I’m sure that most of us are in need of some cheering up during these difficult times, and what better way to brighten our day than looking at the cutest snaps of our furry friends! You may not be aware of this, but pet influencers have become a pretty big thing on social media, grabbing the attention of not just the general public, but of brands too.
What is National Puppy Day?
So, you’re probably wondering what brings us to talk about pet influencers today. Well, in the United States, the 23rd of March is the calendar date marked for National Puppy Day! Originally established in 2006, this day came about to celebrate the love that we have for our dogs and puppies, as well as the happiness that they bring to our lives. But, it is also a day used to raise awareness for the global issue of abandonment of dogs, and those in shelters and puppy mills.
The ASPCA reports that approximately 3.3 million dogs enter animal shelters across the U.S. every year. You would be shocked to discover the number of dogs, cats, and other pets that are abandoned worldwide, and the trauma that some of these innocent animals go through. So, not only do we want to celebrate our pets, but we should research and raise awareness for those that need rehoming, too.
What are pet influencers?
Well, the clue is in the name. Pet influencers are pets that have become famous online for various reasons and have grown a large following on their social media accounts. It’s no surprise that pet influencers have become so popular, considering the joy that these animals bring to our lives. Realistically, who doesn’t stop and smile at a dog’s photo or video online?
Across various different social media platforms, pet influencers have been getting noticed by brands. Even if the product or service is intended for human use, pet influencers have become a great way to positively influence us each day. From the reach and engagement that they have, to the happy emotions that they provoke, these pets are a great way for advertisers to get their product noticed.
Remember Dolly Pawton from our case study about How The Projects* Helped Hotels.com Build Brand Awareness? Well, we have several more examples of dog influencers like Dolly to look out for on Instagram!
Dog influencers to look out for on Instagram
So, without further ado, let’s take a look at some dogs on Instagram that have risen to fame, whilst managing to engage with some top brands along the way.
Jiff Pom
11-year-old Pomeranian, Jiff, known as @jiffpom on Instagram, has managed to amass a huge 10.3 million followers. Jiff has been featured in top music videos, collaborated with famous celebrities and influencers, and has won awards such as the Kids’ Choice Award for Favorite Instagram Pet. This L.A. based dog has been working with all sorts of brands, for animals or for humans!
Doug The Pug
Another mega influencer is @itsdougthepug, with 4M followers on Instagram. Doug is also an award-winning celebrity pet, achieving the People’s Choice Award for Favorite Animal Star. From Nashville, Tennessee, this pug has also collaborated with many big names, appearing in music videos and movies, as well as working with some top brands across social media.
Marutaro
Another one of the biggest dog influencers online is Maru, a Shiba Inu from Japan. This famous dog has 2.5M followers on his Instagram, as @marutaro, sharing some of the cutest snaps, you’ll be dying to give him a cuddle! Maru also works with many brands across the world, but being based in Japan, you may be wondering if he is right for your brand? Well, if we take a look at data from Heepsy, we can better understand his audience’s location and language. This way, you can make an informed decision based on the demographics of your target audience.
Popeye the Foodie Dog
Moving into our next category of macro influencers, is @popeyethefoodie with 409K followers on Instagram. This is another L.A.-based pup, that is well-known for dining at many different pet-friendly restaurants, and sharing these experiences with us through social media. Popeye has traveled to many different locations to source some of the best food, however, throughout the pandemic he has managed to continue engaging with brands through home delivery services too.
Bodhi
Known as @mensweardog on Instagram, Bodhi has grown his account to macro influencr level with 399K followers. He likes to inspire people interested in men’s fashion, considering himself “the most stylish dog in the world”. Although somewhat amusing, Bodhi has worked with many fashion brands, such as an ongoing collaboration with Brooks Brothers.
By looking at Heepsy data, although as expected, Bodhi’s followers have interests in the categories of ‘dog owner’ and ‘photography’, he has gained a large number of followers within the ‘fashion’ category too!
Jax
From Norway, we have @siberianhusky_jax, with 158K followers on Instagram. This gorgeous Husky engages an audience from all over, capturing the beauty of Norway, and the incredible life that he leads there. Although Jax has done plenty of traveling, his snaps at home in Norway seem to engage his audience the most, particularly during this time where we can only dream to travel.
Bosco
From London, England, this little sausage dog can be found on Instagram at @boscoandhisbigstick, with 147K followers. You may have seen this pup on a video-sharing platform, with a very cute, yet amusing video of Bosco carrying a stick several times the size of him! These videos quickly went viral, with Bosco becoming an internet sensation.
Bonnie and Zander
In the micro influencer category, we have @bonnie_and_zander, a labrador and Spanish water dog with 7.7K followers. This pair based in Spain primarily collaborate with pet-targeted brands, as well as sharing snaps through the seasons, of their happy and active lifestyle. No matter the type of influencer, whether pet or human, it’s important to remember that a large following is not the most important thing.
Bonnie and Zander have a good profile score with high engagement rates, and loyal followers. This information is shown from Heepsy data, and is far more important to a successful influencer campaign than a large reach.
How to search for dog influencers
So, on that note, let’s take a look at the most effective way to search for dog influencers. This search can be conducted directly on Instagram, if it’s Instagram influencers that you’re looking for. However, your search can be far more effective with Heepsy’s search tools.
Your first step is to log in to Heepsy and select the social media channel that you would like to search for, so let’s select Instagram from the dropdown box as an example. From the ‘category’ filter, you can select ‘pets’. With whatever other filters you are defining your search by, you can now view all pet influencers within these categories.
If you want to narrow down your search even further, for example, to view dog influencers rather than all pets, then you can enter this as a keyword, as shown below.
Conclusion
Whether you are hoping to find influencers from the pet category or not, hopefully, this article will have brightened your day, even a little bit! This National Puppy Day, as well as enjoying some cute and amusing snaps of our furry friends, let’s not forget about those dogs that may not have an owner to receive the same sort of love and appreciation from.
