Tag: social media

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Creator's Academy

Top 5 Photo Editing Tips

Our in-house designers are in charge of taking our beautiful newsletter photos. They work hard around the clock to ensure our pictures are of the highest quality.

Taking photos outdoors, or of your pet can be a tricky one. We don’t have the liberty of knowing when the sun will rise, or if your pet will stay still throughout the duration of the photoshoot. Check out their tips on photo editing that are guaranteed to help you achieve the best photos possible. 

Let us know in the comments if any of these helped!

Designer Tip!:  You don’t have to use professional paid programs or have the know-how of a photographer to get nice photos. Simply use free apps like VSCO and tweak the adjustments accordingly to make your grid have a consistent look.

1. Crop for Better Composition

It is always a good habit to crop images to improve photo composition. Follow the rule of thirds or centralise the subject and ensure that there is an even amount of breathing space around the edges.

Cropping can also come in handy to remove any unsightly object in the background.

Designer Tip!: As a general rule, avoid cropping right at the edge of an object – either leave some space or crop beyond the edge.

2. Increase Exposure

If your picture isn’t taken under direct, maximum sunlight, chances are that you will need to brighten it. For a better sense of how bright it needs to be, visualise it against your social media feed. Imagine it placed against a white background and determine if it looks dull in comparison.

Designer Tip!: Do note that if more than 10% of the picture is pure white, increasing the image’s exposure may result in it appearing too bright, a.k.a overexposed.

3. Increase Saturation

To make your pictures more colourful and bold, it is advisable to increase saturation for that pop of colour. Especially for food-related posts where stronger coloured food can look more appetising.

4. Adjusting Temperature

We tend to easily overlook the temperature of a photo. Yet, it is important in maintaining the image’s balance. For example, if the photo is too warm (orange tones) or too cool (blue tones), it may look off-kilter. Simply adjust it back closer to the neutral white tone to provide a clearer and cleaner appearance.

Designer Tip!: Of course, if you prefer having a cool/warm undertone for your photos, you should opt for a preset instead of adjusting the temperature directly.

5. Make Use of Presets

Presets are here to make your life easier. Different presets accentuate different colours in the photo that makes it more aesthetically pleasing – so if you are going for a warmer feel, get the ones that have a rose or orange tinge. Simply browse the few free ones available in the app and see which ones are to your liking.

Photo Credit: Instagram @_missygigi_

Designer Tip!: You can also copy pre-loved edits and paste them to your other photos for fuss-free consistent editing!

What do you think? Have you tried any of these tips before on your photos? Let us know if it works, or if they helped you gain a better understanding of how to improve the quality of your photos. 

We wish you all the best!

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Creator's Academy

Top 5 Phone Photography Tips

Hey there petfluencers, struggling to take nice photos?

Our in-house designers are here to help! Besides coming up with beautiful graphics, they also take excellent photos of our office pets for promotional and marketing purposes.

Not everyone has the luxury to own a camera, hence our designers have compiled a list of useful tips for you when it comes to phone photography. From getting the best composition to locating free and great sources of light- read on to find how you can improve the quality of your photos!

Let us know if you try them out!

No camera? No problem! With the advancement of technology these days, you too can take amazing photos with just your smartphone. Here are a few basic yet essential tips to start you off on your photography journey!

1. Use Sunlight!

Artificial Light Vs…

… Sunlight!!

Natural sunlight is the best source of lighting for photos, the only drawback is its inconsistency throughout the times of the day. Nonetheless, it is still the most important and easy factor to enhance your photography. Lighting determines the brightness/darkness, tone, mood and atmosphere of the photos you take. Use the sunlight to your advantage for the best ambience.

Designer Tip!: Light from behind the camera pointing directly on the subject will give flat lighting and cause a shadow to fall in the background. Using lighting from the side will produce a more interesting effect on the images taken.

P.S Try taking your photos during Golden Hour, commonly occurring around 5pm!

2. Composition Using Gridlines

Composition is another basic and essential aspect of photography.

Utilise your mobile phone camera’s gridlines that can help you to balance or centralise your shots. An easy guide would be to follow the Rule of Thirds; where an image is divided into three parts both horizontally and vertically via two lines each.

Designer Tip!: Placing the subject at any of the areas along the lines would generally achieve a balanced look, especially the sections where the lines intersect.

3. Take Note of Negative Space

Negative spaces refers to the area in the picture that is not the subject.

Subject should not be taking up all the space in the photo. Be generous with the negative space around the subject to help the subject stand out more. It will also help to provide breathing room for the viewer.

4. Play with Different Perspectives

The most common angles to take a photo are from the top or from the front. Maximise your angle to add variety to your photos. Each perspective has their own merits and styles, so have fun experimenting which works better for the particular subject.

Do you prefer to take your photos top down in a 2D Flatlay position…

… or with a 3D Front View?

Designer Tip!: You can add depth by having objects in front or behind the subject that will give the viewer a sense of spatial awareness within the picture.

5. Lastly, Remember to Edit your Photos!

The truth about photography is that most things just don’t look that good in real life. There’s where photo editing comes in handy. Many people underestimate the power of photo edits – even the most basic edits like cropping and brightening can turn a bad photo into a good one!

With a smartphone, edits are made easier with the help of several simple and free apps. Sometimes, you may even just edit the photograph on Instagram itself and it seriously makes such a big difference!

Stay tuned to our next article for more photo editing tips!

Let us know in the comments which tip you liked best!

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Creator's Academy

4 Ways Pawjourr supports your journey as a Pet Influencer

fluffy dog and cat in front of a white background

Starting your journey as a pet influencer?

Here at Pawjourr powered by The Woof Agency, we work to support and create job opportunities for pet influencers. We have taken the liberty of breaking down our resources to provide you with a comprehensive look at what we have to offer for every budding influencer.

Not sure what a pet influencer is? Check out our previous articles on pet influencers and pet marketing here.

1. Finding your Community

Photo Credit: Instagram @woof_sushi

Joining a community of like-minded influencers can help you connect and work with people (and pets!) that share similar interests. 

You can also gain ideas for your posts by interacting and checking out what your furfriends are up to! Having content that builds upon, or speaks to pre-existing influencers can also help to boost your follower count.

Further tips!

  • Connect with our pet influencers by joining our network here.
  • Find your community on Instagram by commenting and following pet accounts that you resonate with!

2. Discover your Pet’s Taste

Photo Credit: Instagram @babyeuruschan

Pet influencers also help to educate pet owners on the list of available Brands the pet industry has to offer. In order to educate and advise, it is important you are well-versed in the products available in the pet industry and know what works best for your pet.

If you deem a product suitable, you can definitely promote it and help other pet owners discover new Brands for their darling furkids!

We currently offer a Sampling program, in which you can redeem free samples for your pet! All you have to do is cover the delivery fee, which ranges from $2-3 and leave an informative review for each redemption!

Our range of samples are updated weekly, so you can continually try out new things. 

Further tips

  • You can also establish your pet’s taste profile on their social media, attracting pet owners whose pets share the same preferences.

3. Collaborate with Brands

Photo Credit: Instagram @nickyfats_

Once you are able to generate a sizeable audience for your content, it’s time to take the next big step– working with Brands via paid OR product partnerships!

It is every influencer’s dream to gain Brand recognition. Working with the Brands you love can also help you get products for free! Talk about a Win-Win situation. Representing these Brands will also help you to educate your audience on their benefits, and help you present a well-detailed review for each product.

Boost your pet’s social media presence by working hard to promote only the best for these animals!

Further Tips

  • Check out our list of ongoing campaigns here. Do take note of the eligibility criteria before applying.
  • Brands are likely to engage with social media accounts that have excellent photos and large followings. Keep an eye out for our upcoming articles on pet photography tips!

4. Become a Paw-del

Photo Credit: Instagram @oolongmilkytea

Lastly, once your pet has grown accustomed to the influencer lifestyle, you can attempt to register them as paw-dels.

Paw-dels are pet models who can be called upon to participate in photoshoots be it for film, marketing or even a TV commercial. Although this process does involve a stringent auditioning process, the results will be well worthwhile for you and your pet!

So remember the essential 4 Steps

  1. Find Community
  2. Discover Pet’s Taste
  3. Collaborate with Brands
  4. Lastly, become a Paw-del!!

Wherever you are, we will work with you to ensure that your Pet Influencer journey is as smooth as possible. 

Stay tuned for more Pet Influencer resources.

Categories
Creator's Academy

How do I Become a Pet Influencer?

Home office, remote work. Young man with a computer laptop and his dog. Telecommute, teleworking, work from home, making use of the Internet, email, and telephone.

A pet influencer refers to a famous dog, cat or other furry, or scaly animal whose presence is notable on social media. These “infurrencers” engage their pet owners and other interested audiences through cute and engaging posts. At times, they can be called upon to promote Brands that are outside of the pet industry– notable collaborations can include Mercedes Benz, The Body Shop and even makeup brand Urban Decay.

To define your fluffy friend as a pet influencer, they must first meet the criteria below:

  1. Own a social media account
  2. Actively Engage their Followers
  3. Take part in Brand Endorsements

Owning a Social Media Account

Though the popular choice of many influencers would be Instagram, it might be worthwhile to explore other alternatives such as TikTok and YouTube to amass a wider audience. 

Each social media platform has its benefits, so take time to look closely into how the platform can best accommodate the type of content your pet would most likely perform best in. 

For example, Instagram would be great for pet owners whose pets enjoy posing in front of the camera. If you have an active pet whose personality shines best through the moving image, Tiktok’s video-based social media platform might be the better choice for you!

At any rate, it’s always good to explore and try out each platform. You can even amass audiences via multiple platforms!

Engaging Your Followers

To maintain your pet’s image as a notable influencer, it is best to actively engage followers via content. As a pet owner, you are likely to have many images of your furry best friend (as we do!). Upload these images to keep their followers updated on what your pet is up to! 

Keeping a strong relationship with your audience is a great way to maintain media engagement, and to ensure their followers are continually excited for what’s to come.

Brand Endorsements

Last but not least, securing an endorsement deal with Brands is a great way to reaffirm your pet’s position as a pet influencer.

Here at Pawjourr powered by The Woof Agency, we provide many job opportunities for pet owners to connect with international Brands. Our ever-growing list of Brand connections ensure that there is something for everyone– be it the Brands you already love, or to try something new, check out our list of campaigns here!

Do take note of the eligibility criteria before applying.

Alternatively, you can also join us as a pet influencer here!

To be a pet influencer is not an easy task. It requires patience on your part to continually upload and work hard to engage with your pet’s followers. Regardless, pet influencing also invites you to bond with your pet. 

From taking pictures to trying out new snacks together, Pet influencing is a hobby (for some, a career!) that is rewarding to both you, and your adorable pet.

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Creator's Academy

Pet Owners! Sign Up Now and Get Paid to Promote Kakato!

Featured Photo Credit: @myyzephyr

The Woof Agency has partnered up with KAKATO to locate 2000 pet owners to promote their premium canned food. Unlike other paid campaigns, KAKATO has not set any requirements, thus inviting any and all SG-based pet owners to sign up as part of their promotional campaign!

Sign Up Process

I recently tried the campaign myself, as I found myself enticed by the promised ease and fun bonding experience it offers. The sign-up process was indeed simple and quick to complete. Interested parties only need to sign up through the form located on the Woof Agency website.

The campaign offers two methods of gaining reimbursement. 

  • Purchase KAKATO cans yourself for SGD30 compensation 
  • Opt for delivery for SGD20 compensation

Further details can be found below.

I opted to purchase the cans myself, which were relatively inexpensive and easy to find. You can buy Kakato cans directly from their SG online store, https://sg.maxipronline.com/.

The campaign also provides the option for you to post on Instagram and/or Facebook. They are not strict on sign-ups so a way to hack the system is to post multiple times across different accounts. That way you can best maximise the campaign’s reimbursements! 

Earn up to SGD120 by posting multiple times across several accounts!

Posting on Instagram

 I chose to post via my cat’s Instagram account. Since the said account was relatively new and had few followers, my deliverables were as such: IG post and an IG story. 

The campaign sets different deliverables according to your follower count, so remember to follow the instructions provided carefully!

I found the experience extremely entertaining. My cat, Sir Nicky, greatly enjoyed the experience and seemed eager to try out the canned food. As a relatively old (and picky) cat, I wanted to ensure the best for him. Kakato is great because:

  • Premium meats are sourced from the finest farms in New Zealand
  • Hormone-free and safe from diseases
  • Fish meats are 100% seawater, dolphin-safe, and from sustainable sources.

Did I mention that their food is suitable for both cats and dogs?

Sir Nicky tried out their Chicken and Pumpkin flavor, which he loved and finished within a matter of minutes!

Photo Credit: Instagram @nickyfats_

Taking the campaign pictures together was also a great bonding opportunity for the both of us especially since I have been busy with school work. I think Sir Nicky liked the amount of attention I pandered towards him during the photoshoot too!

Overall, it was an amazing and smooth sailing experience. We posted the deliverables soon after and I was able to claim my reimbursement with ease. If you have completed or are thinking about participating in this campaign, remember to fill out the forms sent by Woof Agency ambassadors to claim your payout!

So, what are you waiting for?

The Kakato Campaign is ONGOING! If you are a pet owner, or know someone who owns a pet, sign up now at bit.ly/kakato2021 and claim your benefits today!

Categories
Creator's Academy

Top 5 Tik Tok challenges to try with your pets

Tik Tok: I’m sure many of you should know, or at least have heard about this social media platform before. The app is commonly used by the younger crowd as an outlet to express themselves through the content that they create and share across the community. It usually comes in the form of singing, dancing, comedy sketches and sometimes even lip syncing. The list goes on!

Of course, another popular type of “challenge” content on TikTok are those that involve our favourite furkids. As the use of this social media platform has been on the rise lately, we’ll be sharing some fun TikTok trends for you to try with you furbabies! 

1. Imaginary Treats Challenge 

Credit : https://vt.tiktok.com/ZSJN2DS3J/

Bring out your pet’s favourite treats and pretend to put a handful of it in your hands then “feed” it to them one by one. Watch them get confused as they continue to gobble down their imaginary treats!

More often than not, they tend to realise the game that we’re playing and they end up just looking at you with pure disappointment.

We highly recommend feeding them real treats after that!

2. Giving your pet a confusing command Challenge

Credit : https://vt.tiktok.com/ZSJN2uppo/

For this challenge, you’ll need to prepare your pet for their meal or treat, and have them stay put while they wait for their command word to eat.

Here’s the twist: Rather than giving them their command word such as “okay!”, say something else like “octopus” or “oklahoma” to confuse them. Watch them rush towards their food and stop after realisation. So cute!

3. Obstacle Challenge 

Credit: https://vt.tiktok.com/ZSJN29Bb2/

Let this be the test of your furbaby’s grace! Set up an obstacle course of objects on the floor to block the walkway and see how your kitty or pup manages to move through the obstacle without knocking anything over. 

Most of the time, though, our feline friends have seemed to have the upper hand. Let us know how your pets fared with this challenge in the comments below!

4. Blanket Challenge 

Credit: https://vt.tiktok.com/ZSJN2CsDe/

It’s magic time! Trick your dog into thinking that you’ve disappeared by holding up a blanket to cover yourself and then running away as you drop it.

Make sure to have your cameras set up to watch their adorable reaction as they wonder where you went, and start to search all over the place for you!

5. Level Up Challenge 

Credit : https://vt.tiktok.com/ZSJNjSSLs/

Here’s a perfect challenge for you after you’ve stocked up the toilet roll supply at home! With this challenge, you’ll get to test your pet’s agility by having them jump over a toilet roll wall that gets taller with each level. Prepared to be impressed by what great heights your furbaby will be able to achieve!

Have a challenge that we missed out on? Let us know in the comments!

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Community Stories

How did Tuti and Yuki become stars on Tiktok?

How did we start?

We are two sisters who stumbled upon Tiktok in August 2019. Out of curiosity, we downloaded it. We were just scrolling through and came across a “petswave” trend. We found it cute, and thought of trying it out. Within a few minutes of posting, there were already views, likes and comments. By the next day, it was already 20,000 views.

After the first video, we started to grow a huge interest in Tiktok. We decided to try a dance that was trending on Tiktok. We thought to ourselves that since people liked the first video, which was Tuti nodding her head and swaying, people would like her dancing. To our surprise, it got 100,000 views in a day.

What were the challenges we faced?

Even though we did trends and had views for some of our videos at the start, not every video thereafter did well. There were also some videos that did not do well. We did struggle for some time to find our niche. We kept trying trends and never gave up even when we didn’t get views or followers.

Cats are not easy to train, we would reward them with snacks after completing a Tiktok video. To add on, coming up with creative content ideas was tough as well. Not every trend was easy to fit into our niche. Sometimes, we would not be able to execute some ideas and have to think of others.

How did we gain 800,000 followers?

Our account grew slowly. It was only after we found our niche that we were able to grow more. When we did Yuki’s first positive video, we had around 100,000 followers. Yuki’s positive video was what people loved, and finally we found a niche for Yuki! We found Tuti’s niche by doing a trend which showed a point of view of Tuti being a boss cat, and it went viral with over 13 million views!

How do we come up with content ideas?

Content ideas are not easy, and we struggle till today to come up with them! There are also videos that we have done but never posted because we feel like the execution is poor.

It does take up time, Tiktok videos are mostly 15-60 seconds, but it mostly takes us hours to execute just one video.

Why we love doing Tiktoks?

After getting known for Yuki’s positive videos, we would receive messages everyday on our Tiktok and on our Instagram, of how much Yuki’s video has helped them! It is truly heartwarming, as we didn’t expect we could be helping people. People started saying that even Tuti makes them happy!

As for Yuki’s positive videos, we would use our own emotions and feelings to keep it as real as possible.

We are extremely grateful for all of our supporters! It feels surreal that we receive fan arts and fan edits everyday. We never thought we would reach this far the moment we started Tiktok.