Author: Pawjourr

Categories
Creator's Academy

Writing a good caption

Instagram is a platform that focuses on visuals, but to really make your post shine, it needs to be supported by a good caption. In four steps, we will guide you through the process of writing a good caption for your Instagram posts.

Step-by-Step

  1. The message
  2. Hook, line, and sinker
  3. Sensory words
  4. Strike a conversation

Step 1: The message

Think of the story you want to tell. Who are you telling it to? What is this post about? What is the point of this post? A picture can tell a thousand words, but why let it do all the talking? An Instagram caption can hold up to 2,200 characters (that’s anywhere between 310 words to 550 words). That means you don’t have to exhaust the limit, but you will have a lot of space to share how you feel.

Photo by Karolina Grabowska from Pexels
Poor Caption:Good Caption:
Maxie lying down next to me when I’m sickMaxie came to my side to nurse me, I feel better already!

Step 2: Hook, line, and sinker

First impressions count. Not just for your photo, but also for your captions. Instagram has a really nifty automatic function that truncates your captions if they’re too long — 125 characters (up to 20 words) to be exact. Your opening line needs to have a hook, something that makes your audience want to read more. In that regard, you can opt for a short sentence, then separate your caption with a line-break (the return key on your keyboard). Grab your audience’s attention in those first 125 characters to draw them in.

Photo by Zen Chung from Pexels
Poor Caption:Good Caption:
The interview at the cafe was a success and Snuffles told me I was just the man he was looking for. I will be starting work in his hooman cafe, run entirely by dogs, starting Monday.I’m going to work at a Hooman Cafe run by dogs! Snuffles said I was “just the man [he] was looking for”. 

Anyway, I’m starting Monday, thanks Snuffles!
Poor Caption (truncated):Good Caption (truncated):
The interview at the cafe was a success and Snuffles told me I was just the man he was looking for… moreDid a dog just hire me?… more

Step 3: Sensory words

If there’s one thing people underestimate about photos in social media, it’s that your audience really appreciates it when you describe your experience as vividly as possible. Eating something new and novel? Describe its flavours and complexities. Travelling to a new location? Describe its sceneries and moods. Utilise the senses of touch, taste, smell, sound, sight, emotion, and thought to convey your story.

You can also use emojis to your caption to add value and make it less wordy!

Photo by Dids from Pexels
Poor Caption:Good Caption:
She wants ice creamJust as the tiger stalks a deer, so too does Mocha’s eyes gleam on her prey…??

Step 4: Strike a conversation

When it comes to content creation, it pays to not just tell a story but also start a conversation with the audience. This is especially true for sponsorships, where you’d want to promote a product or brand.

Include a call-to-action (CTA)

A CTA is the simplest way to engage your audience. Having a CTA will direct them in the direction you want them to go. Be it to sign a petition, to visit a brand’s website, or to participate in some pet jobs. CTAs are also useful when there’s too much information to share, so redirecting them to another site would make things easier for you.

Credits and Hashtags

When doing sponsored posts (or simply reposts), remember to credit your sources and partners. For your sponsors, it generates traffic; for your sources, it’s good manners. It also costs nothing to credit and tag them, so it’s a win-win! Similarly, hashtags help to bring new audiences to your post through the explore function. Instagram has a limit of 30 hashtags per post, but if that makes your caption look too chunky, you can always put them in a separate comment.

Ask a question

It’s as simple as that. People are compelled to answer whenever they are posed with a question. This also becomes a prompt for conversations to happen in your comments.

Photo by Korina Stecenko from Pexels
Poor Caption:Good caption:
Cherub’s soft toy. Good for cats.How do your pawpals wind down on lazy Sundays? 

Granger likes to snuggle her favourite toy from @Cherub.


Visit their store for a 10% discount today ? 

#CherubToys #CatsOfInstagram

You don’t need to be a wordsmith to write good captions! Just remember these tips and you’ll be able to better engage your audiences. Stacey McLachlan also experimented with caption lengths to see how length affects engagement (so you don’t have to). You can click here to see how the experiment went.

To find out more about pet influencing, click here.

Ready to kickstart your pet-fluencing journey? Join our community of pet influencers and explore opportunities here.

Photo by Suzy Hazelwood from Pexels

Categories
Brand Highlights

A heart of gold — Pet Lovers Foundation’s 14th Annual Pet Food Drive 2021

This Christmas season, everyone is excited to extend a hand and respond to the spirit of giving. What better way to give back to the community than to share a bowl (of food) with those who need it the most? Pet Lovers Centre and Pet Lovers Foundation are organising their annual fundraising event  — The 14th Annual Pet Food Drive 2021 — to lend support to three Animal Welfare Groups (AWGs) in Singapore.

This pet food drive provides a fresh opportunity for all of us to serve our less-than-fortunate four-legged friends by contributing whatever food we can. Let us remember the pawpals who can’t speak for themselves and have nobody to care for them save a few generous hearts like yours.

About the organisers

Pet Lovers Foundation

Set up in 2009, Pet Lovers Foundation is the first non-profit organisation in Singapore that aims to help animal welfare organisations in Singapore. Besides contributing financially to them, Pet Lovers Foundation also helps them raise funds through jointly developed and organised programmes and activities.

Pet Lovers Centre

Pet Lovers Centre (PLC) is collectively the largest and only pet care retail chain in South East Asia. A household name today, PLC has become the standard-bearer for responsible pet ownership. The retail chain offers the widest and freshest range of products, continuing to delight pet owners and pets alike ever since its founding in 1973.

Meet the beneficiaries

1. Animal Lovers League

Animal Lovers League (ALL) aims to encourage the public to adopt instead of buying animals, and endeavour to rejoin the animals at ALL with loving and committed families. In addition to feeding strays, ALL also brings animals for veterinary check-ups when they are sick or injured, to vaccinate them against illnesses, and to neuter/sterilise them.

2. Cat Welfare Society

The Cat Welfare Society (CWS) aims to make Singapore a stray-free country and prevent the inhumane culling of cats. Their work includes community mediation and frontline intervention, community cat population management, as well as education, outreach, and advocacy.

3. Mercylight Animal Rescue & Sanctuary Limited

Mercylight Animal Rescue And Sanctuary Limited holds a strong desire to care for animals by helping them find the right homes. The group promotes compassion for animals through the provision of animal welfare services and the prevention of cruelty to animals.

Here’s how you can help

Last year’s pet food drive was a resounding success. The beneficiaries of the pet food drive received a whopping $653,332 in contributions — that’s 39,908kg of pet food pledged! This year, Pet Lovers Centre and Pet Lovers Foundation hope to match or even better that value. Your help will come in handy.

For the 14th Annual Pet Food Drive, the chosen premium pet foods are:

  • 1st Choice
  • Burp!
  • Fish4Cats
  • Fish4Dogs

Simply go to any Pet Lovers Centre and The Pet Safari stores to pledge these products. Alternatively, you can call 1-800-PET-FOOD (1-800-738-3663) or pledge online through here. Contributions are open from 26 November to 12 December, so don’t miss out on it!

All food pledged will be ordered fresh after the campaign and ready in Q2 2022.  Beneficiaries will feed the animals in the shelters with the contributed pet food and share it with other smaller AWGs, as well as fosterers and cat caregivers.

Here are two wrap-up videos from our former beneficiaries, Causes for Animals Singapore and Cat Welfare Society.

You can view their campaign details in the poster below!

Categories
Community Stories

Christmas Gift Guide 2021 (SG Edition)

This gift guide is reserved for our Pawrents in Singapore. If you’re residing in the U.S., click here.

Henlo everybody! It’s that time of the year again — Mariah Carey’s voice floods your radio, red-green tinsels fill the streets, and everyone has a Secret Santa or two to shop for. To make things easier for you, we’ve gone ahead and picked out a few gifts for your pawrent friends and their adorable pawpals.

Share a feast with the furmily

Have you ever walked into a pet store looking for some pets and just leaving empty-handed cause they don’t feel right? Pooch Smooch Eats gets it. That’s why they started making treats they know pawpals will love. Made with 100% human-grade Australian beef, their Beef Heart Bites ($10) is rich in iron and zinc, great for oxygen transport!

Pooch Smooch Eats, “Beef Heart Bites”

Pooch Smooch Eats has just the snack for the young ones too! Your puppies and kittens can sink their teeth into some Turkey Small Bites ($14.30) or Pork Bites ($8.25). Not to mention they’re high in protein and low in fat, so your furbabies can grow up strong while enjoying something tasty.

Pooch Smooch Eats, “Pork Small Bites” and “Turkey Small Bites”

Pooch Smooch Eats is also offering 20% discount on all full priced items! Valid till year’s end (but why wait till then?) Simply enter the discount code “ PJXPS20OFF “ when you check out a minimum of 3 items!

The GRATEFUL PET Cooked Cage-Free Chicken and Cooked Salmon & Sardine

Made with 100% natural ingredients and supercharged with superfoods, The GRATEFUL PET offers subscriptions for a wide range of healthy food diets from Cooked Cage-Free Chicken ($38) to Cooked Salmon and Sardine ($43). The GRATEFUL PET ensures only super great food for super great dogs.

Let them play with their food

Don’t let your brokers get bored — if you’re getting yourselves new toys, they should too. The Sunday Pup offers a curated selection of accessories and toys you won’t find anywhere else. Their Pup Pizza ($32) is a snuggle mat that comes with removable slices and folds for your doggo to forage. The Pup Lemonade ($15.90) also has lemons that let you hide your dogs’ favourite treats!

The Sunday Pup, “Pup Pizza” and “Pup Lemonade”

The Sunday Pup has an exclusive 10% discount for orders above $15! Just enter “ PAWJOURRSUNDAY “ when you check out your first purchase. Give them a toy that’s right on the nose!

The Purrfect Pasttime

Furrplay understands how hard it is to keep your cat entertained. How about giving them a challenge for both their physical fitness and mental health? The Trixie Cat Brain Mover Strategy Game ($38) channels your feline’s energy and curiosity through its modules and drawers. Meanwhile, the Trixie Cat Activity Fun Board ($44) tests their dexterity manoeuvring through modules to obtain hidden treats.

Furrplay, “Trixie Cat Brain Mover Strategy Game” and “Trixie Cat Activity Fun Board“

The best homes are scratch-resistant

Cats are the masters of their own space, but one thing’s for sure, they love scratching stuff. If you’re going to give your felines something to drive their claws into, Threefurr might have something for you. Their Onigiri Cat House with Bed ($39) is a stretch-n-scratch built just for your felines. It even comes with a ‘cave’ with a cardboard scratcher interior, which creates a safe space for your furbabies.

Threefurr Onigiri Cat Scratcher

Pawrents, let your inner Santa out! May your furkids have a great Christmas to come!

Furliz Navidad and happy holidays 

//  U・ᴥ・U  //  (=^･ω･^=) //

Categories
Community Stories

Christmas Gift Guide 2021 (US Edition)

This gift guide is reserved for our Pawrents in the U.S. If you’re residing in Singapore, click here.

Henlo everybody! It’s that time of the year again — Mariah Carey’s voice floods your radio, red-green tinsels fill the streets, and everyone has a Secret Santa or two to shop for. To make things easier for you, we’ve gone ahead and picked out a few gifts for your pawrent friends and their adorable pawpals.

Winter and Spring colours will go hand in hand

For a holly jolly aesthetic, Fetching Bowties by Larry has you covered. The Snowflake and Deer Bandana (From $8) offers a dashing red plaid design, coupled with a variety of snowflakes. Meanwhile, if you don’t have a christmas tree , yule want the Bring Home The Tree Bowtie ($12). This comical design will give your pawpal a smile you’ll pine for.

Fetching Bowties by Larry, “Snowflake and Deer” and “Bring Home The Tree”

The snow and lights of Christmas may come and go, but Levupets knows where class truly lies. The folks at Levupets have released collections upon collections of japanese-inspired bows, fit for pawpals with an ethereal elegance. Their Find The Cat Dog Bow Tie ($8) and Hana Stripe Bow Tie ($8) bring out a timeless look for all seasons. With over 30 unique designs, there is a bow tie for everyone. Enter the promo Code ‘ ‘ PJXMAS ” when you check out at Levupets to enjoy 10% off all their products!

Levupets, “Find The Cat” and “Hana Stripe” bow ties

Explore the Wilderness this season

If your pawpal is itching for adventure, why not bring them out for an unexpected journey for the holidays? Ruffwear presents lifestyle accessories designed for comfort and breathability when going out for runs or hiking trails.

Ruffwear Hi & Light Harness

Minimalist and low-profile, their Hi & Light™ harness ($39.95) comes in sizes for even the smallest doggos. It also has a leash attachment at the back so your dog does not feel any discomfort, even from tugging.

Ruffwear Quencher Cinch Top Packable Dog Bowl

Ruffwear’s Cinch Top Dog Bowl ($19.95) lets you carry food to-go without having to bring the whole box. Besides being collapsible to save space, the Cinch Top Dog Bowl uses a drawstring closure to keep their kibble closed on the move and open wide for mealtime.

Give your pawpals a (literal) treat

We want nothing but the best for our pawpals. Besides a good day out and a makeover, we also want them to enjoy a good feast with us on our merry holidays. Sometimes, the simplest solutions make the best gifts. That’s why the way to a pet’s heart is through their belly with hearty and healthy food.

Because, Animals Peanut Butter Noochies! Organic Dog Cookies

For an equally healthy holiday treat, Because, Animals has you covered. Containing a mix of ingredients such as peanut butter, bananas, coconut oil, and the nutritional yeast “nooch”, Peanut Butter Noochies Organic Dog Cookies ($12) is the healthy and yummy snack that your furry friends are sure to love for the holidays.

Because, Animals Omega & Probiotic Sprinkles for Cats

Because, Animals also has supplements for feline friends too. The Omega & Probiotic Sprinkles for Cats ($24) uses omega-rich seaweeds and organic fruit and vegetable powders to give your catto better digestion and immunity.

Pawrents, let your inner Santa out! May your furkids have a great Christmas to come!Furliz Navidad and happy holidays  

//  U・ᴥ・U  //  (=^･ω･^=) //

Photo by Lucie Liz from Pexels

Categories
Community Stories

AON’s Happy Tales : Mafan.Mushu

This article was brought to you by AON HappyTails.

He has long, dark hair. She keeps her brown hair short and trimmed. He is a cup of espresso — mellow and unassuming. She likens a latte — sweet and flavourful. These two individuals can’t be further apart. But as James and Jacqueline point out, Mushu and Mafan are not just related — they’re siblings of the same litter.

Having grown up with cats, it was no surprise that James would suggest adding a few to the family. Jaqueline however, was not originally a cat person. It took some convincing from her husband, but thankfully she has not regretted warming up to the idea. Mafan and Mushu have been a part of the family for 4 years now and have made invaluable memories.

James and Jacqueline celebrating Christmas with their furkids

The duality of nyan

Mafan (tl. Mandarin, ‘troublesome’) is ever the curious cat, living up to her namesake. Where trouble is afoot, she is always nearby. The shorthair tails her pawrents around the house to make sure she always knows what’s going on. Her brother, Mushu, is the honour student of the two. Smart and well-behaved, the charcoal-coloured feline prefers to tread on the side of caution. He is also quite the rat, always complaining to his pawrents about his sister whenever she misbehaves.

Mafan up to some mischief

The pair owe their intuitive disposition to Jacqueline, who believes that if nothing else, “people must at least think our cats are smart.” Mafan and Mushu can leap onto their pawrents’ shoulders, and Mushu in particular has learnt to identify letters of the alphabet! Alas, despite the variety of tricks on their belt, they generally live very pampered lives with naps, boxes, and treats.

Growing concerns

James expressed concern over their pawpals’ health and sought a form of reassurance that they could care for the felines in an unlikely scenario. On one occasion, the couple had moved to a temporary residence to wait out on home renovations. Fearing Mafan and Mushu might feel uneasy and escape from the unfamiliar environment, they bought trackers so they could always find their cats.

The thought of insuring their pets was complete happenstance. Shocked by the daunting expenses a friend had incurred while caring for a paralysed senior dog, the two decided to insure Mafan and Mushu while they were still young so that they can afford the best care for them. 

“We picked Happy Tails because it was the only one we found which provides lifetime coverage.” James said, “Other insurance plans only seem to cover cats until 13 years of age, and we clearly hope that Mafan and Mushu will live well beyond that!”James and Jacqueline also noted another reason for insuring Mafan and Mushu under Happy Tails —  Happy Tails provides coverage for chemotherapy (the paralysed senior dog they had met also has cancer), as well as post-surgery expenses, which snowballs to ridiculous bill shock.

*Bonus Content*

Say Mafan and Mushu should speak hooman for 7 days. What would you say to them / do with them for that week?

“Right now they meow at us and it’s really cute. We usually can tell what they want to convey – whether they want to be fed, have water topped up, or if Mushu wants to snitch on his sister to get treats.

Mafan and Mushu love each other regardless.

“But I think if we understood what each other meant we would be arguing all the time. They might just be going “FOOD FOOD FOOD” and we would just be going “NO NO NO”. So it’s better that they stay meowing and we just continue talking nonsense at each other.”

Categories
Creator's Academy

Content creation pitfalls (and what you can do about them)

Content creation may seem easy at first — snap a photo of your precious furkids and share them with the world. So why aren’t you doing as well as other pawpals on Instagram? Here are some pitfalls you may have made and how you can work around them!

No.1: Feed spamming

We’ve emphasised it a few times in our previous article but we must emphasise — do not flood your Instagram feed with multiple photos. More than anything, you want your audience to remember you for quality content, not excessive content. Adam Mosseri, Head of Instagram, recommended posting 2-3 times a week, and no more than 1 post a day. If you want to share more pictures and videos of your furkid, you can always consider Instagram Stories.

No.2: Losing that personal touch

When making sponsored posts, it is easy to get lost in the products’ details. Yes, this new brand of pet food is made with high-quality ingredients. You sold the product, but you didn’t sell us the experience. How did your pawpal react to the product? Will they want it more now?  The photos you take and the captions you write must tell a story to engage your audience.

No.3: Making loooooooong captions

On top of being a place for short-form content, Instagram is also an app that puts a lot of emphasis on your pictures. Let your photos do most of the work (see above, “photos must tell a story”), and keep your captions short and easy to read. If you want to hold a follower’s attention, it should not be to read a wall of text. Remember, brevity is the soul of wit!

If you’re adding hashtags, it’s good to know that Instagram limits your posts to a maximum of 30 hashtags. It’s even better to know that using all 30 hashtags makes your post look cluttered. What we recommend is to throw all your hashtags into a single comment so that your caption is neat and emphasises the story itself.

No.4: Ignoring comments (completely)

Now that you’re making content, you’re sure to receive more comments on your posts! You may receive comments from people you may (or may not) know, so be sure to reply to them. This is the best time to engage with your audience, as it shows that communication is two-way, rather than just you sharing information top-down. A pawpal that replies and converses with their followers leaves a longer-lasting impression than a pawpal who only posts pictures and nothing more.

There are many other pitfalls we did not include, but these are probably the most important ones. With this, we hope that you’ll combine these with your insights to create more engaging content.

To find out more about pet influencing, click here.

Ready to kickstart your pet-fluencing journey? Join our community of pet influencers and explore opportunities here.

Photo by Karolina Grabowska from Pexels

Categories
Creator's Academy

Sponsorships vs Exclusivity

Everybody knows what sponsorships are — at least vaguely. We last explored how to get your pet sponsored too. However, there is another category of partnerships. Exclusivity. How are they different? Is one better than the other? Lets know more about exclusivity and understand why it is an equally valid strategy for Pet Influencers.

Definitions

Exclusivity

Working with a brand for a set period of time. During this time, you are not allowed to promote any other brand. “Which brand” will depend on the contract — some exclusivities do allow you to work with other brands, so long as they are not in the same category, or competitors of the brand you are working with..

Because of that, exclusivities may be restrictive in its own way. When you’re promoting a brand as an exclusive ambassador, you won’t be able to promote other brands with us. If you have been offered an exclusive contract, do consider the benefits as well as the contract terms carefully before accepting.

Sponsorship

Promoting or a product, event, or activity to raise brand awareness for the client. Sponsorships are more flexible because of the requirements per sponsor — most tend to be a one-time project. Of course, brands would definitely want some commitment back. A good rule-of-thumb would be to avoid promoting similar products from other brands during your sponsorship.

Benefits

While exclusivity may restrict the number of offers you can take up at any one time, it’s not without its benefits. 

Sponsorships play at versatility. Because sponsorships tend to have a short campaign period, you can use the fast-paced premise of the jobs to get your name out to a wider audience much faster. Your followers and potential partners will see you on media and current events more often, which creates a lasting impression.Exclusivities however, are all about being selective. Having many sponsorships may get your pawpal seen in the early game, but over time you may have to balance your feed with more organic posts or risk losing authenticity. In the case of exclusivities, being selective and deliberate, signals to your potential partners that you are invested in their cause, not just their profits. Your words carry more weight because you chose to endorse these brands.

How to make the most out of each

Sponsorships : Form bonds, create long term connections

Sponsorships come and go really quickly. So one way to maximize your opportunities is to know not just your own audience, but also your partners’ usual audience. If you can engage them, your partners are more likely to  find you again to do more sponsorships.

Exclusivity : Think community-first, be wary of competitors

When speaking for your partner, always keep in mind how your audience will feel about you and the brand when you post something. Think about how your pawpal can stay true to themselves while still representing a brand. Take note of what your partner’s competitors are up to, and avoid working with them when your exclusivity ends.

Keen to have your furkid sponsored?
Join us to begin your journey here.

For more useful articles on pet influencing, click here.

Featured Photo by Ivan Babydov from Pexels

Categories
Community Stories

5 Tips for Pet-Friendly Living

This article was written by Pia De Los Reyes from Siege Media

Our pets hold a special place in our hearts, and if home is where the heart is, your living space should be the best possible place for your pet to live a happy and healthy life. Whether you live in a small apartment with your pet or are lucky enough to live in a spacious home with many animals, turning your space into a pet-friendly environment is easy with these simple steps. 

1. Cover heated surfaces

When cold weather arrives for the autumn and winter, the use of radiators and heaters becomes more frequent in our households. Although it’s important to make sure your pet stays warm when the temperatures drop, they can also get burned on the hot surface of a radiator. Make sure to cover these surfaces with a heat resistant guard so that you and your family don’t accidentally brush up against it and get hurt.

2. Carve out their own space

Much like human beings, pets appreciate their own personal space. Set aside a quiet spot or corner in your house or apartment where your pet can relax. Place their bed or crate there and make sure it’s away from high traffic areas in case they want to rest in peace. If your animal stays in a cage, try adding in fun elements to their space like greenery to make it feel like home.

3. Put away breakable decor

Pets and breakables do not mix well. To keep your pet safe and save your prized possessions from shattering into many pieces, it’s wise to put away any breakable decorations behind closed doors. This can mean displaying items in a glass cupboard or just restricting your pet from areas like the dining room where there might be fragile items like fine China. 

4. Protect your furniture

If you let your pets roam free over your home, chances are you’ll want to consider protecting your furniture. Young animals like cats and dogs may have accidents while being litter-trained or house-broken, and you’ll want to make sure that you spray a natural deterrent to keep your pet from ruining your favorite couch. Additionally, pets might scratch up your furniture too, so try protective wraps or slip covers to preserve your furniture. 

5. Hide hazardous materials

An important part of a pet-friendly home is one that is safe for your pet. You may have cleaners or detergents in your home that are toxic to an animal when ingested, so make sure to keep those products out of your pet’s reach. You don’t want your pet to get poisoned just because you left the bathroom cleaner out, so it’s also worthwhile considering switching to more natural cleaning methods. 

We hope you use these tips to create a pet-friendly home environment that allows your pet to live their life to the fullest. Your pet might not be able to say thank you, but they will surely appreciate the care and thought you put into turning your home into a safe and loving place for them to be. For more tips on making pet-friendly accommodations, check out the infographic from The Zebra below.

tips-for-pet-friendly-living
Categories
Community Stories Creator's Academy

Lights, Cameowra!

While everyone was looking at the wide-eyed, snow-coloured Scottish Fold x Ragdoll, Kyubi was looking at one thing — her pawrent and the eye of all Kyubi’s photos, Jane. The Temasek Polytechnic Graduate majored in Film and Television, and later refined her fundamentals in photography in part thanks to the influence of photography hobbyists among her friends and family.

Since adopting her in May of 2020, Jane and Kyubi have been sharing their photos ever since, amassing a huge following of 3.8k followers on Instagram. We thus invited her to share with us her photography techniques and tips for aspiring pet photographers

Jane’s 5 Essential Tools

  1. Camera and Lens

A good investment begins with a good camera. But as Jane states, a phone camera works just as well.

  1. Lighting

“Especially for indoor lighting,” Jane explains, “we use a few small, compact LED lights to illuminate the set, and a softbox to diffuse the light so that it doesn’t look too harsh on Kyubi.” In the case of animal photography, softboxes ensure that the light does not blind their eyes. As for how it looks in the frame, bright light constricts their pupils, causing them to appear small instead.

Jane recalled an incident where Kyubi’s eyes had become watery after one of their shoots. “I noticed that it was because the light was shining straight into her eyes. The glare was strong enough to make Kyubi uncomfortable.” It was through this trial-and-error and Jane understood the importance of a softbox.

  1. Backdrop

Contrary to popular belief, Jane and Kyubi do not work with huge backdrops. “I just work with whatever I have, be it brown bag paper or cloth,” she said, holding up what looks like a pink sheet of mahjong paper. “It all depends on the angle of the camera and how big your subject is. Making sure that it all fits into the frame.” 

Materials for backdrops can be found in Artfriend, Popular, or even Spotlight.

  1. Props

Jane advises against getting too many niche props, as they often end up as a one-use purchase. Instead, she recommends more generic props (e.g. flowers, fake candy, small figurines, etc.) to add value to the scene.

  1. Accessories

Accessories, wardrobe, and costume, to be exact. Beyond the usual accessories like bandana and bows, it is okay to purchase clothes specifically for thematic photoshoots.

Behind the Mind

When asked what goes into the conceptualisation of her shoots, Jane states that her shoots are usually to commemorate special days, or otherwise  inspired by the food she ate.

Spur of the moment

“One time I saw a sushi conveyor belt toy while browsing online and I was like, “I’ve got to get it. I have to do an Omakase-style photoshoot.””

Special Events

Jane : For our National Day photoshoot, we brought Kyubi to the iconic Dragon Playground at Toa Payoh just to take photos.

Improvise

Jane : We had a lottery themed photoshoot recently. For the scene, we collected a lot of lottery tickets from my grandmother and put it in a pile at the backdrop. For props, I made origami ribbons out of some tickets for Kyubi to wear. Sometimes you can just make do with everyday items from home.

Omakase-style shoot , National Day shoot, and Lottery-themed shoot

Working with animals

When asked how Kyubi learned to be so well-behaved, Jane laughed. “From the first shoot to perhaps the fifth or sixth one, Kyubi’s attention span was rather short. After 2-3 mins of shooting, you can see that her temper would start to show. She will become very restless, and will want to escape or lie down.” 

Jane then emphasised that it’s only natural that these things happen when photographing pets. “Be patient with them and reward them with treats for behaving. I give Kyubi treats once she sits for the shoot. After a while, we would notice that Kyubi would automatically walk up to the backdrop whenever she sees us setting up for a shoot.”

Jane continues the interview with a warm smile as she talks about the support she feels brimming from Singapore’s pet owner and pet influencer community. “Everyone in the community is very close. I appreciate that pet owners share their daily stories… their experiences… sometimes just seeking help or giving recommendations about what’s out there in the market through their reviews. It’s through these social interactions that we can learn how to be better pet owners.”

Follow Jane and Kyubi on Instagram to see their latest shoots!

Categories
Creator's Academy

How to get your pet sponsored

Now you have a Creator Account, and you know your Insights. The next grand step is to get brands to look at your furbaby. It’s time to strike a deal.

Know what makes your furbaby special

Like any other pawrent, our furbabies are our pride and joy. We know what makes them one of a kind, even if it isn’t as apparent to others. When showing your furbabies to the world, it’s important to know what makes them special, and present brands or topics related to them. That is a niche.

Profile : @kiki.catto on Instagram

When you have a niche, you can work with your furbaby to make an Instagram profile that specially features brands from that niche to attract their attention. For instance, @kiki.catto ‘s niche is in cat fashion, so their profile has been tailored to feature apparel and accessories.

Once you have built your niche, your audience will also shift to be those with similar interests as well. Brands and businesses will also start to identify you with that niche, and contact you for collaborations related to those.

The more your furbaby is comfortable with that specialty, the more content you can both present to potential partners.

Know the people in the scene

It goes without saying that if you have a niche, you should know who provides goods and services for that niche. If your pawpal is a homebody who prefers to laze around, you would not want to reach out to  sponsors for outdoor accessories for pets. In kopi.thedog ‘s case, Kopi is good at modelling, so her pawrent chose to let her represent brands like @_furristictales and @how.bow.that that allow her to stay true to her personality.


Profile : @kopi.thedog on Instagram

Reaching out to potential partners — Do’s and Don’ts

DO: Introduce yourself

Let your potential partners know who your furbaby is. Explain what your niche is and why collaborating with you would be a good move — not just for you, but also for their business. 

DON’T: Flex

While showing potential partners your follower count does indicate your potential for massive outreach, you should not let that confidence cloud your judgement. Saying “my pet has over 800 followers on Instagram” is not an instant ticket to getting sponsored. Likewise, if your potential partner turns down your pitch, you’ll stand to leave a positive impression by responding graciously.

DO: Show how effective your platform can be for them

It is good to include data like your follower count and your insights. These numbers will give your potential partners the assurance that you can provide the outreach and engagement they are looking for.

Here’s what potential partners might like to know:

  • Who is your audience? 
  • Are they the kind of audience who will support the things you’re promoting?
  • What kind of content gets you the most engagement?

DON’T: Make unreasonable demands.

You should know your worth and be confident in asking for what you think you deserve. But you need to be realistic, flexible, and open to discussion.

Do : Be patient

If you’re reaching out to your potential partner, chances are you’re not the only one. In fact, brands receive collaboration requests all the time. Don’t feel discouraged from rejection! Fall seven times and stand up. While you might get a “no” 3 times, it’s the 4th brand you contact that might give you a “yes.”

When a brand contacts you for potential partnerships

  1. Read the offer carefully

Understand where the brand is coming from, and what exactly they are looking for.

  1. Don’t be afraid to ask questions

Always make sure you are 100% sure of the terms. If something is not mentioned (e.g. payout, duration, restrictions, etc.), make sure to clarify before taking up their offer.

  1. Know when to say “no”

Negotiation is key! If you know you are worth more than what they can offer, you can kindly discuss the terms. Don’t be afraid to say no to a partnership that is not mutually beneficial.

Instagram doesn’t have to be all business. Click here to find out how you can do more with your pets on Instagram.

Featured Image by KoolShooters from Pexels