Cats have become stars on social media, with famous felines like Grumpy Cat and Nala Cat gaining millions of followers on Instagram. With cute photos and videos, expressive personalities, and relatable behaviors, cats are naturals at charming the Instagram audience. Cat profiles demonstrate the potential for pet influencer marketing, paid sponsorships, merchandise sales, and other monetization of a furry friend’s online fame. For a regular housecat, gaining Insta-fame takes quality content, consistency, strategy, and a little bit of luck. This guide covers how to help make your cat a successful Instagram celeb.
Choose the Right Cat
When looking to create a successful cat Instagram account, one of the most important decisions is choosing the right cat. There are certain cat breeds, ages, and personalities that tend to thrive on social media.
Some of the most popular cat breeds on Instagram include British Shorthairs, Scottish Folds, Bengals, Ragdolls, and Sphynx cats. These breeds tend to have striking features like flattened faces, folded ears, wild patterns, or no fur at all. Their unique looks make them very photogenic and eye-catching.
Kittens and young cats often make great Instagram stars as well. Their playful, mischievous antics lend well to cute and funny content that followers love. However, an older cat with a distinguished, wise look can also find social media fame.
Personality-wise, cats that are friendly, outgoing, and patient tend to do better in front of the camera. Shy or skittish cats may find all the photos and videos stressful. The ideal Instagram cat is relaxed, comfortable around people, and responds well to treats and toys during photo shoots.
Take High Quality Photos
One of the most important aspects of building an Instagram following for your cat is taking high quality, engaging photos. Making use of natural lighting, interesting backgrounds, and getting close to your cat’s eye level can result in photos that capture attention. According to the Alley Cat Allies article How To Take Better Cat Photos, photographing cats outside using natural light often produces appealing images. They recommend trying different angles and perspectives when taking photos. The article from Cats Protection titled Pet photography: How to take amazing photos of your cat suggests paying close attention to the backdrop and avoiding harsh backlighting.
When it comes to camera types, a DSLR camera allows control over settings like aperture, shutter speed, and ISO for achieving the perfect exposure and focus. However, modern smartphone cameras can also take high quality pet photos, especially in bright lighting. As recommended in the Expert Photography post 11 Cat Photography Tips for Improving Your Pet Photos, enabling burst mode on either type of camera gives you better odds of capturing the ideal moment.
Consistent Posting Schedule
Posting consistently is key to growing your cat’s Instagram account. According to Meowbox, you’ll want to post at least once or twice per day to keep your audience engaged. Some popular cat accounts post up to 10 times per day, sharing photos and videos in Instagram Stories in addition to main feed posts.
Chicago Black Cat, an account with over 100k followers, recommends posting main feed photos about once per day, with 5-10 Stories posts as well. The more you post quality, varied content, the more chances you have to be discovered.
While daily posting is ideal, 3-4 times per week can also work well. The key is sticking to a regular schedule so followers know when to expect new content. Scheduling posts in advance with planning tools can help maintain consistency.
Use Relevant Hashtags
Using relevant hashtags is crucial for growing your cat’s Instagram account and reaching new audiences. According to Flick, some of the most popular hashtags for cats on Instagram include: #Catsofinstagram, #Cats, #Pet, #Catstagram, #Animal, #Catlover, #Kitty, and #Instacat. Best-hashtags.com also recommends hashtags like #cats, #catsofinstagram, #catstagram, #catlife, and #catlovers. When posting cat photos or videos, make sure to include a mix of popular general hashtags like #cat as well as more niche hashtags depending on the specific content.
Hashtags should be relevant to the post so that it shows up in searches. For example, #CuteCats or #AdventureCats for fun photos, #SeniorCat for older cats, #CatToys or #CatTree for playtime, and #RescueCat or #AdoptDontShop for rescued cats. Using a mix of broader and niche hashtags will help more users find and engage with your posts.
Engage with Your Audience
One of the best ways to build a loyal following on Instagram is to regularly engage with your audience. Be sure to respond to any comments or questions on your posts in a timely manner. This shows followers that there is a real person behind the account who cares about them. You can also engage by liking and commenting on followers’ photos. This helps build a sense of community and encourages two-way conversation.
Consider hosting Q&As or AMAs (Ask Me Anything sessions) on your stories or in your feed. This allows followers to get their questions answered in real time. You can also share behind-the-scenes content or fun facts about your cat to give your audience a glimpse into your daily life. The more you interact, the more invested your followers will become.
Make engaging with your audience a regular habit, not just something you do every once in a while. Social media is built on relationships, so put in the time to build an authentic connection with the people who support your account.
Post Varied Content
To keep your audience engaged, it’s important to post varied content like photos, videos, and Stories. According to Mewobox, “Post different types of photos – close ups, action shots, silly shots. The key is to mix it up!”
Photos are essential for any cat Instagram account. Make sure to capture your cat’s cute moments as well as their silly antics. Get creative with photo composition and use props or backgrounds to make your photos stand out.
Videos allow you to showcase more of your cat’s personality. Film your cat playing, jumping, exploring, or doing funny things. Keep videos short, 15-60 seconds. Use features like Boomerang or slow motion to enhance your video content.
Instagram Stories let you give followers a behind-the-scenes look at your daily life with your cat. Share casual photos and videos of your cat throughout the day. Ask followers questions or post polls to drive engagement. Stories don’t have to be perfect, keep them fun and authentic.
Regularly posting a variety of content will keep your audience looking forward to your next post. Make sure to balance photos, videos, and Stories as you develop your content strategy.
Collaborate with Influencers
One of the best ways to grow your cat’s Instagram and make money is by collaborating with influencers. According to https://www.influencercampaigns.co.uk/brands/cat-brands/ there are many cat brands looking to sponsor cat influencers and do product placements. Some of the top brands are Meow Mix, Friskies, Purina, IAMS, Temptations, and more.
Make sure to tag any brands you may be using in your photos and videos. Reach out to some of these brands about potential sponsorships or product placements. Many brands will send you free products or pay you to feature their items. This is a great way to offset the costs of creating content while growing your audience.
Another option is doing Instagram takeovers with other popular cat accounts. According to https://www.izea.com/resources/cat-influencer/, top cat influencers like @cobythecat and @venustwofacecat have done successful takeovers. Ask larger accounts in your niche if they are interested in collaborating.
When doing sponsorships or collaborations, make sure to clearly disclose any paid or gifted content to your audience. Being transparent will build trust with your followers.
Monetize Your Account
Once your cat gains a substantial following, you can start looking for ways to monetize the account and turn your feline into a breadwinner. Some of the main ways to make money off a pet Instagram include:
Sponsored posts – As your following grows, brands will reach out asking you to feature their products. You can charge anywhere from $100 to $10,000+ per sponsored post depending on your audience size and engagement levels. Make sure to clearly disclose sponsored content as ‘#ad’ or ‘#sponsored’. According to Jarvee, prominent pet influencers can earn up to $50,000 for a single sponsored post.
Merchandise – Creating custom merchandise like t-shirts, mugs, and other items featuring your cat’s face or popular catchphrases can provide a lucrative passive income stream. You’ll need to set up a seller account with a service like Teespring or Redbubble and promote the merch on your Instagram page. As fans buy goods, you’ll earn a commission. But you can also buy the merch in bulk yourself and sell it at a markup for higher profit margins.
Conclusion
In summary, there are several key factors to growing a successful cat account on Instagram. The most important steps are choosing a cat with an engaging personality, taking high quality photos and videos that showcase your cat’s uniqueness, and posting frequently with relevant hashtags and captions that spark interaction. Engaging with your audience by responding to comments and messages is also vital. Additionally, posting a variety of content types (photos, videos, reels, stories) will help you appeal to more users and keep your audience interested. Collaborating with influencers and potentially monetizing your account down the road can further grow your reach. Most importantly, remember that authenticity and consistency are key – let your cat’s true personality shine through. By following these tips, you can grow and maintain an Instagram account that establishes your cat as a star!
Some final tips are to stay on top of new Instagram features and trends in order to keep your content fresh and exciting. Continuously experiment with different content styles and interact with other cat accounts. And above all, have fun with it – working with your cat on social media should be an enjoyable experience for both you and your feline!
