Mixed or pure breed, fluffy or scruffy, there’s no denying our four-legged companions are taking over the internet.
They say never work with children or animals but, they are wrong, as we say goodbye to mainstream influencers, and hello to animal influencers. The fluffy influencers are on the rise and it’s definitely something to woof about.
Animal Influencers? Really?!
Yes, really.
National Dog Day is getting tails wagging all over the country today as users share pictures of their beloved pooches, but these fifteen minutes of fame are the everyday norm for the celebs of the dog Instagram community. With the hashtag #dog appearing almost 120 million times on Instagram, is it any wonder that dog accounts are taking over?
@jiffpom on Instagram has 8.9 million followers.
@itsdougthepug has 3.5 million.
Not only do they bring massive followings, these four-legged celebrities also bring in money. According to an April 2016 Wall Street Journal article, social media influencers can expect to earn approximately £2500 per sponsorship deal when they hit 150,000 social media followers. If a dog surpasses a million followers, it can net over £7000 for a single post.
The proof is in the pudding – or pooches, so to speak.
But, why?
Whether it’s the cuteness of a dog wearing pyjamas or imagining clunky puppy paws typing out Instagram captions; the people love it. Plenty of brands are now using these celebrity canines to promote their products for that exact reason – they provide a huge audience as the content is fun, humorous and so it sparks an interest amongst the audience.
If you don’t scroll past a cute canine candid and feel an overwhelming love, you’re a… dare I say it – a cat person….
The almighty debate…cats or dogs?
When it comes to their feline friends, dogs will always win. Okay so I may be slightly biased in that argument but, the numbers on the internet don’t lie. 44% of the 50 most popular pet-related Instagram accounts are our favourite woofers. Only 36% are cats. Just saying.
With the figures stating that social media users post about their dogs at least 6 times a week, there is no denying that we love our dogs like they are our children and showing them off is something we enjoy doing. People love looking at pictures of dogs to distract them from hard times, political content in the media and just to remind them of the joy a pooch brings.
In the Platform81 office we are full of love for our doggo children. Check out the dogs that we believe are the true influencers of the world: