Instagram is Going to the Dogs
How a Furry Friend Became the Biggest Celebrity I Know. By Adam Barrett
At my house, my partner and I love receiving mail. Letters, packages, thank-you notes, there’s nothing better than opening the mailbox to find an unexpected envelope with your name on the front. It never fails to put a smile on our faces. That said, since moving into our home at the beginning of last year, one member of the family has received significantly more mail than the rest of us combined. His name is Percy.
He’s two and a half years old.
Also, he’s a dog.
The first day we met Percy, we did what many millennial dog owners do, we took a million photos and made him an Instagram account. Just like that, @Percy_Doodle was born. The most mundane things quickly became moments we thought the world had to see. He licked my face? Picture. He annoyed the cat? Picture. He made a mess of the kitchen floor? Picture (and a stern “Bad dog!”). It was a fun project and a nice way to collect memories of our lives with a furry four-legged firecracker.
But a funny thing happened over time; People from all around the world started getting really into Percy. Like, really into him. In fact, since the day we brought him home, Percy has made more friends than most people I know. Nearly 30,000 Instagram followers check in on his daily adventures. He sells watches, kombucha, and dog treats. People send him fan art, holiday cards, products to try, and questions to answer. They want his opinion on their dog’s haircut. He’s been on television. I’ve been on the radio to talk about his projects.
Life is strange sometimes.
So how did a Goldendoodle (that’s half Golden Retriever, half Poodle) from the East Coast of Canada become an insta-famous friend to thousands around the world? It’s actually quite the tale (or is that tail?).
Some of the best stories start on a sad note (I’m looking at you, Up!), and this one is no different. Shortly after Percy came to live with us, my grandmother passed away. It wasn’t unexpected, but it was still heartbreaking. I was sad, feeling very restless, and needed a creative outlet to give my brain an excuse to have a little fun. We all have different ways to grieve, and in my case, it was by pretending to be my dog on the Internet.
The Early Days
Much like being a puppy, the early days of Percy Doodle were spent sniffing around and trying to figure out what was what. When should we post? Which hashtags should we be using? Who should we be following? And, most importantly, what should we be saying? It was overwhelming at first, but also a lot of fun. We were throwing everything at the wall to see what stuck. Eventually, we settled into framing each post from the perspective of a baby dog who, while miraculously mastering the English language at a very young age, was still a baby dog. He yells a lot, he reminds everybody how much he loves them, he doesn’t understand why the cat doesn’t want to play with him.
Sometimes, the simplest way of looking at things is also the best way.
With Percy’s voice established, we got to work on a posting schedule. We wanted to be consistent without being overwhelming. And since the account is very much a hobby, we didn’t want to burn ourselves out. In the end, we decided to post once a day, every day. Since we started the account, we haven’t missed a day, which is a weird source of pride for us. Of course writer’s block happens, but there are plenty of tricks for dealing with that!
While once a day works for us, some accounts post more, some less. There’s been plenty of research done on how often you should post on Instagram, all of which I encourage you to check out to help find the number that works for you.
The good news for instagrammers who want to schedule bulk posts is that the platform came out with changes earlier this year to its API that allow businesses to do just that. The API is available for use by Instagram Partners.
No Dog Park is an Island
Okay, that might not be entirely true. And honestly, a dog park island sounds awesome (as long as it’s not like the one in Isle of Dogs). Dogs are social creatures that crave interaction with other dogs, and people, and squirrels (though the squirrels aren’t usually into it). Percy Doodle the account is a lot like Percy Doodle the dog in the sense that we’re always reaching out and interacting with our followers (and accounts we want to be our followers). I spend a lot of time every day liking posts, leaving comments, responding to DMs (again, always in character), and building rapport with other accounts.
Tasks like these aren’t something you can do once and forget about. You need to be willing to spend time laying the groundwork for the community you’re trying to build. Much like Rome wasn’t built in a day, neither is an engaged, active Instagram account. Typically, I spend at least an hour every day interacting with Percy’s followers (and people I want to be Percy’s followers). Building a relationship with popular accounts is a valuable way to get yourself noticed. Luckily, this is gratifying work, and Percy isn’t the only one who has built friendships with people and pooches through his account. In fact, this past holiday season, Percy sent out dozens of cards to his friends, and in turn, received gifts and treats from folks all around the world.
One thing we’ve always avoided on Percy’s account is quick fixes and the use of bots. At VERB, we’ve written about the negative impact of purchasing followers and using bots before. I suggest you check out that article to learn more, but long story short, there is no substitute for authenticity when it comes to engaging with your followers and building your community.
A Picture’s Worth a Thousand Words
A strong voice and a consistent posting schedule have helped build Percy’s account, but to make a mark — especially on a platform like Instagram — appealing visuals are crucial. I’m not saying you need to be a professional photographer, far from it, but you do need to take the time to think about the photos you’re capturing, and how they fit into the stories you’re trying to tell. We try to have variety in the pictures we post (for example, it’s rare you’ll see two photos of Percy taking a nap in a row) and, more importantly, we try to make sure things are always interesting for our followers.
This is important because not all of Percy’s followers are the same. Some of our followers love video content; others love photos of Percy interacting with our cat, Margaret (aka, Big Sister Marg); Still, others want to see close up pictures of Percy’s nose. When you give your feed a little variety, it is fun for your followers and makes your account more interesting for first-time and returning visitors alike.
So how do we make sure we always have fresh and fun content to post? Simple, we always have our phones out ready to capture the amazing, heartwarming, or just plain fun moments. I know people are trying to reduce their screen time, and I’m all for that, but if you want to capture a moment, you have to be ready!
Just take a look at the photo above. It might seem like the definition of a lucky shot, but we took hundreds of photos on this trip to the beach. This is all patience and preparation. Perhaps not coincidentally, it’s among our most popular posts of 2018.
Teaching an Old Dog New Tricks
Building a successful Instagram account has been a lot of fun. It’s also taught me a lot about what goes into growing an online community. It starts with developing your voice, then building a consistent stream of appealing content around that voice. You need to take time to interact and develop relationships with your followers and pay attention to the things that are important to them. You also need to be ready to capture compelling moments when they present themselves.
Notice I didn’t say you need a (really, really cute) dog.
These tips are universal and can be applied to almost anything — from selling a product to promoting a destination. Of course, it might be a lot more fun if you’re using them to introduce your dog to the world, but maybe I’m biased. Regardless of what you’re promoting on your Instagram account, be it a personal or professional endeavor, watching your hard work pay off and your community grow is incredibly rewarding.
It’s kind of like when your dog finally learns to shake a paw.
Two things before I wrap up. First, be sure to follow along with Percy on all his adventures at @Percy_Doodle over on Instagram. He’s going to be excited to see you.
Second, if you are ready to go beyond followers and start building community on your social media channels, get in touch with VERB Interactive today. We will help you find your voice and develop a strategy to ensure you are being heard.
VERB Interactive is a leader in digital marketing, specializing in solutions for the travel and hospitality industry. Find out more at www.verbinteractive.com.
