Dog Influencers- Wtf?
Did you read this title and go wtf? The thought of being a dog influencer would have made me roll my eyes and laugh a few years ago and now I’m full dog mom, dog momager, pr spokesperson, and photographer of all things Ava and Aspen! Check my babies out: http://instagram.com/littlepnwpups.
So where should we start? Let’s go back about a year and a half ago to when I started my Instagram account for my corgi, Ava (formally “avathecorgipup”). I told myself I’d NEVER be an obsessed dog mom… look at me now! I started my Instagram with no goals whatsoever, I simply wanted to share what I still believe is the cutest corgi on the planet with whoever would oblige. I quickly started to follow some fellow dog photography masters and decided to buy a cheap Canon DSLR off of Craigslist. THIS is how I got into photography- thank you Ava and Aspen. I remind myself often how grateful I am that they encouraged me (without knowing) to get into this career path that I am now so in love with.
As we got traction and I got more experience, eventually I continued upgrading my camera body and my lens to where I am now. My gear I almost always have on me is a Canon 6D Mark II and a Canon 35mm f/1.4 lens. At some point along the way I went “hey, I like taking photos maybe I’ll try it with humans.” I got friends to do mini photoshoots with me (you know who you are!) and from there I continued to expand my own business.
Back to the dogs though… within a little over a year I grew my account from 0 to over 25,000 followers. I wish I had some secret sauce or tips but really I was doing what I love with my dogs (hiking, exploring, going to beautiful places in the PNW), capturing it through my lens, and sharing it with the world. In October of 2018 we added our second pup, Aspen, to our family and our followers immediately welcomed him with open arms. Who wouldn’t?!
We are now climbing to close to 40,000 which is insane by the way. With the growth came increased interest from brands. Each deal is structured differently. Sometimes I’m reached out to directly by the company and sometimes its an agency. At times it is more long term, others its a one time post, or even just a group of photos that they are asking for.
At this point in time I would consider our (being the dogs and I) account to be a “dog influencer” account. It was never our goal or something we actively reach out for but it is a piece we integrate into our brand nowadays (more on that below).
As you likely already know, the pet industry is massive. It always has been but it feels even bigger now. The number of products, small companies, brands, etc. that exist alone for dogs is mind boggling.
Some advice, tips, and encouragement when it comes to being a dog influencer:
- Stick to your guns. Do not allow brands that you feel mediocre about to convince you that a simple product exchange for post (and usually photo release) is enough for your time and effort. There’s a stipulation to this: if its a brand/company/organization you reached out to and want to work with I say go for it! There’s brands like Stella & Chewy, Pendleton, and especially small apparel brands that I’m happy to do this for. For a long time, especially in the early stages of brand work I was thrilled to be offered free stuff. “You’ll send me this for free and all I have to do is take a photo? Sure!” You have to realize though that you are allowing their marketing budget to be nearly nothing and in a way its taking advantage of you and your skills. Again if you want the product and feel its worth it- DO IT. But don’t take the free stuff just because its free.
- Stay honest. I really try to make an effort to stick to my brand, even as a dog influencer. Yes its a “dog account” but its still a major platform that I am putting content onto daily. Besides the small dog apparel companies (collars, bandanas, etc.) that I do often support, the other items I choose to promote are done thoughtfully. For example: we did a promotion with “Austin & Kat CBD Dog Treats.” I’ve probably been emailed by at least a dozen other companies offering cbd (either for free or a contract) since then and I have declined every single one. How would it look if I was calling out every cbd dog treat company I could find? It would not look honest or real. We also tend to turn down deals if they have nothing to do with our lifestyle or conflict with our morals/beliefs and stick more to things we would actually use and would feel genuine sharing with our followers.
- Know your worth. I don’t want to get too into this one as finances are a touchy subject but I will say when I first started being asked what my “rate” was I was wayyyy undervaluing myself. Every offer I got was snatching me up likely because I was charging so little. Realize, again, that you are now a part of their customer acquisition cost and that your time, your effort, and their ability to rely on you to spread the word is worthy. Keeping in mind along the way that your follower count and audience plays a big part but don’t forget to acknowledge your worth. Shoot high- worst thing that can happen is you find a compromise.
Honestly, I feel humbled and so lucky to be in the spot that we are when it comes to our account and our accessibility to really cool deals and opportunities we wouldn’t have otherwise. That doesn’t mean that it came easily or that we haven’t work really hard to get here.
Be authentic, be real, and find something unique to share with the world, and just maybe you will get there too!
Check out some more branded photos below for inspiration/fun/curiosity! I’m an open book if you have any questions about being a dog influencer feel free to comment down below or send me an email/DM.
Thank you to you, Ava & Aspen, for not only being my best buds, but guiding me to my passion.
xo,
Kels
