In a world where most of her furry peers are chasing tails, Frankie – a four-year-old miniature dachshund from Melbourne – has been busy making a lucrative living through her Instagram account, @frankiethelilsausage.
Having starred in some big-name campaigns, and enjoyed partnerships with various pet brands, Look at that face! How much money Your cat or dog doesn’t need to be the Cindy Crawford of the animal kingdom. In fact, the weirder the better, says Natalie Giddings, part-owner and director of Remarkable Pets, a talent agency for furry friends. “Unusual-looking pets are always in demand, but people – and subsequently, brands – become engaged with the personality you create for them online,” she says. “Think about your pet’s persona and let that shine through.” Think it’s all about photographing and posting cute photos of your pet? That’s a good start, but networking and building connections is key, Natalie advises. “Pet influencers in particular get a lot of engagement and this is something brands will look for when deciding whether to work with you or not,” she says. Follow other pet influencers, comment regularly on their posts and respond to people who comment on yours. Being a pet-fluencer takes hard work and hustle. Good photography is essential, but Georgie also recommends practising with all the free apps (editing, lighting, filtering etc) to find your look, as well as including videos where you can. “If you use the right hashtags then you might get a media publication or another larger social media account to pick this up and re-share it,” she says. If you have a decent number of followers yourself, you may want to consider starting off by posting photos of your pet in your own feed, says Georgie, who explains that a large number of pet influencers have become names because of their owners. Frankie was the flower dog at his owner’s wedding. Got the figures and the all-important engagement? It could be time to form your first alliance – by sending an enquiry and pictures to an agency. “We get submissions every day, but there’s not nearly enough pets for the number of briefs we get so there’s plenty of work out there,” says Natalie. Want more tips and tricks for your pets? Check out the links below! Dog breeds you may think are dangerous but are actually great to adopt as pets 50 names for black dogs that couldn’t be more perfect Does my dog have depression? Nine mental health signs to watch in your pets Royal pets: The posh pooches (and ponies and cats) that keep this regal family company The best cat for you, based on your star sign Five pet adoption tips from Dr. Chris Brown What your dog can and can’t eat: don’t feed your dog raw chicken meat See the most adorable photos ever of celebrities and their pets Puppy guide 101: Four things every new dog owner should know
Give them a strong personality
Engage with your audience
Put time & effort into your posts
Feature your pet in your account
Sign up with an agency
