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Tick Control Strategies for Your Dog and Home

A hand petting a dog's head

Ticks are a common problem that can cause Lyme disease and other diseases to spread, so it’s essential to know how to control ticks on your dog and home.

Checking your pet regularly for ticks is an effective way to prevent infection and keep your dog healthy. It’s also important to be aware of peak tick season in your area.

Reducing Tick-Friendly Habitats

Ticks can cause serious health problems for your dog. They are mainly active during spring and summer, so reducing tick-friendly habitats for your dog and your home is essential.

Use the following strategies to reduce tick-friendly habitats:

Landscape management, i.e., mulches and hardscapes (patios, paths, decks, etc.) can reduce tick habitats and increase sun exposure, reducing humidity to facilitate desiccation of ticks. Limiting dense ground cover and decreasing shrub density, particularly in frequently traveled areas of the property, may also limit tick habitats.

Avoid wooded or brushy areas with tall grass and leaf litter. These habitats can provide ideal conditions for nymphal black-legged ticks attracted to accumulating leaves and other plant debris.

If you must walk in wooded or brushy areas, wear light-colored long pants and a long-sleeve shirt to keep ticks off your skin. Likewise, if you’re walking your dog on a trail or in the woods, inspect your pet for ticks when you get home.

Bathing

Bathing is a very important part of maintaining your dog’s overall health and wellness. It’s an excellent way to keep them clean, check for unusual scratches or thorns, and remove fleas.

It’s also an opportunity to brush your dog’s teeth, which can help prevent gingivitis and other dental issues. You can find specialty dog toothbrushes and dog toothpaste at your local pet store or vet’s office.

You can also choose a special shampoo and conditioner for your dog’s needs. But remember, if you use conditioner, thoroughly rinse the soap off your dog’s fur and skin.

The most common and easiest place to bathe your dog is in a bathtub. However, if your dog is large or you have a skittish pup who’s not too comfortable with water, consider using a separate tub just for their bathing needs.

Topical Treatments

There are many different topical treatments for ticks on the market. The most effective ones kill or repel ticks that attach to your pet.

However, these products can cause side effects or adverse reactions in some pets. Be sure to check with your vet to see if they’re safe for your dog.

Alternatively, you can use a product that contains a combination of chemicals called imidacloprid and dinotefuran, which kills ticks by mimicking the effects of nicotine on insects. But read the label carefully, as these pesticides can also be toxic to bees.

Permethrin and permethrin-combination products are the most common insecticides used to treat ticks. These products are effective against most tick species and can help control infestations on your dog and in your home.

Tick Removal

Ticks can infect your dog with various diseases, including Lyme disease. It takes ticks anywhere from 3 to 48 hours before they transmit their infectious saliva, so it’s essential to remove them as soon as possible.

Removing ticks from your dog is easy, especially if you have some tweezers or dental floss around. If you don’t have these tools, try using a cotton ball soaked in rubbing alcohol or liquid dish soap to grab the tick and get it out.

Once you’ve removed the tick, dispose of it properly. You can put it in a sealed container or save it for identification and testing.

Tick removal can be difficult, but it’s important to do it right. The wrong method can cause the tick to stay in your pet, and it’s also possible for pathogens to transfer from a dead tick. Always use gloves when removing ticks from your dog to protect your hands.

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Brand's Resources

Why brands should leverage short-form content: Instagram Reels, TikTok

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! 

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Brand's Resources

7 Common Mistakes in Social Media Management

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. 

  1. 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. 

  1. 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. 

  1. 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.

  1. 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! 

  1. 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. 

  1. 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.

  1. 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!

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What is the BARF diet and how can it benefit your pet’s health?

Golden Retriever and British shorthair cats are eating

This article was brought to you by our collaboration with The Daily Barf.

Many dog owners have heard of the BARF diet, but they often wonder what it stands for. 

BARF. Also known as “biologically appropriate raw foods” or “bones and raw food” is a diet that practices raw feeding to your pets.

There are many misconceptions surrounding BARF diets. “Is it good for my pet? Is it bad?” Well, we are here to debunk those myths, and tell you how your pets can benefit from a BARF diet!

Myth #1: Dry foods are healthier than raw food

The truth is that commercial dry foods can cause obesity, diabetes, allergies, cancer, and other health issues. This is because store-bought products usually contain a long list of ingredients and preservatives that are not healthy for your pets. 

Additionally, these products also tend to contain animal and grain by-products that we humans wouldn’t eat. Overall, these ingredients can contribute to health problems for your pets as they are not part of their natural diet.

Myth #2: Feeding your pets raw meat and bones is dangerous

There is a difference between raw and cooked bones. Raw bones are soft, easy to digest, and provide a major source of calcium and phosphorus.

On the other hand, cooked bones are dangerous for your pet as moisture is removed from the bones making them brittle and splinter when eaten.

Furthermore, dogs and cats are descendants of wolves and wildcats. As part of their ancestral diet, they survive purely on raw meat, bones, and organs. These foods give them the nutrients they need to keep their bodies healthy and strong. 

Myth #3: Raw meat makes my pets more aggressive

This is false. As your pet transitions to a BARF diet, they may appear more possessive of their raw meat and bones as they view those with a higher value than a regular bowl of kibbles.

If you’re feeding 2 or more of your pets, it’s best to feed them separately to avoid any aggression between them. Over time, when your pet realizes this isn’t a one-off treat for them, the protectiveness would gradually disappear.

Myth #4: Feeding raw meat places your dog at risk of Salmonella

Dogs and cats are not created the same. Uncooked meat that would make us sick does not affect canines in the same way.

The hydrochloric acid in the stomach is a protective enzyme against bacteria, viruses, or other microorganisms that can cause disease. 

Secondly, a cat/dog’s stomach is highly acidic and, combined with its short digestive tract, is designed to push bacteria out quickly without giving it time to stay.

Thirdly, the natural flora digestive enzymes and bile in their body help them process bacteria without upsetting their healthy balance.

Myth #5: Cooked diets contain more nutrients

On the contrary, raw meat is easier to digest than cooked meat. Dogs and cats have evolved over thousands of years to break down and absorb the essential nutrition from raw meat, not cooked meat or grains.

Furthermore, cooked meat lacks the benefits of raw meat as well as essential nutrients because the act of cooking destroys or alters the protein, fats, vitamins, and minerals it originally contains.

How to get started

Transition from kibbles to BARF diet:

When introducing your pets to raw diets, you’d want to take things slow and see how they react to them. Your pets would require some time to adjust to the change in diet. Observe their behavioral changes and specifically their bowel movements.

Here’s a guide you can follow:

Read more about transition diets here.

Feeding guide:

A rule of thumb is to feed 2-4% of your pet’s body weight depending on the activity level of your pet. If your pet is highly active, we would recommend feeding 3-4% of its current body weight. For pets at home who do not get much exercise daily, we recommend about 2-3% of their current body weight.

How it benefits your pet

The BARF diet has a ton of benefits, containing all the important nutrients your pets need to live a long and healthy life!

It can improve your pet’s immune system, improve their energy levels, healthier skin and coat, and many more! You can read more about the benefits of the BARF diet here!

What are you waiting for? Get your pet started on a BARF diet here.

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Brand's Resources

2022 Instagram Algorithm Explained – and what it means for brands

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”.

  1. “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. 

Pro-tip: Find out the performance of your posts with Instagram Insights

  1. Leverage Instagram’s analytics tool

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. 

  1. 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!  

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Helpful Information About PetOneCat Tofu Cat Litter

Cats can be finicky when it comes to their litter box. In fact, one of the most common behavioral problems reported by cat owners is inappropriate elimination outside of the litter box.

While this problem can be caused by a number of health concerns – urinary tract disease, gastrointestinal disease, stress/fear, etc. – cats can also have strong preferences for the type of litter you choose to put in their litter box. Therefore, it’s important to choose a litter that is both safe and comfortable for your cat to use.

How is PetOneCat Tofu Cat Litter different than traditional litter?

PetOneCat Tofu Cat Litter is made from natural, 100% plant-based materials including pea residues, corn flour, guar gum, and starch. This cost-effective, environmentally friendly method of production is meant to provide many advantages to your cat’s health, litter box behaviors, and wallet. Check out these benefits of PetOneCat Tofu Cat Litter:  

1. Because our cat litter is made from 100% plant-based raw materials, it is a natural and eco-friendly option for your cat’s litter box.

2. The product has lower dust than traditional litter (99% dust free!), improving the air quality in your home and protecting your cat’s respiratory tract. These ingredients also provide a better deodorizing effect by decreasing the particle size and increasing the odor absorption area on the surface of the litter. This is easier on your cat’s sense of smell and yours!

3. The combination of these natural ingredients creates a better clumping litter that is difficult to break when scooping out your cat’s box. The long, strip-shaped cat litter particles are less likely to be tracked out of the litter box on your cat’s paws, leaving less mess for you to clean around the house. Decreased stickiness also means the litter is less likely to get stuck to your cat’s bottom, lowering the chances of certain types of urinary tract infections.

4. Some cat owners worry about their cat ingesting their litter, either out of their natural kitty curiosity or by accident when grooming. Because Tofu Cat Litter is made from natural plant materials, it is safe for your cat to ingest!

5. PetOneCat Tofu Cat Litter is water soluble and naturally degradable. This means that it can be flushed down the toilet (please note that dumping large amounts of litter in the toilet at once can still cause clogging) or even be used as a fertilizer in the garden. 

6. Plant material is also much lighter than traditional mineral-based litter, making it easier to carry and move as needed.

PetOneCat Commitment

PetOneCat is committed to using natural, plant-based materials to produce environmentally friendly cat litter that is safe and meets the needs of many cats and cat owners. Years of research and development have left us confident in Tofu Cat Litter’s water absorption and deodorizing abilities. And we’re proud to help keep your cat healthy by providing a low-dust, non-toxic option for their litter box. 

This article is written by Dr. Sheena Haney, DVM. 

Where can I purchase PetOneCat litter? 

For a limited period of time, enjoy up to 40% off 1 bag of cat litter at only USD$17.99. 1 bag of cat litter can last for 30 days for a single cat household. Get yours here today.

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Creator's Academy

How to pitch a brand as a content creator

Pitching yourself to other brands can be intimidating, especially if you’re just starting your #PawjourrCreator journey. As a new face, you may be wondering “How do I secure partnerships?”, “Am I good enough for the job?” Well, all you have to do is ask!

How do you ask? Through pitch emails and even decks! While creators with larger profiles are commonly approached by these brands for partnerships, partnerships can form the other way round.

What is a brand pitch?

A brand pitch is designed to convince a brand to work with you. It should include:

  • A brief introduction of yourself including statistics of your profile audience 
  • What you love about their brand/product 
  • Media kit with your own rates
  • Past partnerships/experience

How do you pitch to brands as a creator?

The importance of these pitches is to convey what you can offer and why you’re the perfect influencer for the job. Less on how badly you want the job. Remember to keep the pitch brief – within 2 to 3 paragraphs – as an overview of your performance in achieving various campaign objectives; building awareness or increasing conversions.

While 2 to 3 paragraphs might seem very short, a proper structure can help make the most of your “word count”:

  1. The perfect hook
  2. Introduce yourself 
  3. Why you love the brand/product 
  4. Include your media kits and quote your rates
  5. Call-to-action (CTA)

#1: The perfect hook

Whenever you’re applying for the campaign, remember that the person receiving it is probably receiving hundreds of applications too. So make sure yours stands out among hundreds by keeping it short, direct, and memorable.

It should also include the benefits to the brand, and including emojis or small greetings helps to grab attention. 

The goal here is to convince the reader to read the entirety of your pitch. 

#2: Introduce yourself

This section can be kept as short as possible! The quickest way is to direct them to your profile. So don’t forget to add in links straight away. Highlight and showcase your personal brand by focusing on information that really matters – what makes you stand out from the crowd. 

#3: Why you love the brand/product

Brands gravitate towards influencers who have used their products, and loving them is a bonus! Working with a brand that you love makes the partnership a lot more genuine, allowing you to come up with content easily.

While writing your pitch, use these prompts to get the ball rolling:

  • What about their product/service that stands out to you?
  • Has the brand done anything specific that resonated with you?
  • Does the brand value and mission align with yours?

Show them that there’s a reason you’re reaching out to them, and you’ve done your research. Give them an outline on how you want to work together within a sentence or two.

Pro-tip: by focusing on shared values, brands are more likely to view you as a perfect fit. 

#4: Include a media kit and quote your rates

When pitching to brands, having a media kit helps to highlight your work. Think of it like a CV or portfolio! Important information to include:

  • Your bio and contact information
  • Your audience’s demographic – age, country, gender, and interests
  • Previous partnerships and testimonies (optional but appreciated)
  • Overview of your rates

By including your rates, brands are able to save time by gauging whether they have enough budget to partner with you. 

With Pawjourr, you can save the hassle with the Creator Dashboard. As a #PawjourrCreator, your details are automatically saved in your profile where brands can view them in an instant. While applying for campaigns, you can also  quote your own rates depending on the job!

#5: Call-to-action (CTA)

You may think that your write-up has ended here, but remember what you want your reader to do, after reading your pitch. Don’t forget to let them know how to contact you in the future, especially if they plan to continue the conversation.  And always give your pitch a second read, to avoid any spelling mistakes which can form a bad impression.

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5 Care Tips for your Pet’s Healthy and Happy Life

This article is brought to you by Pets Club SG.

As responsible pet owners, it is our duty to provide the best for our fur kids. Cats have an average life expectancy of 15 years, and dogs on the other hand, have 12 years. That said, all these depend on their size, and breed. Other factors that affect their life expectancy, includes gender, genetics, lifestyle, exercise, and many more!

Studies have shown that the key to a long life is based on two main factors, genetics, and lifestyle choices. While genetics are out of our control, we can offer our fur kids with the proper care and food to ensure they lead a healthy and happy life!

Here are some tips you can follow to ensure just that!

Regular Veterinary Appointments

It is recommended to bring your fur kids in for a visit at least once a year. These annual visits should be doubled if you have a senior pet at hand! It may be hard to admit sometimes, but our precious fur kids do age faster than us humans.

These important visits allow you to learn what is normal for your pet at their age, and what you can do to improve their well-being. That is why early check-ups are vital, even if something seems insignificant, initiating preventive measures can help to prolong your fur kid’s life.

Plenty of Exercise

Obesity among pets can lead to a myriad of health issues. It is seen as the number one nutritional disease among pets by veterinarians. To keep your pets lean, take them out for regular exercises. 

Exercise ideas for Cats:

  • Toy chase (cat wand or flashlight)
  • Take them for a walk
  • Cat tower
  • Short but frequent playtimes

Cats have short bursts of energy, play in five or ten minute sessions, and let them catch their breath. It is also good to note that cats have very short attention spans, hence, it’s recommended to switch up the activities frequently. 

Exercise ideas for Dogs:

  • Walk around the block
  • Playing fetch at the park
  • Bring them along for a hike
  • Take them out to swim
  • Tug-of-war

Even though every dog may need to exercise, some may need more or less than others. So take note of your dog’s limits, and give them ample water afterwards.

Healthy Diet

Make sure your pet is getting the proper nutrition for their breed and age. Being overweight can shorten your pet’s life by as much as two years, so it’s important to get them on a healthy diet!

NUTRIPE ESSENCE offers a wide array of benefits with countless nutrients your pets need, from prebiotics to digestive enzymes. Their dry food range is formulated to maintain an appropriate balance of good bacteria in your pet’s gastrointestinal system. Besides absorbing nutrients, the digestive system plays a crucial role in fluid balance, and transporting electrolytes into circulation. It also supports their immune system, preventing diseases. 

You can get started here!

Socializing

Pets do get bored sometimes, and it can lead to serious issues. Keep your pets entertained by playing with them. As much as possible, bring them out for paw-dates, engaging in socializing activities with other fur friends. When you’re out for some fun and games, always bring along their favorite toys, and buy backups –in case it gets lost!

By developing a familiarity with other hoomans and fur friends, it can help minimize serious behavioral issues like aggression or nervousness. The exposure teaches your pet how to react to the world around them in a healthy way, without feeling scared or anxious. 

Clean and Comfortable Living Environment

Good hygiene is the key to a healthy life. This also includes the environment your fur kids are exposed to on a daily basis. As a pet owner, it can be tiring to maintain optimum cleanliness in your house. However, it is our duty to provide a comfortable living quarter for your fur kid. 

Purchase additional drinking bowls, towels, combs, toothbrushes, and other pet essentials to ensure you’re always prepared to cater to their needs. 


Pro-tip: Do not leave your pets unsupervised. Allowing them to roam freely can lead to unexpected accidents, including automobile accidents, predation, exposure to allergic foods, and etc.

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Creator's Academy

How To Become A Pet Influencer Parent

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 maker to 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!

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Creator's Academy

Pawjourr’s Creators: Modern.lassie

Lassie looking prettier than a rose.

Lassie and her mom-ager, Scarlett

Scarlett always knew deep down she was gonna get a dog one day. But what she didn’t know was when.

Earlier this year, she browsed through good dog, looking for available Shelties. However, the next available one was only till May, and she couldn’t wait to be a pawmom! She went on to search for Collies, unable to resist their cuteness. As if it was predestined, the moment she laid eyes on Lassie (then Sophie), Scarlett knew she was special — and she was available!

“She looked energetic, sassy, smartypants, and had a beautiful sable color. And I immediately applied for her and everything is history,” Scarlett added.

Lassie, a farm girl from a breeder in Danville, Pennsylvania, has now found a forever home in Washington, DC, with Scarlett, and her sister Luna, a two-year-old pure white cat.

Lassie enjoying her well-deserved treats.

More than a pawdel

At first glance, Lassie is the prettiest pawdel you’ve ever seen. But once you get to know her, you’d realize she is more than just a pretty face.

Lassie is highly-intelligent, with a ton of tricks up her sleeves. Of course, Scarlett is always working on a new one, currently teaching her “sit pretty” — getting her to pose with both paws up, and with Luna.

And that’s not all! Lassie is very obedient and calm, able to be still even without a leash, allowing her pawmom to take the perfect shots. Coupled with her amazing side profile (thanks to her long face), she makes the pawfect pawdel. This makes outdoor photoshoots for pet apparels with Lassie a breeze!

“Lassie believes she can fly… and touch the sky.”

Besides being the best pet model you could ever ask for, Lassie is a graceful sprinter too. Rough Collies are known for their beautiful long coat that flows as they run, and Lassie is no exception!

Lassie pays the rent

Our DC residents have been a #PawjourrCreator since August and they have participated in various campaigns. Mom-ager Scarlett, knowing her baby’s talent, has a knack for choosing campaigns that are best suited for Lassie. 

What would they be you ask? Well, Rough Collies thrive with companionships, and outdoor activities everyday. Which makes sense for them to be part of Doggy Style’s campaign, allowing Scarlett to find suitable playdates for Lassie!

Their engaging and elaborative guide to the Doggy Style app is a sure-fire way to get sign-ups for the new app! Our talented creators don’t just post the best stills, they showcase their creativity through their videos too!

Scarlett finds herself to be very active on Instagram, specifically on Lassie’s profile. She mainly connects with other pawrents, who are just as excited to schedule playdates now and then. Through their interactions, she is able to learn the latest tips and tricks by sharing their experiences and adventures with one another.

Furthermore, pet creators Scarlett and Lassie are able to earn through influencers campaigns with Pawjourr — sounds pretty neat if you ask me!

Lassie enjoying her delicious supplement from Balanced Breed.

A well-deserved spotlight

Their followers aren’t the only ones fawning over Lassie’s luscious locks. A little birdie tells me that Lassie is featured on DC Dog Moms’ 2023 calendar where you can spot Lassie in the month of September! 

At 11-month-old, Lassie has made a huge mark on DC’s pet community and It’s not a surprise that she is the latest addition to our series #PawjourrSpotlight!

When it comes to pet influencers (both human and pet creators), a flair for pet modeling can be a great way to boost your portfolio. Supplement this essential skill with videography and great caption-writing, and you’re set! 

Think you got what it takes? Drop us a DM or email and share what makes you unique!