-date with the latest.
Above all, know that consistency is what will drive you toward your goals! It may take time to catch the attention of big brands, but during this time you can absolutely collaborate with smaller brands!
Stay true to your passion, keep refining your skills, and have faith that your hard work will pay off over time!
Step 4: Follow Big and Medium-Sized Accounts
A key aspect of growing your own pet influencer account is engaging with others!
Follow and interact with both big and medium-sized accounts in the pet influencer space, when you are first starting out. Like and comment on their posts genuinely. Building connections with fellow pet influencers can lead to collaborations, cross-promotion, and exposure to new audiences.
As a pet influencer, building a strong presence within the pet influencer community is crucial for your growth and collaboration opportunities with big brands. Engaging with bigger influencers and their followers can open doors to new audiences.
Start by identifying influential pet accounts that align with your niche, target audience, and values.
Follow these accounts and immerse yourself in their content. Make sure to avoid generic comments!
By actively engaging with other’s content, you not only build connections but also increase your visibility within the community. Remember, it’s essential to build relationships based on authenticity and mutual respect.
In addition to direct collaborations, engaging with other accounts when you’re starting out also allows you to stay up-to-date with the latest trends and strategies within the pet influencer space. Observe how successful influencers curate their content, engage with their audience, and handle brand partnerships.
Learn from their techniques and adapt them to suit your unique style and pet’s personality.
Step 5: Reach Out to Brands and Sign Up for Affiliate Accounts
Once your pet influencer account starts gaining traction, it’s time to reach out to brands!
Start by identifying brands that align with your pet. For example, it makes no sense to have a dog pet influencer account and try to collaborate with a lizard pet food company.
Look for affiliate accounts with brands that offer pet-related products. Affiliate partnerships can provide a source of income as you grow your presence.
With affiliate programs, you can receive a commission for each sale generated through your unique affiliate links or discount codes.
When entering affiliate partnerships, it’s important to maintain transparency with your audience. Disclose your affiliate relationships and be honest in your recommendations. Only promote products or services that you genuinely believe in and have tested yourself.
(If you are a part of the Petfluencer Secrets Group Program, you get a handful of ready-for-you pitches, media kits, rate sheets, and other templates to send directly to brands to get free products and get brand deals!)
As your pet influencer account gains traction and your audience grows, it’s time to take the next step and explore collaborations with brands. Working with brands not only provides exciting opportunities for your pet but also opens doors for more income streams.
How to Connect With Brands Who Work With Pet Influencers
First, it is important to identify brands that align with your pet’s lifestyle, your values, and your overall content theme.
There are PLENTY of brands who are scammy and unprofessional. Look for brands that resonate with your audience and would genuinely benefit from partnering with you.
Look at their website, consider their products, mission, and target audience. You then can put together your pitch. A pitch can be sent as an email or a direct message.
Highlight what the brand can get out of the deal. Do not just focus on yourself.
When reaching out to brands, focus on building relationships rather than solely seeking immediate collaborations. Start by introducing yourself, expressing your appreciation for the brand’s time, and explaining why you believe it would be a good fit for your pet and audience.
As your pet influencer account gains more collaborations and successfully promotes brands, your reputation as a trustworthy influencer will grow.
This opens doors for more significant collaborations with big brands that recognize your value.
In the next step, we’ll dive deeper into creating sponsored content and strategically positioning yourself to collaborate with big brands. So, think about how you will reach out to brands and consider signing up for affiliate programs to pave the way for exciting collaborations and potential income opportunities in the pet influencing world.
Step 6: Pay Attention to Sponsored Posts
To start, observe how other pet influencers execute sponsored posts. Take note of their creativity, authenticity, and how they seamlessly integrate brand collaborations into their content. Analyze what resonates with their audience and adapt those strategies to your own style.
When it comes to collaborating with big brands as a pet influencer, sponsored posts play a significant role.
These collaborations not only provide exciting opportunities but also allow you to showcase your creativity while promoting products or services.
Learn How To Make A Sponsored Post
When you notice a sponsored post come up on your timeline, take a moment to see what you like and dislike about it. You can then take a peek at the engagement metrics, such as comments, likes, and shares. Take note of any storytelling techniques, the use of visuals, and captions.
By studying successful examples, you can gain insights into what captivates and engages your own audience.
While it’s important to draw inspiration from others, always remember to stay true to YOUR content. Do not ever copy someone else’s style or videos.
Instead, you can adapt the strategies and techniques you learn to suit your unique style and the preferences of your followers. Authenticity is a vital aspect of being a pet influencer, and your audience values the genuine connection you have worked hard to establish with them.
When making sponsored posts, focus on weaving the brand’s message seamlessly into your content. Instead of sounding like a commercial, find creative ways to highlight the brand’s value and make it relevant and relatable to your followers.
In the next step, we will talk about how to sign up for third-party creator marketplaces, and how this relates to working with big brands as a pet influencer.
Step 7: Sign Up for Creator Marketplaces
To get more opportunities, consider signing up for 3rd party creator marketplaces that connect influencers with brands.
These platforms are popping up everywhere! They provide a centralized hub for brands to discover and collaborate with pet influencers. Explore these marketplaces to access a wider range of brand collaborations and increase your visibility within the industry.
Signing up for third-party creator marketplaces and working with smaller brands in this way is a strategic move to connect with big brands. By joining these marketplaces, you can access a wider range of brand collaborations and increase your visibility within the industry.
Overall, these types of websites or apps make it easier for both influencers and brands to connect and negotiate partnerships. As a pet influencer, signing up for these marketplaces gives you a chance to showcase your skills, creativity, and influence to a larger pool of potential brand partners.
Some marketplaces have pet-specific brands, while others cater to a broader range of industries. Choose the platforms that best align with your goals and aspirations as a pet influencer.
Signing Up For A 3rd Party Creator Marketplace
When signing up for participation in these marketplaces, ensure your profile is complete and showcases what makes YOU unique!
Highlight your pet’s personality, your engagement with your audience, and any notable achievements or collaborations you’ve had in the past.
While third-party creator marketplaces provide valuable opportunities, it’s important to approach collaborations with caution. Evaluate each partnership opportunity carefully, considering factors such as time commitment, payment or product compensation, and contractual obligations.
Summary
Becoming a pet influencer and collaborating with big brands is an exciting journey that requires dedication, creativity, and a genuine love for your pet. By following these steps and staying true to your unique voice, you can be well on your way to creating captivating content, growing your audience, and attracting collaborations with major brands. Remember, success in pet influencing takes time, so stay consistent and never stop learning!
