Have you ever heard someone complain about how expensive their dog is? They talk about all the vet visits, the cost of food, and the medications for viruses. And let’s not forget about the things their dog destroys around the house! But what many people don’t realize is that they can actually make money with their dog too, without compromising their pet’s well-being. In this article, we will explore five ways you can make money while still taking good care of your furry friend.
1. Make money by walking dogs.
Did you know that you can actually get paid to walk dogs? If you’re already taking your dog for walks, why not earn some extra cash while you’re at it? There’s a website called Rover that connects dog owners with qualified dog walkers and pet sitters. Instead of just walking your own dog, you can take other dogs along with you and make some easy money.
You can choose to offer dog walks within your own neighborhood to minimize travel time and expenses. Getting started with Rover is simple, and they even provide liability insurance, so you don’t have to worry if something happens while you’re taking care of someone else’s dog. If you have enough space in your home, you can even offer dog boarding services during the day or night to earn even more money.
Not only will this help you make some extra cash, but if your dog enjoys the company of other dogs, they’ll also benefit from the increased social interactions.
2. Make your dog an Instagram star.
Did you know that you and your dog can make money on Instagram? It’s not just celebrities and influencers who can earn from the platform. By building a following on Instagram, you can attract sponsors, receive free products, and even create your own merchandise.
There are couples out there who are earning thousands of dollars every month just by sharing photos and stories of their pets on Instagram. They have managed to gather a huge fan base, with thousands or even millions of followers. They leverage their popularity to sell a variety of products related to their pet.
By posting adorable and engaging content featuring your dog, you can attract a loyal audience who will follow your pet’s adventures. This can open up opportunities for sponsored posts, collaborations, and partnerships with pet-related brands. You might even have the chance to create your own line of merchandise featuring your dog’s unique personality.
So, if you enjoy capturing special moments with your furry friend and sharing them with the world, Instagram can be a fun and profitable platform for both you and your dog.
How to Use Your Dog’s Instagram Account
To make the most of your dog’s Instagram account, follow these steps:
1. Create a pet Instagram account: Set up a dedicated Instagram account for your dog and start posting regularly. You can use the photos you already enjoy taking of your furry friend.
2. Post consistently and use relevant hashtags: In the beginning, aim to post at least 2-3 times a day and use hashtags that are related to your content. This will help attract more attention to your posts. Take a look at successful animal pages for inspiration.
3. Show your dog’s personality: Your pup’s Instagram page should reflect his unique personality. Write captions as if your dog is speaking and creating the content. This will make your posts more engaging and relatable.
4. Be creative and consistent: Building a following takes time and effort. Stay creative and consistent with your posts to keep your audience interested. With a good strategy, you can attract a significant following within a few months. Consider investing in a high-quality camera or a smartphone with a good camera for better photo quality.
5. Attract brand partnerships: As your account grows, brands may start reaching out to you. Initially, they may offer free products such as toys, treats, or accessories. However, if you create engaging sponsored posts and generate good audience engagement, you can negotiate paid partnerships with brands in the future.
6. Reach out to brands: Don’t wait for brands to contact you; you can also proactively reach out to them. Choose brands that your dog genuinely likes and uses, as this will make your requests more authentic and increase your chances of being noticed.
How to Help Your Dog Land His First Sponsorship Deal
To help your dog secure his first sponsorship deal, follow these steps:
1. Look for small local brands: Start by reaching out to small local brands, such as a dog bakery or the store where you bought your dog’s Christmas sweater. Express your genuine love for their products and explain why you think they would be a great fit for your audience.
2. Showcase your audience’s growth: Highlight the growth of your Instagram audience and demonstrate how you plan to promote their product to your followers. Brands are more likely to be interested if they see that you have an engaged and relevant audience.
3. Discuss promotion strategies: Explain how you intend to promote the brand’s product, whether through dedicated posts, stories, or giveaways. Ask them about any specific hashtags they would like you to use to maximize exposure.
By following these steps, you can increase the chances of your dog landing his first sponsorship deal and start collaborating with brands that align with your pet’s interests and your audience’s preferences.
3. Start a dog blog.
You can make money from your dog by creating a blog. This dog side activity is hard to pull off, but it could be worth it. Like an Instagram account, a blog for a dog breed could turn into money once you get enough visitors.
Like social media profiles, pet bloggers are usually paid by big brands to promote their products. You may also insert referral links and earn money when you refer others to things that you use. For example, you can post about your dog’s favorite treats and include affiliate links to a partner store.
Benefits of Starting a Pet Blog
- Apart from social media, having a blog can help your dog gain greater popularity.
- You can sell advertising on your blog.
- You can place affiliate links on your blog and earn commissions on the sales you make.
To start with, choose what kind of blog you want to develop. Is this a fun blog about the adventures you have with your dog? Or would you like to provide training tips and tricks?
Starting a blog won’t result in immediate income, but it can be a long-term project. It can also help you learn new skills that you may find useful in other projects.
4. Sell your dog’s images on a stock photography website.
If you have a good camera and a creative eye, there are stock photography sites like Shutterstock that will pay you royalties for your images.
Photography sites like these have a large reach and millions of users, and those subscribers are always looking for new dog photographs to use on their own websites. It’s great if your dog is photogenic and enjoys posing.
5. Train your dog to be a professional actor (or model).
You have already noticed on television a dog expressing itself and playing like an actor. And you tell yourself that yours can also become a great actor. We all think that our dog is the cutest, but some dogs are paid for their adorable appearance. Earn money with your dog by training him to be an actor or model.
Many cities have animal agencies that your dog can join. They may charge upfront fees for training and placement, so you’ll have to decide if you want to invest in this, as there’s no guarantee your dog will be hired. Find out about the agencies near you that offer this kind of service for dogs and companion animals.
Youtube
If your dog is having a lot of fun and jumping around, you can think of filming him and posting his videos on YouTube.
It’s wonderful to share these videos on your social networking accounts and blog, but you can also make money online by uploading your dog’s video to YouTube. Learn how to create a YouTube channel and start adding videos to it to do this. Add a fun description, include your dog’s social media links, and share it on other sites, like Reddit or a breed-specific Facebook group.
There are settings on your YouTube channel to enable monetization of your videos, which means you earn money from the short ads shown before your video plays. You also need to connect your YouTube channel to a Google AdSense account, which allows you to earn money from Google ads.
Be aware that YouTube even offers free tutorials that walk you through the process.
