How To Become A Successful Pet Influencer
Psssst.
Lean in.
A little closer.
I have the secret to how to become a successful pet influencer.
I actually have six secrets, but truth be told, they aren’t all that mysterious. If there were true “secrets,” everyone would be doing them. For pet entrepreneurs, we understand it takes work, time and dedication to our craft. “Success” for many pet influencers is about how to make money blogging, and if that’s your goal this year, read on!
You need to know how to write
Let’s face it: If you can’t string grammatically correct sentences and paragraphs together, it will be a struggle to become a successful pet influencer. Even if you’re “short-handing” it on Twitter, you still need that skill. If you’re brilliant with your thoughts, but struggle to write them down correctly, partner up with someone who can turn your thoughts into words and make them shine. We all make mistakes, but if you make too many–especially in a technical article –your reader will subconsciously doubt the information you’re sharing. They may think, “If that writer can’t figure out how to use the correct form of ‘your and you’re’ how can I trust she knows about the best way to groom my poodle?”
You need to be in control of your schedule
This is especially true if you work outside of the home and want to make a success of your pet blogging and social media endeavors. Discipline is crucial to your success. Set aside time to prepare your editorial calendar. Time block some hours throughout the week to write your blog posts. Schedule time to search for graphics for your post. Don’t forget to make time to connect on social media and to join boost groups. Divvy up the number of hours a day/week/month you have available for your blogging and social media tasks. Break that time down further to the specific tasks. When you sit down to work, get to it!
You’re willing to learn
Regardless of what you blog about or share on social media, it seems as though there are always new techniques and technologies to be learned and used. If you’re a dog groomer, there are likely new products and tools of the trade. As a blogger you need to keep up with the ever-changing Google “rules for SEO.” Attending social media conferences is an ideal way to connect face-to-face with your community and to learn from the experts.
You avoid mistakes
Let’s face it, we all make mistakes. My family would be shocked to know it, but I, on occasion, make a mistake! Don’t tell them! If you make a mistake, own up to it. One “mistake” I see on social media is someone in the pet industry bad-mouthing someone else or a pet-centric company. If you say, “Wow, I really despise Pet Company ABC…” guess what? Someone online will have a connection to Pet Company ABC. Even more true, you may have an opportunity down the road to work with Company XYZ, and guess what? The person you bad-mouthed at Pet Company ABC is now the CEO of Pet Company XYZ. Whoops. Bridge burned. The pet community is a relatively small one. Play nice. Don’t be seen as the “person who bad mouths others.” I know it is tough sometimes to hold your tongue, but do it. Your career and your future self will thank you.
NOTE: If you have a true problem with a company or an individual, reach out to them personally–not on your Facebook or Twitter wall. It should be a private conversation, not a public airing of dirty laundry.
You’re willing to do the work
Oh, how I wish I were an overnight sensation! Don’t we all? I am a full-time writer who pays all of my bills from my writing endeavors, BUT it took me a couple of years to get to that point. I worked a full-time office job while I built my client list. I saved my money so I’d have a cushion to fall back on in case this “writing thing” didn’t work. I took chances–I bought a magazine and ran that for four years. I jettisoned some clients with whom I just couldn’t work because of fundamental differences. I worked days, nights, weekends, holidays. I still don’t truly ever take a vacation. During family vacations, I will get up early and work before anyone wakes up so I am free to enjoy the day when everyone else is up. Is is a sacrifice? Sure. Is it worth it? You bet!
Bonus Tip: You are creative.
I don’t mean that you need to be able to paint watercolors or draw three-dimensional works of art. I mean you can take an everyday topic, put your own spin on it, and make it something your readers can’t wait to try. You continually find blog topics to cover. Even when you’re stumped, you know you have blogs on your site that you can re-purpose into new content. You’re open to new ideas. You’re always willing and open to learning. You interact with people inside the pet community as well as those outside of the pet industry.
Want to learn more? Join us at the BlogPaws 2017 conference in Myrtle Beach!
Robbi Hess is an award-winning author, full-time writer, newspaper columnist, writing coach and time-management guru. She works with bloggers and solopreneurs and blogs at All Words Matter.
