Some of the most followed and cherished Instagram accounts out there belong to animals. Grumpy looking cats, rescued foxes, hedgehogs wearing clothes; but none more so than the dogs of Instagram. There are tens of thousands of profiles belonging to these furry creatures of every size, shape, and personality. Chances are you, and everyone you know, follows at least one of these influential pups on social media. You see them everyday, always scrolling past their uploads liking their pictures and “awwing” at their adorableness, and in your mind, you don’t see them as “influencers.” But why? They have the following, they have the engagement, and just like every other influencer, they have an audience that feels truly connected to their lives. Here’s why you shouldn’t underestimate the dogs of Instagram.
Everybody Loves Them
It is just a fact that most of the world loves dogs and because of this, they have garnered quite the diverse audience. Unlike beauty or food influencers their audience is not niche and the demographics and psychographics of their followers varies tremendously, something rare in influencer marketing. Men and women, young and old–there is not a target group out there that can resist following these dogs. Their reach is far and wide, but their engagement is not to be ignored. According to a study by Collective Bias, pet influencers engage 10x as many users as human influencers. And another study found that brands saw up to 295% more comments on content with pets. With engagement like that, and reaches higher than many celebrities, it’s not hard to see how the dogs of Instagram are beloved by many, especially millennials, one of the larger groups contributing to the dogs’ reach and engagement. This is due largely to the fact that not only are millennials extremely active on social media, but 1 in 3 are pet owners themselves.
Their Opinions Are Trusted
Because millennials make up the majority of pet parents and are said to be 76% more likely to splurge on a pet rather than themselves, the pet products and services industry grew to nearly $70 billion last year. People take their pet purchasing decisions very seriously and look for experts in the field to help make these decisions. These accounts might be from the dog’s point of view, but they are run by some very devoted pet owners. Just as with any other influencer, lots of time and hard work is put into building these influential accounts. Anyone that dedicated to their dog’s Instagram accounts is more than likely choosing the best of the best for their pets. And it shows too! These are good looking dogs, whether they are old, just born, purebred, mutts, disabled, show dogs, or newly rescued, they are obviously being extremely well taken care of. Since these owners have this influential platform, they have had the opportunity to try many brands and give their honest opinions. Opinions that their followers trust and appreciate. So who better to turn to when deciding what food, leashes, or toys are best?
More than just dog brands
Although these little creatures are perhaps the best advocates for dog care and health, they surely don’t limit themselves to just that. Just like a travel influencer that promotes clothing or a mommy influencer that sponsors food, dog influencers sponsor much more than just dog related products. When looking at the audience data of some of these dogs, we found that their audience have interest in more than just pet products, including family, food, toys, and even technology. Instagrams like Ps.Ny have done sponsorships with drink brands like Bai and T2 Tea. Take a look at Jiff Pom, a certified celebrity, promoting everything from dog food, Target, and tech. This idea might sound strange, but because these dogs have so much personality, they find a way to seamlessly make it fit with their page. In influencer marketing, sometimes it’s important to recognize differences between the influencer and their audience. The audience is well aware that these type of brand partnerships would be coming from the viewpoint of the owners, it just helps to have their pets be the face of the campaign.
Needless to say, the time has come to stop ignoring these accounts and passing them off as something other than genuine influencers. Whether they are promoting dog specific brands, new t.v. shows, or even fun snacks and drinks, dog influencers could be the perfect opportunity to help gain brand awareness by getting in front of an audience that may never have seen your product otherwise. Behind the adorable faces, there is true power and a loyal and loving audience.
About MATTR
MATTR is the only full-service influencer marketing provider with detailed audience insights from PersonaMesh™. We go beyond demographics into psychographics such as values and interests so that your influencer campaigns align with your campaign targets.