National Pet Month – Survey Reveals a Quarter of Brits Want Their Pets to be ‘Petfluencers’

3,000 UK cat and dog owners surveyed to reveal over a quarter of UK pets have their own social media account
Of the 516 people who responded saying they follow social media pet accounts, 40% of these buy from brands recommended by other pet influencers
1 in 10 cat and dog owners say their pet lives a ‘lifestyle the Kardashians would envy’

National Pet Month takes place over April 2022, with the aim of raising awareness of responsible pet ownership as well as the many benefits of having a furry companion in the family. However, one modern aspect of pet ownership that is becoming more popular is providing them with a social following and supplying content to their many fans.

Becoming a pet influencer can be a big part of being a pet owner for many people in the UK. According to various online sources, the making of a pet influencer owner includes owning a pet, setting up an Instagram account for your pet, editing their photos and developing their ‘voice’.

There’s a heck of a lot more that goes into building a successful profile of course, but investment, persistence (and a little luck?) can show staggering results financially.

For the ‘average’ pets amongst us, this world might appear a million miles away; but a survey by Asda Money with 3,000 UK cat and dog owners completed last year reveals that there may be more animals on the brink of becoming the next big furry sensation, thanks to their devoted owners.

Setting up your pet’s social media account

It appears that over a quarter (27% or 801 responses*) of the UK public have set up some sort of social media account dedicated solely to their pets, and from these people, 29 per cent did so with the aim of trying to break into the pet influencer world.

Of the 801 who responded with having set up a social media account for their pet, the other top five reasons for setting these up in the study included:

‘Easier way to save photos in one place’ (51%)*
‘Enjoy engaging with other pet owners / profiles’ (50%)*
‘To avoid spamming friends on my own profile’ (37%)*
‘So I can share my pet with other people’ (28%)*
‘My partner / friend / family member set it up’ (27%)*

Setting up a profile can be considered fairly easy, however holding photoshoots for animals can be more challenging, with 42 per cent admitting that they have to distract their pets during photoshoots. Another 10 per cent of owners take photos of their pets several times a day to get the magic shot!

The life of a social media (furry) star!

In any case it appears our pets are living in the lap of luxury, with 29 per cent of people claiming their pets are the most pampered in the house, and 10 per cent even going as far as to say their pets live a lifestyle the Kardashians would envy (move over Kim!).

When it comes to celebrating our furry friends, many people are happy to give them the parties they deserve, with 42 per cent of people buying presents for their pets’ birthdays, and 17 per cent celebrating the anniversaries of when their pets joined the family.

What the celebrity agents think

Layla Flaherty, Director & Pet Detective from the animal modelling and influencer agency, Urban Paws UK, says “Creating a pet influencer channel is a fantastic way to share your furry friends with the world. However, it can also be a lucrative business venture.

“We at Urban Paws UK have many petfluencers on our books, some of whom can earn thousands of pounds with every post, review, or story. It all depends on the size of their social media following. For example, some of our “micro” influencers, who have between 10,000 and 50,000 followers, can make between £200 – £1,000 per post. Those in the “macro” category (between 50,000 and 1m) will earn much more and if you’re a “mega” influencer (1m+), then you’re looking at major financial earnings and bookings from only the highest-profile brand collaborations.”

Some of the best paws in the business

To see some of the top influencers across the internet, Asda Money have listed their favourite UK pet influencer accounts on Instagram, showcasing their huge social media followings:

For more insights and tips into the behind-the-scenes of what goes into creating a pet influencer, have a look at this recent article by Asda Money blog.

*Statistics apply to 801 responses of those who responded to hold social media accounts for their pets.

All figures are correct at the time of research being completed. Any social media accounts featured were contacted prior to this research – if you have been featured and would like to change your permissions please contact Asda Money or twentysix.

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