Growing an account on Instagram doesn’t have to be difficult. Use these 5 tips to grow your dog’s Instagram:
1. Take Advantage of Instagram Reels
If you’re not using Reels already, you’re seriously missing out. Since TikTok has been on the rise, Instagram is trying to complete by prioritizing Reels over posts and stories. Start posting today and you never know what video might blow up!
Our recipe for a successful Reel is to add a hook in the beginning, keep them fast paced, give new insight, and make them stylish and/or cute. A colourful bandana from doggos can definitely help with getting your Reel noticed!
If you’re also on TikTok, repurpose your videos so you don’t have to create extra content. For those not quite sure what to post, here are a few ideas:
- Relatable dog mom content - Check out this Reel from @Ontariodoggos for inspiration!
- Announce a follower milestone - Watch how we celebrated 10k followers!
- Funny/entertaining dog content - This Reel is humorous and entertaining at the same time.
2. Host a Giveaway With a Local Business
Who doesn’t love free stuff?! If done right, hosting a giveaway will help you reach a larger audience quickly. We recommend partnering up with a local business by asking them to donate a product. You will bring attention and new followers to this local business while simultaneously growing your following! #locallove
Copy and paste this fool proof giveaway caption:
- Like & save this post
- Follow me & @localbusiness
- Tag all your doggo friends (one tag = one entry)
Have more than 3k followers on Insta? We would love to sponsor your giveaway, shoot us a direct message on Insta to plan.
3. Engage With Your Following & Beyond:
You probably already know that you should be replying to any comments you receive and responding to DMs. Aside from this type of engagement, you should also spend some time each day connecting with similar accounts.
It’s best to engage about 30 minutes before you plan on posting a new photo or video to your feed. You can find these accounts by searching through the hashtags you use regularly and commenting on accounts whose content you truly love.
Take the time to leave authentic comments and be thoughtful with your engagement. Not only will this draw more people to your page but it will offer you the opportunity to create lasting connections with new people!
4. Use ALL Story Features:
Stories can be a great way to engage with your audience. Start the day by posting a story with you in it. People are curious to see the paw parents behind a dog account, especially in content where you are speaking first thing.
Closed captions are one of many new tools available on stories. Use that when you’re sharing videos and try to implement other features such as polls, sliders and music to increase engagement!
5. Get Posted On A Feature Page
There are a ton of popular feature pages that will help you connect with more followers on Instagram.
I have learned a lot from growing my dog feature page to ~10K followers! My tips for getting posted on a dog feature page are:
- Make sure there is lots of natural light! Outdoor shoots are usually the best call.
- Find an aesthetic background, such as the waterfront or by a bed of flowers.
- Get your doggo to sit pretty, stay in place and use small treat above the camera to get her/his eyes 'looking' at the camera.
- Throw on your favourite doggos bandana and get featured on our pages @doggos.ca and @ontariodoggos
- Tag accounts! I repeat... tag accounts!
Learn from a pro:
Vinny the Australian Shepherd (@vincent_theaussie) explained how he gained a following by “tagging really big Australian shepherd accounts (specifically feature pages) in hopes they would see my content, as well as use relevant hashtags that helped my reach”.
Vincent the Aussie (28K Followers on @vincent_theaussie)
It’s time to grow your dog’s Instagram. Start posting today and implement these tips for the best results and follow us on Instagram for inspiration!
So much love,
Francesca & Hershey 🐾