Why My Dog has Better Instagram Engagement than Me: 3 Practices I Used To Grow An Audience on IG Reels
Fudge’s first trip to the beach at 15 weeks old, photographed by my mother.
In the ever-evolving world of social media, there's one thing we can all agree on: we're constantly striving for that elusive combination of likes, comments, and shares that catapult our Instagram profiles to “influencer status”. But little did I know that my secret weapon in achieving this Instagram stardom wouldn't be me, but rather, my furry four-legged friend, Fudge, a mini Australian Shepherd with a talent for capturing hearts. Within one week of my puppy’s account going live, we gained just over one thousand followers that were only acquired from our Reels success. In this blog post, I'm going to unveil the story of how Fudge, with a wag of his tail and a paw on Instagram Reels, ended up with higher engagement than me. Buckle up, as we delve into the tricks, tips, and best practices that transformed my pup into a micro-petfluencer, revealing the secrets to growing your own engagement on Instagram Reels.
#1: Prioritize sound over video
On my personal IG account, I have trouble creating successful posts because my audience consists of family and friends, however on my dog’s account, I was able to begin using influencer techniques without the fear of context collapse from my family and friends.
Oftentimes, we assume that the content in our video is the real moneymaker. However, the secret recipe to a successful Instagram Reel lies in the trends within IG’s audio library. To find these sounds, quickly scroll through your Reels Feed until you come across a trending audio (marked either by a small arrow in the bottom left corner, OR a sound that appears in your feed more than three times in one minute of scrolling. Make sure the trending video you choose has under ten thousand videos! You don’t want your content to get lost in a sea of reels.
Via Later.com
I have found that videos perform better when I find the sound first, then capture or upload a video of my pup. IG sounds can be catered to your niche with a little creativity! Not every sound has to directly relate to your niche, and a great deal of engagement can come from turning a generic trending sound into something that works for you!
Insider Tip: Instagrams @creators account posts a weekly trend report of sounds and video prompts that fostered the most creators the most engagement! Stay up to date with trend reports across the creators account and other relevant pages.
#2: Treat Hashtags and Keywords Like SEO
On Instagram, hashtags are the key for getting your content to reach the correct audience. My rule of thumb is to create a list of 12 hashtags per video, and add more variations as needed. At least our should relate to what your account showcases. The next four should vaguely describe what’s in the video (this shows the algorithm what you post!) . The final four should describe your goals or target audience for your account. It’s also important to keep in mind what you think your audience may search in order to find your content! The IG algorithm doesn’t have its own pair of eyes to watch your video, so it is crucial to give the algorithm lots of text to analyze in the caption. In Fudge and I’s case, our consistent hashtags for the mostpart look like this, and then vary based on what is in the video:
#miniaussie #miniaustralianshephard #puppyreels #cutedogreels #miniaussiesofinstagram #dogsofinstagram #petfluencer #dogmom #doglover #puppytraining #dogproblems #puppy #dog #dogsofnewyork #dayinthelifeofadog
When writing a caption to go along with your reel, be sure to stock up on words that will catch the algorithms eye. You’ll want to include both general and specific phrases that fit into your niche.
#3. Record high quality video, edit directly in Reels
I’ve noticed that from all of the videos of Fudge I’ve posted, the ones that were recorded using the 4K function on my iPhone 11 have performed the best. Generally, videos filmed outdoors will have far better lighting, resulting in a much clearer reel. Take lots of videos of yourself or your subject, and save them for later. When you find a trending sound, you’ll likely already have a video to go with it!
If you’re an iPhone user, it’s important to realize that the camera performs especially well in outdoor settings, and oftentimes captures sunlight far better than my fancy DSLR camera. Keep your camera steady, leave room in the upper third of the frame to add text overlays, and never record more than 8-10 seconds of video if your goal is engagement.
In terms of editing, simplicity is key. No need for crazy transition effects or filters, and if small light adjustments are needed, do those directly in your camera roll editor to preserve video quality. Add a few lines of text to your video directly in Reels and chop up your clip within the app as needed. The most important thing I’ve learned is that consumers will not pause their scroll on a poorly recorded video, and a well done video does not require expensive equipment! My mother often sends me fantastic footage from her iPhone 6, and the proof in these methods shows in Fudge’s engagement.
follow Fudge’s adventures at @miniaussiefudge on Instagram
With consistent use of these methods, you should see an increase in video performance. The Instagram algorithm is still mysterious to many, but with effort and purpose, growth is inevitable. As far as my new puppy goes, it was truly enriching to put many of my social media skills to the test. Who knows how long I will continue his account, but I’m certainly more aware of what constitutes short-form success because of this project. Be sure to give my pup a follow if you’d like to watch him grow!
