Whether you think it is right or wrong that pet “influencers” have become a thing in todays social media landscape, the numbers are growing at a staggering rate that can not be ignored.
And as businesses in the very crowded pet industry all look for ways to get their products in front of as many people as they can, and offering pet owners free products and commissions to promote their products in a photo posted to social media platforms like Instagram.
Programs like this are the current marketing method of choice for pet companies like ourselves. You can read more about our very own Personalised Pet Social Media Influencer Program by clicking right HERE.
So all this Influencer marketing understandably has led to an explosion of pet pages and pet content on all social media platforms, particularly Instagram where Dog and Cat owners set up seperate accounts for their Pets in which they try to attract as many followers as possible by posting cool photos or videos then using hashtags to attract people interested in some element like the breed of pet or if it is funny or educational.
All this being said, we thought we would ask one of favourite togs (what the cool kids call photographers) Chris Osbourne from The Creative Hub and Digital Marketing and Media Guru Adam McDonald (My Husband) from Organic Growth their top tips on how regular pet owners can take great photos of their pets and use them effectively on their social media pages.
Before we start, we just want to point out that you do not need a bunch of fancy and expensive photography equipment. Today’s phones and tablets have great cameras both in quality and speed so will definitely do the trick and be enough to get what you need.
Ok, so here are the tips to better pics.
- START SEPERATE SOCIAL MEDIA ACCOUNTS - If you are planning on taking a bunch of pics of your Pets, consider opening separate accounts for your pets, especially if you are looking to be an influencer. Not only will your friends thank you for not spamming them with hundreds of Pet Pics, but with a dedicated account you can fully immerse yourself in the life of a Pet Influencer and have a bunch of fun while doing it.
- TRY MULTIPLE SOCIAL MEDIA PLATFORMS - Today there seems to be a new Social Media platform launched every week or two and those that taste the new ones as they are launched are usually the most successful on them long term. In saying that, the staples for pet owners would be Facebook (set up own pet page), Instagram (set up seperate account) and the Newish one Tik Tok (Video based but a bunch of fun). If you were only going to choose one, we would suggest Instagram as that is where we look for Pet Influencers before heading anywhere else.
- BE FAMILIAR WITH YOUR CAMERA - Before you head out to a location with your Pet, play around with your camera at home to get familiar with its range of functions before heading out and trying to learn on the fly. If you know exactly what you can do with it you will have way less editing to do after the photo shoot and you will get way better results during the photo shoot.
- HAVE PATIENCE IN ALL THINGS - Unlike taking photography of landscapes or flowers, taking photos of your Pet will be a little more challenging as they have free will and not always want to do what you want them to. Some days you will have great shots where they are acting like perfect dog models and others … Well, they might just want to be anywhere else but facing you and your camera, so a lot of patience will go a long way. Also having patience with your equipment will go along way toward having an enjoyable day, so see point 3 as this will help immensely.
- TRY VARIOUS LOCATIONS - Not only will you have an excuse to see some great areas of your region that you may not have seen before, but your Pet will be super excited to see (and more importantly smell) new things if you mix up locations. Having varying locations for your pics will add a nice change to followers on your social media pages as seeing lots of pics in the same yard is a little YAWN. So head to the Beach, the City, the Mountains or even a Winery and have fun capturing a bunch of Pics that will provide contact for months and memorable experiences with your furry friends.
- PLAN YOUR CONTENT TO LAST - After a great day shooting you will be tempted to blast a heap of pics out straight after. But if you are like most people who have a life outside Pets, a good plan is to get enough content on each shoot that you can mix up your content and make it last for a few weeks following each shoot. It goes against human nature but trust me, you get a way better return on your investment if you spend a little time planning and scheduling.
- TRAIN YOUR PET - This can be a great time to invest some time into training your Pet. Not only will the training provide great content itself, but if you can control your Pet to do what you want more effectively … you will also get way better results with your photos and everything will run more quickly and smoothly the more trained you and your pet are.
- TAKE LOTSA SNACKS - This ties in with the above tip, but having a pocket full of snacks will help you get your Pet to do what you are after. There are also phone brackets that hold things like tennis balls, which if your pet is a ball obsessed dog will help capture some great shots of them. A few minutes on Google will give you a bunch of effective ways to have an engaged pet to make better photos.
- MAKE USE OF THE LIGHT - This is the biggest rule in any photography but natural light makes for better pics. So schedule your day based on the light at your location and always try and have the light source behind you when taking the shots. If you happen to get an overcast day, don't fret it … there are plenty great filters in the social media platforms you will be using that will help you lighten things up if needed.
- GET DOWN TO THEIR LEVEL - Try and get as far down to get at the same height as they stand. By being at the same level you will capture a heap more emotion and details in their face than you will trying to shoot them from your height above them. This is another good thing to test at home before heading out.
- VARY YOUR SHOTS - Play around when shooting your Pets, try new and different things out. Stationery, Moving, Distance, Close Up, Serious, fun … it all makes for different content and makes the day more interesting for both you and your Pet.
- TRY A FEW PROPS - This one can be super easy or super difficult depending on your pets nature and level of discipline. But by throwing some props in your bag to try can often lead to the best fun pics of the day. Also remember if you are an influencer for a product to make sure you get some content for them as well ... and if you happen to take your Personalised Pet Collars and get some shots ... be sure to tag us in.
- SHOOT QUICKLY AND OFTEN - Don’t mess about trying to get that perfect shot as most times it will never happen. In our experience, taking the pics quickly and lots of them while leading to a bit more sorting when you get home, will always generally get the best results. Digital equipment is your friend for this as what you don't want, you delete, quickly and easily.
- IT'S OK TO EDIT - Some amateur Togs think that they have failed if they have to touch up their pics in post following the shoot. But truth be known, all the best photographers do, and it is usually the best editor versus the best photographer that has the most memorable pics. So practice both photography and editing and you will find followers galore and who knows, if you get good enough you can make a great career becoming an editor.
So there it is ... I hope we shared some great tips to help you get some amazing Pet Pics for your Social Media pages, a huge thanks to Chris and Adam for helping me put this blog post together for you. If you want anymore information or help from them on anything photography or digital media related, they are always available for our Personalised Pet family through their socials accounts linked below.
Creative Hub - https://www.facebook.com/creativehubaustralia
Organic Growth - https://www.facebook.com/organicbusinessgrowth
I hope you enjoyed the blog around taking better photos. We look forward to seeing the results when we are on Instagram next ... be sure to follow us on Instagram by clicking HERE.
Thats all for now, take care everyone.
If you are after personalised dog collars or custom cat collars embroidered in Australia, you are in the right place.
We customise our pet collars right here on the Central Coast of NSW in sunny Australia. Our personalised collars are embroidered with your pets names and your contact number so you can be reunited with them easy if they become lost.
Our collars, leads and harnesses come in a range of colours and are shipped anywhere within Australia and New Zealand. All custom made dog collars come with a 12 month warranty.