When looking back at 2020, I’m sure all anyone can remember is the COVID-19 pandemic. But with the rise of COVID-19 cases, 2020 also saw a huge rise in the appeal and consumption of short-form video — especially on the app, TikTok.
Vine walked so TikTok could run
Short-form content — content less than a minute long — is not new to us. It has long existed since 2013, popularized by the now-defunct platform, Vine. This all began when users on that platform would create 6-second looped videos, creating all sorts of content, from synchronized dancing to “meme-worthy” comedy videos.
Consuming content on the go
Now, short-form content is even more popular than before thanks to TikTok, and Instagram’s Reels.
This trend can be attributed to a number of factors, including the shortened attention spans of consumers. In an age of constant distractions and an overwhelming amount of information available at our fingertips, people are less likely to spend a long time engaging with a piece of content. Instead, they want to quickly consume information and move on to the next big thing.
Another key driver is the increasing use of mobile devices. With the convenience that smartphones and tablets bring, more people are consuming content on the go. Hence, they are looking for shorter, bite-sized pieces of content that are easy to consume on a small screen.
Leverage short-form content
Platforms like TikTok, Instagram, and Twitter are designed for quick, snackable content, and they have become a go-to destination for millions of people looking for entertainment, news, and information. And leveraging them is easier than you think!
We previously talked about the power of customer reviews, and how it has the power to influence potential consumer’s purchasing decisions. Instagram Reels makes it really easy for you to share testimonies — simply repost any User-Generated Content (UGC) by getting existing consumers to contribute a video testimonial.
With the increase of users on these platforms each year, demand for short-form content continues to grow. Therefore, the number of users marketers can reach with ads on platforms like Instagram’s Reels feed and TikTok is bound to increase.
Is going viral a bad marketing strategy?
Both Instagram Reels and TikTok present an endless potential; it allows you to reach new audiences that seemed impossible, simply with a trending video.
Now, wanting to go viral isn’t bad. But trying to go viral isn’t a good marketing strategy. The internet and its algorithm are unpredictable, and unless you have the pulse of knowing what the next big thing is, it’s always safer to create authentic content true to your brand.
It is also what makes them hooked. Relatability is the strongest tool in short-form content, and when executed correctly, it helps you stand out in the loud market we’re living in. Remember, audiences want to connect with your content, and that connection is what makes people share your videos around!
Our latest Pawjourr’s Spotlight needs no introduction…
Brought together by fate
A familiar face among our local pet community, Taco and Milky are known for their witty captions and adorable smiles. Taco, a two-year-old Shiba Inu, resided in China — where he was born — for a year before moving to sunny Singapore. A year later, Milky the Pomapoo, joined the family during Deepavali of 2021.
During every trip, vets would notice that Taco is the ‘zen’ Shiba, who stays out of ‘trouble’. But Milky, on the other hand, is that mischievous playful younger sibling that loves to pester Taco — never a boring day with these two.
According to their hoodad Irwin, a sign that it was all meant to be, is the fact that both Taco and Milky have the same birthday as hoomom Leah.
Taco and Milky are all dressed up for the Lunar New Year
Behind our successful superstars…there are their managers
Besides working hard to increase their treats’ fund, both Irwin and Leah, also run their social media account. As a creator, they would connect with other hoodads and hoomoms like them, and share various tips and tricks to provide their fur kids with the best.
Leah has a talent for taking the ‘perfect’ shots while incorporating her creativity into them. Taco and Milky are also natural in front of the camera, always staying calm which allows Leah to take the shots she needs.
This extra “oomph” gives their assets the personal touch it needs to stand out from the crowd. This led Taco and Milky to score an ambassadorship with YoDoggo.
Taco enjoying YoDoggo’s convenient meal fix after a long walk
6 months YoDoggo Ambassadorship
YoDoggo’s objective was to find committed brand ambassadors, able to promote their brand and products while sharing the same value of providing the best nutrients for dogs — and Taco fit the bill!
As an ambassador for YoDoggo, Taco can enjoy the perks that come with the job!
Monthly meals delivered to their doorstep for 6 months
A personalized discount code for followers
Attractive referral commissions
Monthly cash reimbursement
In exchange, they would actively promote the brand on their social media for their tenure as ambassadors.
Endless experience in pet modeling
Besides being YoDoggo’s ambassadors, Taco and Milky continue to build their pet modeling portfolio by participating in various campaigns. Milky has appeared in a campaign for Himalaya Pet Wellness and Taco for Beco Pets.
Taco for our #LifeatPawjourr campaign
And that’s not all, Taco also has the experience as an on-site talent for our #LifeatPawjourr campaign. Both Taco and Milky are very easy to work with, as they’re not shy about being in front of the camera, able to take picture-perfect shots and videos which brands can find useful. After every campaign, brands are presented with new assets that they can utilize as User-generated Content (UGC) for their marketing campaign.
There are billions of people across the many social media platforms out there, and this number is bound to increase with each passing year. From Facebook to Twitter, brands and businesses are always looking for ways to connect with their audience, be it in the form of tweets or branded assets.
However, as simple as it may be, oftentimes these brands and influencers tend to make the same mistakes over and over again. This causes them to ask the same old questions, “Why are my followers not seeing my posts?”, “Why am I not seeing results?”, “Why am I not growing?”.
Therefore, we present to you 7 common mistakes in social media management — a handy guide in ensuring you don’t make the same rookie mistakes.
Not switching to a Business account
First and foremost, not updating your Instagram profile to a business one can harm your brand. While Instagram Business and Creator profiles might look similar to each other, they are intended for different purposes and users.
Creator profiles are suited for influencers, creators, celebrities, and artists. Whereas Business profiles are intended for brands and organizations.
Making this switch allows you to unlock Instagram’s tools and features that are designed to help you grow — most importantly, Instagram in-app analytics.
Not leveraging Instagram Stories
Introduced in 2016, it was initially seen as Instagram’s efforts to imitate the Snapchat feature with the same name. However, it has grown to become a key feature and marketing tool on Instagram as it allows users to post whatever they want for a limited time.
Unlike evergreen content that is meant to stay forever (depending on the user’s intention), Instagram Stories are ephemeral content that’d last for 24 hours before disappearing forever (unless posted on “Highlights”).
So why does ephemeral content work? Well, it’s natural to have a fear of missing out (also known as FOMO). And just like limited sales, it evokes a sense of excitement and inclusivity which encourages users to check out this fleeting content before it’s gone forever.
Buying likes and followers
It’s true that having big numbers says a lot about a company, celebrity, influencer, and creator. However, there is also a misconception that the amount of likes and followers measures the level of one’s success.
Well, most influencers receive money in exchange for a post or two, having a large community of followers doesn’t guarantee the success you think it does. Using these gimmicks to grow your profile, not only goes against the platform’s guidelines but also diminishes your credibility and tarnishes your reputation.
But rather, focus on building your engagement rate which allows you to grow without vanity metrics. Vanity metrics are statistics that may appear spectacular on the surface, but don’t translate to any business value. For example, follower and view count.
Failing to engage in conversations with your audience
On that note, prioritizing follower count over engagement rate is also a mistake that’s going to cost you in the long run. If you’re just starting, sure, it’s good to strive for a higher follower count. However, the higher your follower count, the harder it is for you to achieve a good engagement rate. Hence, when you’re starting, engagement rate might not be an issue.
What many users fail to understand is that there is no use having millions of followers, with an engagement rate of less than 1%. That is why you need to start boosting your engagement rate, by simply creating content that people want to engage with.
If your posts aren’t gaining any form of engagement, it’s a sign for you to reevaluate the type of content you’re putting out. And when your audience is finally engaging with your content, don’t forget to engage back!
Not defining your target audience
There are millions of users out there. This makes it crucial to streamline your audience, so it reaches the right users.
Not everyone on the platform will relate and connect with your content, and no matter what hard work you put in, if you aren’t able to understand your audience, you’ll struggle to achieve the results you want.
Therefore, defining your target audience, allows you to focus your marketing efforts on users that matter.
Treating all social media platforms the same
Another rookie mistake is to treat all social media platforms the same. Each platform is unique and users on each platform digest content differently.
By seeking to understand how each platform works, you’d be able to learn the language of each platform and better communicate your objectives without missing the mark.
Understanding your audience can also help you to increase visibility and with engagement from the right audience, processors would be able to promote your posts to the right audience.
Coming on a little too strong
With billions of combined users on social media, content fatigue is very real. It describes the exhaustion users face by constantly being surrounded with NEW content all the time, and being unable to keep up with them.
To stand out among the crowd, you need to engage and not flood your followers’ feeds with content every second of the day. By doing so, you’re causing your followers to dislike your brand. And soon enough, you’ll see your follower count take a nosedive.
Therefore, it’s okay to take a break once in a while, and only put out content that matters — not for the sake of putting them out and overwhelming your audience.
Bonus: Not tracking or using analytics tools
Your social media strategy should be constantly updated to keep up with this ever-changing industry. A great way to move forward is to see the impact and performance of your past efforts.
Therefore, by tracking your posts and using analytics to gather insights, you’re able to weed out content that underperformed or failed to achieve its intended purpose. It also allows you to know which content your followers are engaging well with, which only means one thing; you’re on the right track!
Instagram’s algorithm has been a topic of interest among users, brands, and even celebrities, who are desperately trying to figure out and “play the game” to simply make their posts seen by their followers.
For those who aren’t familiar with Instagram, prior to 2016, Instagram’s feed has been displayed in chronological order, no matter how much you’ve interacted with the profile. But it all changed when Instagram launched an update, where user’s feeds are now curated based on their activity on the app… until 2022.
What changed in 2016?
Since 2016, Instagram has an algorithm (or more accurately, algorithms) that helps them determine which posts to show you, in no particular order. Which means you might miss a post or two, from an account you love but “rarely interact” because they aren’t as active as other profiles.
According to Instagram, their algorithm is made up of different algorithms, and processors to determine which posts make it. Not only that, different portions of the app have their respective algorithms. Which explains why the Explore page is so different from Reels.
Instagram’s 2022 algorithm
Earlier this year, Instagram introduced the ability for users to switch between chronological order, as well as the feed that Instagram’s processes have worked hard to curate for users on the platform.
In a tweet by the Head of Instagram, Adam Mosseri, users can choose between these three options:
Home
Favorites
Following
With Favorites, Instagram is letting users play a bigger role in controlling their feed. You can curate your own feed by adding profiles you love to the list, with a maximum of 50 (for now anyways). And that’s not even the best part!
Even under a different feed, like “Home”, profiles in your “Favorites” list will rank higher up in your feed. This is a big change for business and brands who are struggling to gain visibility, and feeling like they’re constantly getting “shadowbanned”.
“Shadowbanning doesn’t exist”
Last year, Adam Mosseri also debunked misconceptions about Instagram’s processes and assured users that shadowbanning does not exist. He attributes reasons why followers aren’t interacting with (your) posts is due to their tendency of looking “at less than half of their feed”.
There are ways to avoid this by creating consistent and quality content that resonates with your audience, which reflects your brand’s image.
Instagram is currently providing insights in areas such as:
Accounts engaged – likes, saves, shares, and comments
Accounts reached – users who have seen your post/on screen
Overall content – data that represents your audience’s behavior/interaction with your content (link clicks, ad taps)
Keeping your audience engaged should remain a top priority no matter your goals, and you can do just that with the statistics provided. By leveraging Instagram’s analytics tool, you’d be able to gain better insights into your posts.
Putting your audience first
You’d find that trying to gain visibility is no longer a challenge, if you simply deliver content that they want. With that approach, you’re bound to appear on their feed, and hopefully even in their “Favorites” list.
Instagram is constantly changing and developing to make the platform more accessible for brands, businesses, consumers and creators alike. So, keep a lookout for future updates for creators!
Once again, we’re back with our Pawjourr Spotlight series where we highlight Pawjourr Creators that create content in their unique way. Today, we’ll be talking about xoxomeows; Luna the Ragdoll, and Lumi the Chinchilla Persian, aged four and three respectively.
Meet Luna and Lumi
Our veteran #PawjourrCreator is known for their talents in modeling and creating content, perfect for marketing assets of any kind — stills, videos, product reviews, they got it covered!
In front of the camera, they are nothing short of poise and elegance, because according to their pawmom, Wan Ting, “they are vain like that!” Luna and Lumi find pleasure in dressing up, and the perks that come with the job; new treats now and then.
But don’t be fooled by their appearances. Behind cameras, they are playful, clingy, and always curious. Their adventurous nature makes it an ease for their cheeky pawmom to put on elaborate costumes on them – and they’ll remain unfazed!
Luna and Lumi donning their Halloween costume
The beginning of their content creator journey
It was in 2021 when our creators joined the #Pawjourr community. But their content creation journey started before that. As a first-time pet owner, Wan Ting was introduced to the foreign concept of being a pet creator.
With no social media habits, Wan Ting simply used their Instagram account as a photo dump of her fur kids’ lives. But soon enough, a company reached out for a collaboration, and that’s when they secured their first gig.
Crafting captions, doing up the deliverables, and planning her angles. These did not come naturally to her. Wan Ting was so nervous about completing her first gig with her fur kids. As she looks back, she recalls, “ It was all for the fun of it, and it still is for us now for all the campaigns we take on.”
But now, present-day Wan Ting is no stranger to being a pet creator. Luna and Lumi have appeared in advertisement videos, and countless campaigns with brands like Farmer’s Market, NUTRIPE, Applaws, Aatas Cat.
They have even taken part in on-site video shoots, where they helped create marketing assets for ByteDance!
Luna on set for a photoshoot with ByteDance
Work with Pawjourr’s pool of creators today!
Our creators have come a long way, but this is just the beginning. Having worked on countless campaigns, and helping out on many shoots, Luna and Lumi have experience that so few out there have. And they’re going to keep growing!
There are millions of freelancers out there who are just as ready as you to take on what comes their way. And here comes the dreadful question, “What makes you special?” Then comes the spiraling of coming up with a list of reasons that makes you… you.
Building your personal branding can be intimidating and confusing when you don’t know where to begin. But you’re in luck! Here’s a guide to how you can boost your own branding — simplified of course.
Find A Niche & Create Your Mission Statement
Personal branding is for everybody. However, oftentimes creators are too focused on becoming “everything” and “everyone”. The first step to making unique branding is to find your key message.
What type of content are you creating?
What do you want people to know about you?
What do you plan to achieve by creating such content?
“I want to recommend products, especially brands that I trust, to help hoomans out there!” – @Benjithechicky, content creator with Pawjourr
It might seem strange to craft a statement, but it helps to keep you focused on what makes your brand stand out among others.
Networking & Partnerships
Embrace networking. Building partnerships and reaching out to brands is a key indicator that you’re ready to take your brand to the next level. Partnerships tend to form when brands reach out for collaborations, but who’s to stop you from contacting them
Some key questions that you should answer in your brand pitch are:
Why should brands work with you?
What can you offer them?
Besides collaborating with brands, you should also partner with other freelancers out there. Remember, expanding your network leads to a larger reach. Reaching a larger audience helps to make your brand much more recognizable.
Additionally, having personalized merchandise helps your associates to remember you and your brand better. Just starting your freelance journey and don’t have the budget for it? Well, you can always start small with budget-friendly merchandise like postcards and stickers!
SingaPrinting, an online custom sticker printing provider here in Singapore, offers a variety of products for branding needs. This one-stop shop offers stickers, labels, hang tags, and many more, suitable for marketing, events, special promotions — you name it!
With their affordable prices and an array of options, you’re bound to find excitement in expressing your unique style and personality through your very own merchandise. Check them out today!
Don’t Follow Cookie-Cutter Solutions
It can be tempting to jump on trend, and replicate what others are doing, all for the sake of going viral. But before you jump on the bandwagon, consider how the content might impact your brand and image.
If you’re planning to leverage visuals for your feed or websites, avoid using existing templates. Unless you’re starting your freelance journey, we highly advise against using commonly found templates that make your branding just like many others out there.
Alternatively, you can use these templates as references or the basis of your final design. It’s important to come up with a distinct style so that brands are able to form a unique impression of your service/skill. You don’t need to be skilled to come up with eye-catching designs. All you need is to showcase your personality and just have fun!
Things you should keep in mind
There are no hard rules to being a freelancer. As the name suggests, it should be liberating and invigorating. Don’t be afraid to try out various ventures when you’re just starting out. Explore to find what fits you and your brand, and never stop developing your personal brand!
You probably read the title and hoped to find some answers. But before we dive into what you’re here for, let me ask you this: How many times have you looked up something and gone straight to the customer reviews section?
Exactly. In this day and age, online shopping is so convenient, and checking out is just a few clicks away. But before completing our purchase, we as consumers, feel the need to check out existing reviews — a second nature to us.
But why are customer reviews so important to us?
Boost credibility & social proof
It is true when they say “your reputation precedes you” because even tech giants like Apple and Microsoft have based their success on credibility. They are able to amass huge sales numbers, thanks to their ability to increase their social proof.
Product reviews are powerful testimonies that can be featured on all your marketing touchpoints, from your e-commerce platform to social media pages. So, why do consumers trust these reviews so much?
Because they are able to gain a greater insight into the business’s service and the brand’s product. 88% of potential consumers trust reviews as much as personal recommendations. After all, consumers are spoilt for choices, and these reviews serve as simple guidance that differentiates countless products and services out there.
Reviews left behind by consumers provide insight into the overall customer experience and satisfaction. With access to such opinions, you’ll know what are the gaps in your service/product. And by implementing changes and improvements, your consumers will know that their voices are heard.
Therefore, collecting and analyzing consumer reviews can help improve your business, increase brand awareness, and more.
Customer reviews don’t just provide feedback and boost your brand’s credibility among consumers. They also generate more searches and sales. Search Engine Optimization (SEO) is all about what people are searching for online, the answers they’re seeking, and the products/services they need.
The words they’re using matter a lot to your brand. For example, if your business sells pet shampoo and you have great reviews, when someone searches for ‘great pet shampoo’, Google will bump up your website. With a better perspective of the product, potential consumers are more susceptible to take action after reading a positive review.
Pawjourr is here to help
By choosing Pawjourr, we bring you closer to the pet community. And this doesn’t just consist of well-known pet influencers. I’m talking about your day-to-day pet owners that would offer genuine insights into the brand’s product or service.
Followers of these creators also trust them more. However, these nano influencers are not just trustworthy, they are also much more excited and willing to work with you!
A US-based treat brand used Pawjourr to engage product testers for all their products. The goal? To gain insights among the pet community, and improve their formulations and packaging. Ultimately, they were able to increase sales by 70%!
They’re a great way to grab the attention of potential customers. By failing to encourage them to leave reviews of their own, your band loses out as they’re simply a great avenue to increase sales.
Online customer reviews are here to stay. As the number of internet users grows, the importance of customer reviews will continue to grow as well.
If you haven’t already heard, Instagram has just released a brand new function for creators. So, buckle up ‘cause you’re in for a treat!
What’s new on Instagram?
Wait for it… an in-app scheduling tool!
This new update comes in after weeks of testing with selected users, and it’s officially available for professional accounts on the platform. With this new tool, creators can schedule Photo and Carousel posts, and Reels up to 75 days in advance — doesn’t that sound sick?
And that’s not all! Instagram has also launched “Achievements” celebrating the efforts Instagram creators have put into their Reels.
How does the in-app scheduling work?
Looking to schedule your first Instagram Reel? Head over to “Advanced Settings”, where you can find “Schedule this post”. Select the time and date that you want the post to go live, click “Schedule” and there, you’re set!
There are three ways you can unlock various “Achievements”:
Collaborate with other creators on the platform using Add Yours stickers, or collab tools
Interact with the community by making your Reels more interactive (with stickers like Polls, Quizzes, etc.)
Join conversations by using trending audio or effects
How does it change the way you work?
SAVE TIME
Whether you’re a creator or working as a social media manager, you’d know all too well about third-party scheduling tools like Hootsuite or Planoly, used to schedule posts on social media platforms like Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, and even LinkedIn.
You’d also know that these tools are not 100% foolproof and might fail you from time to time. However, you can now save time with Instagram’s latest feature. You no longer have to jump across multiple third-party tools and tabs just to schedule a single carousel post.
SAVE COST
That’s not the only thing you’re saving! These third-party scheduling tools do come with a price; a subscription fee. Now, with Instagram’s in-app scheduling feature, you no longer need subscription plans across multiple tools. I’m talking about $20 to $50 a month per tool, so if you’re currently subscribed to multiple, that’d be almost $100 — creators and brands rejoice!
EASY TO USE
If you own a creator account, and you aren’t scheduling your posts, now’s the time to do so. By scheduling your post, you’re able to upload real-time updates. For example, if you’re hoping to upload seasonal posts or preparing for product launches, scheduling allows you to post them at the exact date and time you want.
Additionally, you can now work with a better schedule as it allows you to plan your content accordingly. Rushing through content and only posting whenever you’re done can lead to inconsistency in your feed. Furthermore, your posts can get lost in your follower’s feed or drowned out by the algorithms, if you have a sporadic posting schedule.
Instagram’s newest feature makes it convenient for creators who are new to scheduling.
Conclusion
Instagram’s latest tool allows you to accomplish what some of the aforementioned third-party tools can’t (like Carousel posts, location tagging, etc.). Which is bound to come in handy with the holiday season coming up. What are you waiting for? Get to scheduling!
We all click photos of our pets and pamper them with our love. Occasionally, we also post some cuteness-overloaded pictures for all to enjoy across social media platforms. Generally, images and videos of pets garner greater attention. Have you ever considered making a career using this natural attention that your pet receives?
Like all content creators, a pet influencer must have a recognizable personality. Our pets cannot talk to us, but they have quirks and traits that differentiate them from others. We should emphasize characteristics that make them weird, fun, and lovable. We all talk to our pets and imagine a reply they would give us in our heads. Put that out for the public to enjoy and create a consistent persona with our pet’s characteristics.
Grow Your Skills And Followers
A full-time job requires investment. Therefore, planning to be a pet influencer’s parent will require time, money, and dedication. Social media is filled with influencers coming up with new content ideas every other day. To stand out, we need to polish our skills and methods.
Equipment
Tripods are important : Smartphones can take decent images and videos to get us started with our pet influencer account. But, to grow our social media account into a full-time hustle, pet videos and pictures must be high in quality. Therefore, we must invest in equipment like lights, cameras, tripods, and stabilizers.
Photography and Cinematography Skills
Proper equipment can only alleviate our images and videos to a certain extent. However, truly bringing the best out of our pets requires learning new skills and techniques. We should practice taking pictures of our pets and try to improve upon them.
Learn about the camera
Photography and cinematography courses are readily available across the internet, and they can help us understand the minute details that are too complicated for a casual hobbyist. For example, how to utilize natural and artificial light in our photos and videos, use tripods and stabilizers, the correct camera setting depending on the environment, etc.
Followers
With a unique personality, the proper equipment, and the necessary skills, we can start building a fanbase. Consistency is required when it comes to social media following. Utilizing photographs, videos, stories, shorts, reels, and live features of a platform is necessary to maintain consistency. To be consistent on instagram, you can use an Instagram reel makerto create posts quickly and easily.
Track activity and engagement
Using stories and comment sections, we should interact with the pages and accounts of different pet influencers to attract followers of our own. We can also use hashtags to increase the visibility of our pet influencer content.
Start Monetizing
Once we have built up a loyal fanbase of a considerable amount, say 10,000 followers, we should start looking for sponsors relevant to the page. Like all other businesses, influencer management is also dependent upon networking. Some brands might approach us themselves for paid promotions , but we should also prepare ourselves to pitch our business to the brands.
What to Pitch?
It is important to define clear goals and requirements. While brands usually engage in paid sponsorships, some might offer an exchange of products and/or services, and some offer a mixture. Receiving perks like a day at a pet spa or free access to toys and other goodies is lucrative. But we should always assess the worth of our page and quote a fair price.
Dog spa and grooming
Firstly, we should get a rough idea from other social media accounts. Brands that usually sponsor those accounts will be interested in our social media page.
Next, approaching brands via email is the best method. We should highlight to the sponsor that our pet regularly uses and loves their products. Mentioning the natural, strong growth of our pet influencer account is necessary. It will help us ask for a price that we think is fair.
And finally, we should stay in our domain. Reaching sponsors that are relevant to our pets is very important. Endorsing a dog skincare product if our pet is a Persian cat makes little sense.
Affiliate Programs
Affiliate marketing can help us earn a good amount of money. It is a referral program where a retailer pays us commissions for every purchase made using our affiliate link. We need to divert traffic from our social media page to the retailer site to earn money. For example, if we have a YouTube Petfluencer account, we can make youtube videos and put a link in description to promote affiliate products.
Affiliate merchant
Joining the correct affiliate merchant can be a tricky part. Some merchants provide better commissions, sales, and bonuses over others. We should do proper research before partnering with a merchant.
Promoting products we vouch for is a healthy way to gain the trust of our followers. But it is not always the case. We can promote products we have not personally used if we are assured of their quality. Moreover, affiliates and sponsored posts should be mandatorily disclosed, and we should follow all the guidelines.
Merch is Cute and Profitable
Thanks to our lovable pets’ unique personalities and fan following, merchandise will sell like hotcakes. Physical products with cute designs and photos of our pets can be sold at merchant websites that act like affiliates.
These merchants stock up on socks, shirts, t-shirts, hoodies, and even pillows. They are direct-to-print merchants that print a design only after an order is placed. Therefore, inventory management is a non-issue. They are the ones who build websites for our products; we only need to design and promote them. Instagram is a great platform to promote merchandise. To create some engaging stories with minimal effort, you can use some prebuilt Instagram story templates.
Pet merchandise
Wrapping Up
While being a pet influencer parent is a full-time job, it is one of the most rewarding and fun career paths. However, it can be difficult to make a living from it. Earnings come from sponsors, affiliates, and merch only after we have built our brand using interesting content. Interactive social media filters, apps, and tools like Instagram reel makers to produce content on the go. All this can be done alongside having fun with our pets!
Paid Collaborations and Product Sponsorships may seem like the same thing, but this can’t be further from the truth. Well, you’re in luck! We’re here to cover the key differences and similarities between these common incentivizing methods that brands are in love with.
Read on to find out how you can use your newfound knowledge to your advantage!
What are the differences?
Paid Collaborations are collaborations that often result in an exchange of products and monetary rewards for content.
Product Sponsorship is when a product is gifted, or reimbursed in exchange for content.
This content can come in various forms, videos, posts, or blog articles – just to name a few.
How you can benefit from them
You might be the new kid on the block, and you’re looking to make money by becoming an influencer. It can be daunting when you’re not entirely sure about the distinct rewards that supplement Paid Collaborations and Product Sponsorships. Fret not, cause we got you!
Product Sponsorships
As a fresh creator on social media, you should definitely look out for Product Sponsorships!
Product Sponsorships aren’t bad by any means. In fact, they are a great way to build an audience with up-and-coming products that might just be the next big thing. It allows you to try different products and be more honest with your audience, boosting your credibility on the platform.
Smaller brands (and even bigger ones), love handing out free products to niche communities of influencers. Why? Because it increases visibility, which in turn generates sales.
And how does it benefit you? it allows them to leverage the content you’ve created for marketing purposes — in turn bringing more coverage for your own influencer branding!
Photo credit: @herro_im_bo
Paid Collaborations
Paid Collaborations aka. Paid Partnerships are very popular, especially on Instagram. A higher number of followers and percentage of engagement allows you to quote for higher rates. However, there are more benefits to it than just monetary ones.
By taking on these Paid Collaborations, you can increase your number of followers, and working with various brands allows you to reach accounts that relate to them. When your followers increase, your monetary gains will also increase adjunctively!
Photo credit: @teddy.the.prince
Things to take note
While it’s great to accept what comes your way, it’s also equally important to align yourself with brands that fit your own branding. You wouldn’t want to promote a product/service that doesn’t resonate with your audience.
It is also a misconception that unpaid campaigns are bad. There are countless brands that exclusively run product-only campaigns.
Relationships are a fundamental part of influencer marketing. Consider cultivating a long-term partnership with various brands. This way, you can organically recommend their products/services rather than one-time posts that may bring down your credibility.
This is very important because the recommendations and reviews you make do contribute to the consumer’s purchasing decision.
Conclusion
Remember, whether you’re a full-time influencer or doing it as a side hustle, there is always a slice of the ‘money pie’ for everyone — so have fun, get out there, and explore the diverse world of influencer marketing!
